The SHSAT Score Calculator
A complete guide to what the calculator does, how it works, and how accurate it is. Open and transparent — every choice in the math is documented and inspectable.
- What does the calculator do?
- Converts your raw SHSAT scores (0–57 per section) into estimated scaled scores (100–400 per section), sums them into a composite (200–800), and shows which specialized high schools your composite would qualify you for based on current cutoffs.
- How accurate is it?
- Typically within ±5 scaled points of official scores for raw scores in the middle range. Slightly less accurate at the extreme ends where official data is sparser.
- Does it collect my data?
- No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers. We don’t store, log, or transmit your test data.
- Where do the school cutoffs come from?
- Officially published NYC DOE cutoffs from the most recent admissions cycle (2025–2026), updated annually as new cutoffs are released.
The three things the calculator does
The calculator is a single tool that does three things in sequence. Each step is independent enough that you can think about them separately.
Step 1: Raw → Scaled conversion
You enter your raw scores: the number of correct answers in ELA and Math, each from 0 to 57. The calculator looks up the estimated scaled-score equivalent from a published conversion table.
The conversion is not a simple percentage. It’s a non-linear curve where each additional correct answer at the top of the range is worth more scaled points than each additional correct answer in the middle. The shape is approximately:
- Raw 0 → ~100 scaled (the floor)
- Raw 20 → ~205 scaled
- Raw 30 → ~248 scaled
- Raw 40 → ~300 scaled
- Raw 50 → ~365 scaled
- Raw 57 → 400 scaled (the ceiling)
For the complete table at every raw score from 0 to 57, see our conversion table page.
Step 2: Scaled scores → Composite
The composite is simple: ELA scaled + Math scaled. So a 250 ELA and 280 Math gives a composite of 530. The composite is the number that matters for admissions decisions. Section-level performance is interesting but admissions only sees the sum.
One implication worth understanding: balance matters less than total. A student with 200 ELA + 336 Math (composite 536) is treated identically by the admissions algorithm to a student with 268 ELA + 268 Math (composite 536). Both clear cutoffs at exactly the same schools.
Step 3: Composite → School qualification predictions
The calculator compares your composite to the most recent published cutoffs for each of the 8 SHSAT-based specialized high schools. Schools where your composite is at or above the cutoff are shown as "qualifies." Schools where it falls below are shown as "below cutoff." Schools where it’s within 10 points of the cutoff are shown as "very close" — a useful signal because cutoffs move year to year and small gaps matter for planning.
Important: meeting a cutoff means your composite is at or above the threshold for admission. It does not guarantee admission. Your actual admission depends on (a) your composite clearing the cutoff at your highest-ranked school where you qualify, and (b) the school still having seats available at your composite level.
Where the conversion numbers come from
The NYC Department of Education does not publish the exact official SHSAT raw-to-scaled conversion table. Our estimated conversion is derived from publicly available data including:
- Past NYC DOE-published handbook data, including released sample tests with stated raw and scaled score equivalents
- Aggregated cutoff data showing which composite scores admit students at each school in each year
- Independent analyses by NYC education researchers and test-prep professionals over multiple admissions cycles
From these data points, we constructed an estimated conversion table by interpolating between anchor points and applying a smoothing curve. The math is straightforward but the result is an estimate — not the official table. We use the word "estimated" specifically because that’s what the conversion is.
For the complete documentation including specific anchor points used, smoothing methodology, and detailed accuracy bounds, see our methodology page.
How accurate is the estimate?
Honest answer: typically within ±5 scaled points of an official scaled score for raw scores in the middle of the range. Accuracy is highest in the 15–45 raw-score range where most anchor points are available; it’s slightly lower at the extreme ends (0–10 and 53–57) where anchor data is sparser.
What this means in practice: if our calculator estimates your scaled score at 295, your real official scaled score is most likely somewhere in the range 290–300. If we estimate 545 composite, your real composite is most likely 540–550. These bounds are wider than some prep companies suggest but are honest about the precision actually available given the data we have to work with.
What can change between our estimate and your real score
Three things in particular can produce gaps:
- Annual re-equating. The NYC DOE re-equates the SHSAT each year. Raw scores from different years produce slightly different scaled scores (typically within a few points). Our estimate uses a generalized conversion, not a year-specific one.
- CAT-format scoring. Under the new Computer Adaptive Test format, the score depends on both the number correct and the difficulty of the questions correct. Our raw-score-based estimate is an approximation that works well for typical answer patterns but can be slightly off for very unusual patterns.
- Field questions. Of the 57 questions per section, 10 are unscored field questions. Our conversion assumes the standard mix; if your specific test administration had a slightly different field-question distribution, the conversion may be slightly off.
How to use the calculator effectively
The calculator is most useful for:
1. Interpreting practice test results
After taking a practice test, count the correct answers in each section. Enter the raw scores. The calculator tells you what composite that practice performance translates to and which specialized high schools it would qualify you for. Repeat across practice tests to track improvement.
2. Setting realistic targets
If you’re targeting a specific school, work backwards. You want to clear the Stuyvesant 556 cutoff with buffer; that’s a 565+ composite target. Use the calculator to see what combinations of ELA and Math raw scores would produce a 565+ composite. Common patterns: 47 ELA + 47 Math, 50 ELA + 44 Math, 44 ELA + 50 Math.
3. Understanding the cost of errors
Enter a hypothetical raw score, then enter the same score minus 3. See how much the composite drops. This builds intuition about where your error tolerance is — small differences in raw score often translate to meaningful differences in composite because of where you land in the non-linear curve.
4. Understanding which schools are reachable
The school qualification chips show your current standing relative to each school. Schools showing "very close" (within 10 points of cutoff) are the schools where modest score improvement could change your admission outcome. These are the most strategic targets for late-stage prep.
How NOT to use the calculator
A few uses we want to warn against:
- As a guarantee. "The calculator said I’d qualify" doesn’t guarantee admission. Cutoffs move year to year, and a score that qualified last year might not qualify this year if cutoffs rise.
- As a substitute for real preparation. Knowing what your raw scores translate to doesn’t make you ready for the test. Preparation produces the raw scores; the calculator just interprets them.
- For 9th-grade SHSAT predictions. The calculator uses 8th-grade-admission cutoffs. The 9th-grade test has different, generally higher cutoffs that we don’t separately model.
- To bargain with admissions. The NYC DOE makes admissions decisions based on actual official scores, not our estimates. The calculator is a planning tool, not an admissions input.
Privacy: everything runs in your browser
The calculator is written in JavaScript and executes entirely on your device. When you enter raw scores, the calculation happens locally in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers. Nothing is stored. We don’t need an account, an email address, or any identifier from you to use the calculator.
This is verifiable: you can view the JavaScript source in your browser’s developer tools and confirm that no network calls are made when you compute a score. You can also use the calculator with your network disconnected — it works fully offline once the page is loaded.
Common questions about the calculator
Will my real SHSAT score match the calculator estimate?
Typically within ±5 scaled points per section, or roughly ±10 composite points. The estimate is unbiased — it’s as likely to be slightly high as slightly low — but it’s an estimate. Don’t treat a marginal "qualifies" or "below cutoff" result as definitive.
Why doesn’t the NYC DOE publish the official conversion table?
The DOE has historically not published the raw-to-scaled conversion. This is consistent with how most standardized tests handle their conversion tables — the technical math is treated as proprietary even when the resulting scores are public. We estimate the conversion as transparently as we can, and document our work so families can evaluate the methodology themselves.
Does the calculator work for the new digital CAT format?
Yes. The CAT format changed how questions are administered but the score range (200–800) and underlying ability-to-score mapping is largely consistent with the previous format. Our calculator works as a planning tool for CAT-format scores. For very unusual answer patterns (e.g., getting only the hardest questions correct), the CAT scoring may diverge slightly from our raw-score-based estimate.
Can I use this for 9th-grade SHSAT?
The score conversion works for both 8th- and 9th-grade SHSAT. The school qualification predictions use 8th-grade-admission cutoffs by default; 9th-grade cutoffs are typically higher because of much smaller seat counts. Use 8th-grade qualifications as a rough indicator but expect the real 9th-grade thresholds to be 15–30 points higher.
How often do you update the calculator?
The conversion table is reviewed and updated as new official data becomes available. The school cutoffs are updated each March when the NYC DOE releases new cutoffs from the previous admissions cycle. Material changes are logged on our methodology changelog.
Use the calculator
Open the calculator
Enter your practice test raw scores and see your estimated composite and school qualifications.
Take a practice test
Free adaptive practice test using real Item Response Theory scoring. Produces raw scores you can put into the calculator.
See the methodology
The full technical documentation of how our calculator works, every choice we made, and the accuracy bounds.