What's on the HSPT? Sections, question counts and optional tests
Short answer
The HSPT has five multiple-choice subtests with 298 questions in all: Verbal Skills (60), Quantitative Skills (52), Reading (62), Mathematics (64) and Language (60). Some schools add an optional Science or Catholic Religion test that doesn't count toward the composite score.
The HSPT, published by Scholastic Testing Service (STS), is a multiple-choice test with five subtests. A new form is published each year, built to the same specifications.
The five subtests
| Subtest | Questions |
|---|---|
| Verbal Skills | 60 |
| Quantitative Skills | 52 |
| Reading | 62 |
| Mathematics | 64 |
| Language | 60 |
| Total | 298 |
The subtests also feed three composite scores: Total Cognitive Skills (Verbal and Quantitative), Total Basic Skills (Reading, Mathematics and Language) and the Battery Composite (all five). See HSPT scores explained for how they’re reported.
Optional tests some schools add
| Optional test | Length | Counts toward the composite? |
|---|---|---|
| Science | 40 items, 25 minutes | No |
| Catholic Religion | 20 minutes | No |
Whether your child takes one of these depends on the school, so check with the schools you’re applying to.
Rules that affect how to prepare
- No calculators. Calculators aren’t allowed on the HSPT, so practice math by hand.
- No penalty for wrong answers. The HSPT counts only correct answers, so your child should answer every question.
- There’s a practice version for 7th graders. STS also offers the Pre-HSPT, a 7th-grade version that some high schools use as practice. It’s scored against 7th-grade norms.