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Private SHSAT Tutoring

Our interview process, stringent qualifications, and background screening ensure that only the best SHSAT tutors work with Varsity Tutors. To assure a successful experience, you're paired with one of these qualified tutors by an expert director - and we stand behind that match with our money-back guarantee.

Receive personally tailored SHSAT lessons from exceptional tutors in a one-on-one setting. We help you connect with the best tutor for your particular needs while offering flexible scheduling to fit your busy life.

SHSAT Tutoring FAQ

You have come to the right place if you've been searching for terms like "SHSAT tutoring near me" because Varsity Tutors can help set your student up with a skilled SHSAT tutor who can help them study for the exam effectively. Signing up for SHSAT tutoring could give your student just the boost they need to bring their test skills to a whole new level. SHSAT tutors may help your student learn useful strategies they can use during the test, refresh their knowledge in the material, and help them improve their overall study skills for their upcoming exam and future tests as well. There is no reason to let your student prepare for the SHSAT alone because Varsity Tutors can connect them with a tutor who meets their SHSAT test prep needs and expectations.

The Specialized High School Admissions Test, or SHSAT, is used to determine admissions to 8 of the 9 New York City specialized high schools. It is given by the Department of Education and is only available to New York City eighth-grade students. There is also a ninth-grade version of the test with limited seating.

Below you will find more details about the SHSAT:

SHSAT Test Details

  • Timing
    • 3 Hours
  • Raw Score
    • Questions Worth One Point
    • Cutoff Score Varies
  • Composite Score
    • Raw Math and ELA Score (Main Scoring Focus)
  • Questions
    • 114 Total
  • Acceptance Rate
    • 20%

What are some of the advantages that SHSAT tutoring near me can provide?

One of the biggest benefits of the one-on-one attention from an SHSAT tutor is that it can give your student the chance to receive personalized instruction. Your student's tutor can spend as much time as necessary on the content that challenges your student the most, without using unnecessary time on subjects that they have already mastered. Also, working with an SHSAT tutor allows your student to develop a trusting and open working relationship, which can provide a whole separate set of benefits.

For instance, you may find that your student is coming out of their comfort zone during their SHSAT tutoring sessions, which can lead to them taking more risks and asking more questions as they happen. One more benefit is that their SHSAT tutor can get to know them and their strongest learning styles, their goals, their motivations, and their personal challenges and strengths. This allows SHSAT tutors to give your student a customized and precise learning experience that is based on their unique needs. Also, they can change each lesson plan when necessary to adapt to your student's progress.

The SHSAT test consists of two sections including the ELA and Math sections. The ELA section will measure your student's abilities in reading comprehension and editing/revising sentences and paragraphs. The suggested time for this section is 90 minutes.

The mathematics section will measure your student's abilities in numerous topics including probability, word problem solving, counting, exponents, percentages, and many more. Your student will not be allowed to use their calculator, so an SHSAT tutor can help them develop their problem-solving skills without depending on the calculator to give them the answer. Also, for the Math section, your student will need to know how to solve equations, define number types, solve problems that relate to number lines and coordinate systems, and much more. A skilled tutor can help your student walk into exam day feeling adequately prepared to take on the material.

Here is a quick look at what you can expect on the SHSAT:

SHSAT What to Expect

  • Answer Choices
    • 4 choice grid-in questions
  • ELA (formerly Verbal)
    • Revising/Editing
    • Reading Comprehension
    • All Multiple choice
  • Math
    • Multiple choice Grid-in Questions
    • Focus word problems
    • Calculator not allowed

How can SHSAT tutoring near me help my student improve their test-taking skills?

The SHSAT consists of two different question formats, including multiple choice and word problems. There are some grid-in multiple choice questions in the math section. One way that your student can get help from their SHSAT tutor is to get sample questions that they will come across on the test. The SHSAT tutor can help your student become familiar with the format and structure of the exam and give them the tools they need to study for future exams.

Here is a list of local schools that will require your student to take the SHSAT:

Schools Requiring SHSAT

  • The Bronx High School of Science
  • Stuyvesant High School
  • The Brooklyn Latin School
  • Staten Island Technical High School
  • Brooklyn Technical High School
  • High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College of New York
  • High School of American Studies at Lehman College
  • Queens High School for the Sciences at York College

How can SHSAT tutors near me help my student with time management?

SHSAT tutoring is much more than just reviewing the material. The material review is a large portion of the time your student will spend with their tutor, but there are other important ways SHSAT tutors can prepare students for the exam. Standardized tests such as the SHSAT are different than typical tests that are given in regular high school classes. On a standardized test such as the SHSAT, there are many topics covered in one day, and each section of the exam has time limits. This can make the demands on your student seem daunting and impossible to handle and they may have problems answering all the questions within the time limits.

However, your student doesn't have to worry when they have the help of a skilled tutor. Your student's tutor can teach them valuable time management strategies that they can use during the test. For instance, if two answers for the same question seem like they could be the correct answer, it is better to make an educated guess than to leave the question unanswered because your student will not be penalized for answering a question incorrectly. Their SHSAT tutor can even help them use context clues and other strategies to figure out which one is the correct answer. Additionally, your student's tutor can administer full, timed practice tests or sections depending on what your student needs. These practice exams can help your student work out any pacing issues they may have.

Can SHSAT tutoring near me help my student work through confusing questions?

It is no secret that standardized exams are full of questions that are worded in challenging ways. Students may even feel as if the questions are worded to trick them into choosing an incorrect answer. Your student's SHSAT tutors may spend a lot of time showing them how to read and interpret SHSAT questions in ways that they understand. This might include teaching them to slow down and read every word of every question because if your student misses something as small as the word "not" it can lead them to the wrong answer.

Your student's SHSAT tutor can give them sample questions that they may consider confusing, and then guide them through them while showing them what phrasing twists can happen and how to interpret them. This is just one more way your student can benefit from taking practice exams. The more your student practices, the more familiar they will become with what the test is asking of them. They can then develop strategies to figure out even the toughest of questions.

Can studying with SHSAT tutors near me help my student in the long run?

How well your student does on the SHSAT can impact the rest of their lives. If they do not earn the scores required by schools such as The Bronx High School of Science or The Brooklyn Latin School, they can re-take it. However, if your student does not change their test prep process, they can fall back into old patterns and no matter how many times they retake the exam their score will not change drastically enough. It is important for them to do their best so that they can pass the exam the first time and get into the school of their dreams. An SHSAT tutor near me can help your student throughout this entire process.

The specialty school scene is getting more and more competitive. Here's a list of the SHSAT score cutoffs from the schools in the area, including the low and high cutoffs:

SHSAT Score Cutoff Low to High

  • Stuyvesant
    • 557 / 665
  • Bronx Science
    • 525 / 696
  • Brooklyn Latin
    • 488 / 505
  • Brooklyn Technical
    • 498 / 631
  • HSMSE @ CCNY
    • 519 / 620
  • HSAS @ Lehman
    • 524 / 617
  • Queens Science @ York College
    • 514 / 524
  • Staten Island Tech
    • 527 / 688

Part of preparing for the SHSAT can be thinking about career choices, the appropriate schools, and the requirements that your student will need to meet including SHSAT scores. This is yet another great reason to seek the help of an SHSAT tutor for your student. Instead of being frustrated with all of this planning, your student can work with their tutor through each step starting with setting a goal score. Then, they can take the appropriate steps to reach the goal with the skilled tutor by their side. Your student's SHSAT tutor is familiar with the exam so they can help your student figure out exactly where they are struggling the most and how to fix it. Their tutor will be with them until they feel confident and comfortable with meeting their goal score. This is just another of the many benefits your student will get when they work with an SHSAT tutor.

Additionally, Varsity Tutors will do their best to set your student up with an SHSAT tutor who is ready and available to meet when it works the best for your student. Everything is done through the online Live Learning Platform for further convenience and flexibility. Your student can use any device, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops, to log on as long as they have a stable internet connection. To learn more about how a skilled and professional SHSAT tutor can help your student with their exam prep, contact Varsity Tutors today and we will be happy to get them started immediately. We look forward to meeting and working with you and your student towards reaching for their SHSAT score goals. Stop searching for an "SHSAT tutor near me," and get the help your student deserves with skilled SHSAT tutoring.

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Identify Needs

Our knowledgeable directors help you choose your tutor with your learning profile and personality in mind.

Customize Learning

Your tutor can customize your lessons and present concepts in engaging easy-to-understand-ways.

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With the flexibility of online tutoring, your tutor can be arranged to meet at a time that suits you.

Recent SHSAT Tutoring Session Notes

Online SHSAT Tutoring review by Paisley
The student is making steady progress on the verbal section. I am feeling very proud of her progress, but also believe that it will be beneficial for her to slow down. I have been giving her exercises (such as writing out her thought process to check scrambled paragraphs) to moderate her tendency to rush and under-check answers.
Read more »
Online SHSAT Tutoring review by Jazmyn
Today, the student and I reviewed her assignment from two weeks ago she got 100% on the scrambled paragraphs and reading section. We reviewed each of the problems she got wrong, and she seemed to understand it better. We then started working in the two new books that her mom bought for her. We worked on a lot of logic problems, and I helped her come up with problem solving techniques to work her way through logic problems.
Read more »
Online SHSAT Tutoring review by Scott
This was our first session, so I introduced the test to the student and gained a sense of what level he was at. We went over each section, did a few practice problems, and I gave him strategies to work on.
Read more »
Online SHSAT Tutoring review by Jay
After a brief introduction, I wanted to get her baseline score in verbal. Average in scrambled paragraphs. Good in logical reasoning. Very good in reading comprehension. Student was struggling in scrambled paragraph, but as expected, as compared to students at her grade level. I left her with homework, focusing on scrambled paragraphs, and logical reasoning. Also, gave her a sample exam to do, that we'll go over next session. Good verbal skills. Next session will focus on her math skills. She is motivated and ready to learn.
Read more »
Online SHSAT Tutoring review by Tiffany
The session began by reviewing the practice test the student took during the previous session. I explained the errors to the student and we worked through each of the problems together. I left the student an extra ninth grade practice test for math.
Read more »
Online SHSAT Tutoring review by Brian
Great first lesson! The student has some clear patterns with reading and focus that are at the root of his issues with the test, and it was very helpful to see them in action in person. The skills we worked on with reading comp. were already having positive impact by the end of the session. Our next lesson will be a great time to jump in with some reading comp. activities and some scramble discussion.
Read more »

Varsity Tutors can help you connect with an experienced SHSAT tutor who can help your student prepare for their upcoming exam. Signing up for private instructional sessions could provide your student with the necessary boost to take their testing skills to a new level. There's no reason your student needs to prepare for the SHSAT alone when Varsity Tutors can quickly connect them with a private instructor who can help them work towards their SHSAT testing goals.

The Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) is administered to students who want to attend one of New York City's specialized high schools. This exam is one of the determining factors in the admissions process in 8 out of 9 of these schools. The test is mostly given to New York City students in the eighth grade, and it is administered by the Department of Education. However, there is a limited seating test that is available for ninth grade students.

Registration for the SHSAT is open during parts of September and October. If you're interested in having your child take the exam, you will need to contact their school counselor to complete registration. The exam itself is given in late October in various locations throughout the city.

The results of the exam are released in March to the schools. Students are ranked based on the score they earned and then assigned to a school. School assignments are based not only on your student's rank but also on the number of seats available at the various schools and the priority ranking assigned to each school by your child.

Continue reading to learn more about what your student can expect during the SHSAT and how Varsity Tutors can make the process of preparing for the exam less stressful for both you and your child.

What is on the SHSAT?

Students will have a total of three hours to complete both the English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics sections of the exam. Each section has slightly less than 60 multiple choice questions. A scaled score is given for the individual sections based on the number of questions answered correctly. The scores are then combined to create a composite score. It is important to note that there is no passing score range for this exam. It is strictly based on the rank your child places in comparison with the approximately 30,000 other students who will take the exam. On any given year between three and four thousand seats at the specialized schools.

The ELA section of the SHSAT is divided into two parts. The first part evaluates your student's ability to identify and correct language errors. Some of the skills assessed here will include grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and other standard English language skills. The second part of the ELA section measures your student's reading comprehension skills. They will have reading passages provided that they must read, analyze, and interpret.

During the Mathematics portion of the SHSAT, your student's ability in solving word problems, exponents, probability, counting, solving equations, calculating percentages, defining number types, solving problems related to number lines and coordinate systems, and other grade level appropriate math skills will be evaluated. It is important to note that your child will not be allowed to use a calculator on their exam. If this is a terrifying proposition for your child, don't worry! A skilled private SHSAT instructor can work with your child to help them develop their math skills without relying on a calculator.

How can SHSAT tutoring help my student prepare for their exam?

The SHSAT measures the understanding of various academic skills your student is assumed to have acquired throughout the entirety of their academic career. Private SHSAT tutoring can help your student to pinpoint and work to correct any knowledge gaps your child may have. It can also provide your student with a comprehensive exam overview, including the information they are most likely to encounter during the SHSAT.

As your student progressed through their elementary and middle school classes, new teachers may have taken for granted that your student had mastered skills from previous years. For example, when your student was introduced to fractions and decimals, it would have been assumed their ability with basic calculations was sufficient. Unfortunately, many students will move on to new grade levels even if they haven't fully mastered all of the skills of their current grade level. This could be as minor as not being able to add quickly or something more significant such as not knowing all of their multiplication tables by heart. If your student needs to work on bringing any of their skills up, they can do this more effectively with the help of a skilled private instructor.

When working with experienced SHSAT tutors, your child's academic needs are always the most important factor in developing any lesson. This is simply not possible in typical classrooms. It can be challenging for classroom teachers to get to know individual students well, and nearly impossible for even the most conscientious teacher to provide individualized learning solutions for each child based on their unique academic needs. When your student studies with a personal SHSAT tutor, on the other hand, they will have their instructor's undivided attention.

A private instructor can take more time to learn more about your student's learning style, educational goals, academic strengths and weaknesses, and their personal interests. The instructor can use this information to design a personalized program of study to help your student maximize their test preparation efforts. The instructor can also customize how content is delivered to your child to help make it more compatible with their individual learning style. Unfortunately, in most classrooms, teachers tend to rely on direct delivery of curriculum via lecture or presentation. While this is an efficient method of teaching, it isn't always what works best for individual students. When your student works individually with your student, they can utilize a variety of instructional modalities that can make the content more easily accessible for your student.

As your student works with their personal SHSAT instructor, their academic needs will change. Since a private instructor is working individually with your student, their sessions can be adjusted to match the new academic goals immediately.

If you want your student to attend one of New York City's prestigious specialized high schools, they must do well on this exam. When the stakes are this high, your student deserves the professional assistance an experienced SHSAT tutor can provide to help them work towards their scoring goals.

How can I get my student started with SHSAT tutoring?

Varsity Tutors can connect you with experienced SHSAT tutors who can work with your student in person or in an online learning environment.

Both formats will allow your student to work with their own SHSAT instructor face-to-face. When you choose the in-person option, your student can meet with their instructor in your home, at a local cafe, or at another nearby public venue. If your student works with an instructor online, all they have to do is log on to the Live Learning Platform provided by Varsity Tutors. This just requires a digital device and a reliable internet connection. When your student enters the secure online learning environment we offer, they will be able to see and speak with their SHSAT instructor. Your student and their private tutor can interact just as they would in person.

The chief difference between working with SHSAT tutors online or in-person is convenience. If you've spent any time looking for a private SHSAT instructor for your child, you have probably already run into how difficult it can be to find someone who is both conveniently located and available during the times your child is free to focus on their test preparation efforts. While this is a localized exam and New York City has an abundance of instructors who can work with your child, the city itself is immense. If your child or the instructor has to travel across town during the busiest times of the day, it can add a significant amount of time to the endeavor. Because of this, some instructors have a small geographic region they will work in, which can make it more challenging to access skilled instructional support at convenient times.

However, if you choose to have your child work with their instructor remotely, these issues are quickly resolved. With online lessons, there is no need to try to reach a designated location, and it can be much easier to find available times to schedule a session.

If you're ready to give your student the support they need as they prepare for one of the most important exams of their academic career, we can help. Whether you want your student to review a few core concepts before the big test day or you want them to spend more time on a comprehensive review, there is a tutoring solution that can help you provide your child with the help they need. Let the experts at Varsity Tutors make the process of finding highly qualified SHSAT tutors who can help your student maximize their test preparation efforts. Contact Varsity Tutors today to get started quickly.

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