Add your ELA scaled score and Math scaled score together to find your composite SHSAT score.
SHSAT Score Calculator
Composite SHSAT score from your ELA and Math scaled section scores.
Calculating Your SHSAT Composite Score
The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) reports two scaled section scores — English Language Arts (ELA) and Math — that combine into a single composite score used for admissions to New York City’s specialized high schools. This calculator adds your two scaled scores together. It covers searches like SHSAT score calculator, SHSAT composite score, and SHSAT ELA and Math score calculator.
How the SHSAT Score Calculator Works
Formula
Composite score = ELA scaled score + Math scaled score
Worked Example
ELA scaled score 300, Math scaled score 300: Composite score = 300 + 300 = 600.
Why This Tool Can’t Convert Raw Answers to a Scaled Score
The SHSAT’s raw-to-scaled conversion table (which translates the number of correct answers into a scaled section score) is not published and varies by test form and year — this calculator can only add together scaled scores you already have, such as from an official score report or a practice test’s own provided conversion table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find my scaled ELA and Math scores?
Your official SHSAT score report provides your scaled ELA and Math scores directly — if using a practice test, check whether it provides its own scaled-score conversion table, since raw correct-answer counts alone can’t be entered here.
What composite score is needed for a specific specialized high school?
Required composite scores (cutoffs) vary by school and by year, based on that year’s applicant pool and available seats — check the New York City Department of Education’s published information for current and historical cutoff ranges.
Are the ELA and Math sections weighted equally in the composite score?
Yes — the composite score is a simple sum of the two scaled section scores, so each section contributes equally to the total.
Does the SHSAT use a curve or fixed scaling from year to year?
The raw-to-scaled conversion accounts for differences in difficulty between test forms and years, which is part of why the conversion table isn’t published in advance or usable for a generic calculator.
Can I use this calculator before taking the official SHSAT?
You can use scaled scores from an official practice test with its own provided conversion table as a planning estimate, but treat any pre-test estimate as approximate since official scaling may differ from practice materials.
Does a higher composite score guarantee admission to a specific school?
No — admission depends on your composite score relative to that year’s specific cutoff for each school and the number of available seats, which varies annually and by school.
Can students rank multiple specialized high schools when registering?
Yes — the specialized high school admissions process typically allows ranking preferred schools, with placement determined by composite score against each school’s cutoff in preference order — check the NYC DOE’s current application guidance for exact process details.
Is the SHSAT the only admissions factor for specialized high schools?
For most of the specialized high schools, the SHSAT composite score is generally the primary or sole academic admissions criterion, though policies can be updated by the NYC DOE — check current official guidance for the most accurate admissions criteria.
