SHSAT is Tougher Than the SAT?

Did you know that the SHSAT may be considered tougher than the SAT? While "tougher" can mean different things to different people, here are some facts:

Understanding the Digital SAT

The SAT, in its current digital form, tests math and reading, has 98 questions, and lasts for 2 hours and 14 minutes. And that time is broken up into 4 modules:

• 32 minutes for Verbal (27 Questions)

• 32 minutes for Verbal (27 Questions)

• 35 minutes for Math (22 Questions)

• 35 minutes for Math (22 Questions)

No module is more than 35 minutes long, and there are short breaks between modules. As a result, for many students, the digital SAT may not feel that long or overwhelming. On top of which, on the math sections, students can use a calculator for computation and graphing.

Most importantly, students can navigate freely among questions within a single module. They can skip tricky questions in a given module and return to them at their choosing. They can also go back to any question within the same module and change their answer as long as they do so within the allotted time.

The SHSAT Experience

In comparison, the SHSAT is a bit different, to put it mildly. The SHSAT also tests math and reading, but it contains 114 questions and lasts 3 hours, which are broken up into just two sections. Students end up spending about 1½ hours on each section. And, unlike the SAT, no calculators are allowed. Students have to rely on their own computation skills!

• Verbal (50 Questions)

• Math (50 Questions)

• Test Duration = 3 hours

Most noteworthy may be the fact that students are not allowed to go back to earlier questions to change their answer for the bulk of the SHSAT, even within the same section. In the math section, for instance, students don't have the option to backtrack on questions. A student's answer to a given question cannot be changed once it is submitted. Likewise, students cannot skip or hold off on difficult questions to do at the end, which is an otherwise great strategy for most other standardized tests.

In the verbal section, students are allowed some leeway and given the freedom to roam about on a set of questions (around 4-6) that accompany a given reading passage. However, once that passage is completed, no backtracking is allowed and those answers cannot be changed. This new feature of the SHSAT makes it that much more difficult.

Why Preparation Matters

What does this all mean? It means that in many ways, the roughly 30,000 NYC 8^th graders who take the SHSAT each year will be taking a test that requires more focus and mental stamina than the SAT.

Would you take on such a challenge without solid preparation?

That's why we at NYCGPrep wholeheartedly believe in the importance of starting your preparation early and doing it right. Contact us today at info@nycgprep.com

We're here to support you every step of the way toward SHSAT success!