High School Placement Test (HSPT)
What is the HSPT?
The High School Placement Test is a high school entrance exam taken by students in grades 8 and 9 seeking
admission to parochial high schools. The HSPT is designed to measure student academic achievement. It
does not focus on memorized information. The test contains 298 multiple choice questions divided into five
sections. Schools use the HSPT scores to assess how well a student may do academically in a high school
setting as well as a common measurement of a student’s academic capabilities, separate from school
records.
How long does the HSPT take?
The HSPT is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes in length.
How do I register for the HSPT? When is the test offered?
The HSPT is administered twice each year, in the spring and the fall. Test dates, locations, and registration
are handled through individual schools. For more information about the test, visit STS Homepage.
How many times can I take the HSPT?
The HSPT may be taken twice, however the test-maker, STS, sends the lower of the two scores, therefore it
does not make sense to take the HSPT twice.
How is the HSPT scored?
Each HSPT multiple-choice question presents four or five answer choices. For each HSPT question answered
correctly, the student receives one point. Students are not penalized for incorrect or omitted answers.
Speed in completing each HSPT section is not considered in scoring. Correct answers are tallied for each test
section to produce a raw score.
Raw scores are then converted into scaled scores using a formula designed to compensate for any
differences in difficulty from test to test. The HSPT scaled scores range from 200 – 800 which is a scale
created by the test-maker, STS. Once scores are converted to scale scores, they can be compared with the
scores of students of the same grade level across the country. Scaled score performance is then rated as
low, below average, average, above average, and high, measured by percentiles ranging from 1 to 99.
Student percentiles are nationally compared with peer test-takers.
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Scores between the 50th and 94th percentiles are considered to be “average”.
Scores at or above the 95th percentile are considered to be “high”.
HSPT Score Reports are released to the schools, to educational consultants, and to educational
organizations that are selected on the individual student’s registration form. Scores remain active for one
academic year. Individual schools need to be contacted for specific admission information.
What are the different test sections on the HSPT?
Verbal Skills
Number of Questions
Time Allotted
Includes analogies, synonyms, logic, verbal
classifications, and antonyms
60
16 minutes
Quantitative Skills
Number of Questions
Time Allotted
Includes number series, geometric
comparison, non-geometric comparison, and
number manipulation
52
30 minutes
Reading
Number of Questions
Time Allotted
Includes reading comprehension
and vocabulary
62
25 minutes
Mathematics
Number of Questions
Time Allotted
Includes concepts
and problem-solving
64
45 minutes
Language Skills
Number of Questions
Time Allotted
Includes punctuation and capitalization,
usage, spelling, and composition
60
25 minutes
Concepts on the HSPT Test
Verbal Skills
Math and Quantitative Skills
Reading
Language (Grammar)
Vocabulary - ~240 Terms
Analogies
Antonyms
Synonyms
Logic
Verbal Classification
Basic Operations
Averages and Rounding
Percents and Ratios
Measurement
Exponents
Fractions and Square Roots
Word Problems
Basic and Advanced Algebra
Geometry
Estimation and Number Series
Author’s Purpose
Main Idea
Vocabulary in Context
Compare and Contrast
Making Inferences
Proper Comma Use
Pronoun Errors
Apostrophe Usage
Capitalization and Punctuation
Subject/Verb Agreement
Run On Sentences and Fragments
RTB’s 12 Week HSPT Preparation Timeline – Mid January 2015 Testing Date
Week 0
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week of
October 20th
Week of
October 27th
Week of
November 3rd
Week of
November 10th
Week of
November 24th
Vocabulary
~240 Words
30 Terms
Set A
Verbal Skills
Analogies
30 Terms
Set B
Antonyms and
Synonyms
30 Terms
Set C
Logic and Verbal
Classifications
Math/Quantitative
Skills
Basic Operations
Averages/Rounding
Percents/Ratios
Measurement
Review Math
Weeks 1-2
Word Problems and
Basic Algebra
Author’s Purpose
Main Idea
Commas
Pronoun Errors,
Punctuation
Vocabulary in
Context
Apostrophe Usage,
Capitalization
30 Terms
Set D
Review Weeks
1–3
Exponents
Fractions/Square
Roots
Compare and
Contrast
Subject/Verb
Agreement
Week of
November 17th
Take 2nd Practice
Test and Analyze
Results
Review Sets
A-D
Run On Sentences
and Fragments
Review Reading
Weeks 1 - 5
Review Grammar
Weeks 1 - 5
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week of
December 1st
Week of
December 8th
Week of
December 15th
Week of
December 29th
Week of
January 5th
30 Terms
Set E
Logic and Verbal
Classifications
30 Terms
Set F
Review Weeks
5-7
30 Terms
Set G
Advanced Algebra
Geometry
Review Sets
E-H
Logic and Verbal
Classifications
Review All
Math Concepts
Author’s Purpose
Main Idea
Commas
Pronoun Errors,
Punctuation
Week of
December 22nd
Take 3rd Practice
Test and Analyze
Results
30 Terms
Set H
Antonyms and
Synonyms
Review Math
Weeks 7 – 9
Compare and
Contrast
Subject/Verb
Agreement
Review Sets
E-H
Review Weeks
9 - 11
Review All
Math Concepts
Review Reading
Weeks 7 - 11
Review Grammar
Weeks 7 - 11
Take 1st Practice
Test and Analyze
Results
Reading
Comprehension
Language Skills
(Grammar)
Vocabulary
~240 Words
Verbal Skills
Math/Quantitative
Skills
Reading
Comprehension
Language Skills
(Grammar)
Analogies
Estimation and
Number Series
Vocabulary in
Context
Apostrophe Usage,
Capitalization
Analogies
Making Inferences
Making Inferences
Run On Sentences
and Fragments
Review Sets
A-D
Antonyms and
Synonyms
Review Math
Weeks 4 - 5