Home › SHSAT Exam › Cutoff Scores

SHSAT Cutoff Scores

Approximate score requirements for each NYC specialized high school.

Cutoff Scores

Score Requirements by School

The following table shows approximate SHSAT cutoff scores. Exact cutoffs vary each year based on the number of applicants and available seats. Scores are composite scores out of approximately 800.

School	Approx. Cutoff	Borough	Known For
Stuyvesant High School	~500	Manhattan	Most competitive; exceptional math & science
Bronx High School of Science	~490	Bronx	8 Nobel laureates; strong research programs
Brooklyn Technical High School	~480	Brooklyn	Largest specialized HS; STEM & engineering
HS of American Studies at Lehman	~480	Bronx	Small school; humanities focus
HS for Math, Science & Engineering	~470	Manhattan	CCNY partnership; engineering curriculum
Queens HS for the Sciences	~460	Queens	York College partnership; college-level courses
Staten Island Technical HS	~450	Staten Island	Technical & engineering programs
Brooklyn Latin School	~410	Brooklyn	Classical education; Latin requirement

Note: Cutoff scores are approximate and based on recent admissions data. Actual cutoffs vary each year.

How Scoring Works

Understanding Your SHSAT Score

Composite Score

Your SHSAT composite score is calculated from both the ELA and Math sections. The two sections are weighted equally. The composite score range is approximately 0 to 800.

Scaled Scoring

Raw scores (the number of questions answered correctly) are converted to scaled scores using a statistical process that accounts for slight differences in difficulty between test versions.

No Wrong-Answer Penalty

Every correct answer adds to your score, and wrong answers do not subtract. This means students should answer every single question, even if they need to guess on some.

Ranking by Preference

Students rank their school preferences before the exam. Offers are made to the highest-scoring student whose first-choice school has seats available, then the next highest, and so on through all preferences.

What Score Do You Need?

Setting a Realistic Target Score

The score your child needs depends on their target school. For the most competitive schools like Stuyvesant, students typically need a composite score of approximately 500 or higher. For Brooklyn Latin, the most accessible of the eight schools, scores around 410 have been sufficient in recent years.

However, it is important to remember that cutoff scores fluctuate annually based on the applicant pool. Dr. Donnelly recommends aiming 20 to 30 points above the published cutoff to build in a safety margin.

During your free consultation, Dr. Donnelly will assess your child's current skill level, identify a realistic target score range, and create a preparation timeline designed to reach that goal by test day.

Know Your Target Score

Get a personalized assessment and preparation plan during your free consultation.

Schedule Free Consultation