High School Placement Test

The High School Placement Test (HSPT) is a standardized exam that evaluates students in both cognitive and basic skill areas. The cognitive skills tested are verbal and quantitative. The basic skills tested are reading, math and language. The test is multiple choice and separated into five testing sections.

St. Mary's Academy will offer the HSPT on the following dates for 8th grade students only:

Thursday, December 5 | 3:30 pm
Saturday, December 7 | 9:00 am (Extended time testing available)

Cost: $25
To register for the HSPT at St. Mary's, you must have an account in our Admissions Portal. Use the link below to create an account or access the form in your Checklist.

Extended time testing: Available only Saturday, December 7 for students who have a current accommodation plan with their school.

HSPT Registration - Admissions Portal

Parent Presentation | Saturday, December 7, 9:00 am

The Admissions office will hold a 25-minute parent informational meeting to review our admissions process and offer a Q & A session with a student panel. Following the presentation, parents are encouraged to explore downtown and return to campus at the test completion (see schedule notes below). As it is a timed test, testers will not be finished before the noted end time.

Test Information
Test Scores

Test Information

Students do not need to study for the exam. The best preparation for students is a good night’s sleep and a good meal before the exam. The use of calculators is not permitted on the exam.

Testing Schedule (Regular test schedule 9am - 12:45, includes snack break):

Opening instructions
Writing Sample - (15 minutes) - students respond to one of three prompts
Verbal skills test (18 minutes)
Quantitative skills test (30 minutes)
Stretch break
Reading test (25 minutes)
Snack break provided by Admissions
Mathematics test (40 minutes)
Stretch break
Language Arts test (25 minutes)
Closing

Extended Time (9am -2:10 pm, includes snack/lunch break) - testers will receive time and a half on each section of the test. This option is available on Saturday, December 7. Please submit your current accommodation plan to the Admissions Office to be approved extended time testing.

Questions? Please contact the Admissions Office with questions about test dates, accommodations, or other test options.

Test Scores

Test scores are mailed directly to families by STS testing, typically within 3-4 weeks of the test date. Students that place in the 90th percentile nationally on the HSPT are encouraged to apply to the Virginia Mathews Academic Scholars Program.

HSPT and the Admissions Process

At St. Mary’s Academy, we use the HSPT to better understand the academic needs of our students. Our applicants attend a diverse array of schools including Catholic, Waldorf, Montessori, and a variety of other private and public school options, each with its own teaching method and grading scale. The HSPT offers one standardized data point in the admissions process. The Admissions Committee will use the HSPT score report in conjunction with the applicant's report card and teacher recommendations to learn more about the applicant as a learner. We use this information to assist us with class placement and identifying students who may need additional academic support before or during 9^th grade.