High School Placement Test (HSPT)

What is the HSPT?

The High School Placement Test, or HSPT, is a high school entrance exam taken by students in grades 8 and 9, seeking admission to parochial high schools. The HSPT is a four-section, multiple-choice standardized exam. Scholastic Testing Service, Inc (STS) created it and publishes it. The HSPT is designed to measure student academic achievement. It does not focus on memorized information. The HSPT contains 298 questions divided into five sections. You have the choice of taking one optional section in Catholic Religion, Mechanical Aptitude, or Science. These optional sections may be required, depending on the schools being applied to.

Schools use HSPT scores to assess how well you might do academically in your high school setting. They also use the HSPT as a common measurement of students' academic capabilities, separate from school records.

What are the different test sections on the HSPT?

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. HSPT test dates, locations, and registration information are handled through individual schools. You can find more information at www.ststesting.com

How many times can I take the HSPT?

The HSPT may be taken twice. However, the test-maker, STS, records if a student takes the test twice. The lower of the two scores is accepted.

How is the HSPT scored?

Each HSPT multiple-choice question presents four or five answer choices. For each HSPT multiple-choice question that you answer correctly, you receive one point. You are not penalized for incorrect answers or for omitted answers. Your speed in completing each HSPT section is not considered in scoring. Correct, incorrect, and omitted answers are tallied for each test section to produce a raw score. The total number of questions answered correctly is your 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 to 800. The scales come from specific tables produced by the test maker. Once scores are converted to scaled 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. Program percentiles compare you with peer test-takers nationally:

• 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, educational consultants, and education organizations that you select on your registration form. Scores remain active for one academic year. The scores required for admissions vary by school. Contact the schools directly for admissions information.

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