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The High School Placement Test (HSPT) is a Catholic private high school entrance exam. This is not the only high school entrance exam you can take- other private high schools accept other entrance exams' results, such as the TACHS and the ISEE. The exam will take around 2-4 hours to complete, with five topics (verbal skills, quantitative reasoning, reading, math, and language skills) covered. The HSPT might seem daunting and terrifying for 8th graders who will take it, but with strategic studying skills and enough preparation, you will pass the HSPT. Here are some tips to survive the HSPT.
Steps
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1Understand what the HSPT is. The High School Placement Test (HSPT) is a Catholic private high school entrance exam. This is not the only high school entrance exam you can take- other private high schools accept other entrance exams' results, such as the TACHS and the ISEE. These exams' results will be sent to the private high schools you are applying to. The private high schools will then decide whether or not to accept you into the school. Eighth graders will take this test to see which private high schools they can go to for the next school year.
- There will be five topics covered in the HSPT: verbal skills, quantitative reasoning (mainly logic), reading, math, and language skills.
- There will be 52-62 questions per topic, with a total of 298 questions that you will complete in 2-4 hours. [1] X Research source [2] X Research source
- The time limit for the verbal skills section is 16 minutes. The quantitative skills section is 30 minutes, the reading section is 30 minutes, the math section is 45 minutes, and the language section is 25 minutes.
- As soon as you enter the classroom, you will be given the test question booklet and one bubble sheet for you to fill in the answers with. Scratch paper will likely be provided also.
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2Start studying a few months before the HSPT. Since the HSPT covers so many topics, it's best to start studying a few months before the date that you signed up for to take the test. You won't be able to cram in so much information in only a few weeks or days, so the earlier you study, the better. For example, if you're taking the exam on January 28, start studying in October or even earlier if you can. School will probably take away most of your time on the weekdays, so study for around an hour each weekend practicing HSPT problems.
- You can start even earlier if you want- some people study for the HSPT during the beginning of the 8th grade school year, in August and September.
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3Buy an HSPT prep book or obtain free resources online. There are many HSPT prep books that contain all of the resources you need to ace the HSPT. The books will contain an overview of each section, some example problems, many practice problems for each section, and an answer key for the practice problems. [3] X Research source
- During the weekend, do a couple of problems from each section per day to test out your strengths and weaknesses.
- By way of illustration, you may score the highest in verbal skills and the lowest in quantitative reasoning. This shows that you need to practice quantitative reasoning more and put your focus on that section.
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4Take an HSPT test prep course. Many test prep companies specialize in more than just the HSPT, so you can get help for multiple tests. Some may only specialize in helping students ace the HSPT, which is something you may want if you want to fully concentrate on the HSPT. There are many HSPT prep courses on the web that you can search for. Some might require you to pay money, whereas some are completely free.
- During each test prep session, you will learn some test-taking tips and take some practice tests to prepare.
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5Take some full practice tests to get the full experience. You will need to take at least one entire practice test in order to know what it feels like to take the real HSPT at your chosen high school (usually the one that is your first choice). So, find some full-length HSPT practice tests, print them out, and do the sections one by one.
- The fastest parts of the test are the verbal skills portion (16 minutes) and the reading portion (25 minutes). You won't have much time to carefully read the whole passage or think about multiple ways to solve the problem, so just skim through it or estimate if necessary.
- Make sure to keep an eye on the time- don't rush through your work, and don't stay stuck on one problem- guess the answer, mark the question (so you know which problem you were stuck on) and come back to it later.
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1Wake up earlier. Not only does this give you some time to review in the morning, but it also allows you to arrive on time to your chosen high school in case you get stuck in traffic. Wake up 15-30 minutes earlier in case of any accidents.
- Plus, you can use up even more extra time (if you get ready extra fast) to review your weak points and review some problems.
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2Eat a fulfilling breakfast. Breakfast makes you energized and lets your body get enough nutrients to start the day. Eat a healthy yet fulfilling breakfast. Don't skip breakfast on the day of the test, as you will likely feel very hungry or very tired, which can affect your concentration during the test.
- At the same time, don't try to scarf down plates of food. Your stomach may act up during the test, so be careful.
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3Bring appropriate items to the testing area. There are specific items that you should bring with you for testing. There are many items that you should and shouldn't bring to the testing site, either because they could be used for cheating or because they are unnecessary.
- Bring a watch in case there is no timer or clock in the classroom.
- Bring 2 2B or 2HB wooden pencils. Don't write with a mechanical pencil, as the machine that automatically grades your papers may not read it correctly, causing your score to be wrong. You should also bring an eraser.
- Math tools such as rulers and calculators are not allowed on the test. [4] X Research source
- Phones may or may not be allowed during the test. You may be allowed to bring the phone into the testing site, but you might need to shut it down or turn it on silent. Other places may not allow you to bring one with you at all. Check with your school to know the exact instructions.
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4Arrive at the testing site early. You should arrive 10-30 minutes earlier than the expected time. This ensures that you aren't rushing to the test site all cranky and nervous. You may need to show your identification and do other things at the test site, which will require you to arrive early. Plus, you may encounter many of your classmates at the same testing site, and you can talk with them while you guys wait to calm your nerves.
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5Calm down your nerves. As you are entering your designated classroom to take the test, you may feel a wave of panic and nerves coming. Being nervous during the test isn't good, as it will affect your concentration and confidence. You may not be able to concentrate and solve problems incorrectly. You may also read the problem wrong, which will decrease your score on the HSPT. You might also think that you will fail the test, leading to a bad mood and less motivation. Here are some ways to decrease stress in the moment during the test.
- Try to find familiar faces. Chances are that some of your classmates have signed up to take the test at the same high school as you. Look around and see if there is anyone you know from school. Even if it's just an acquaintance, it may calm you down.
- Take deep breaths and think about a happy memory. Stop thinking about worrying thoughts, such as the thought that you're going to fail, or worse, not get accepted into the high schools you've applied to. Rephrase those thoughts into positive thoughts, such as the fact that you'll get a high score on the test and that you'll get accepted.
- Fidget with a pen or some other school supply that you've brought for the test. Be careful not to do this too often, as people may find you annoying and tell the test instructor.
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1Listen to all of the test instructor's instructions carefully. You will fill in the answers to the HSPT questions on a bubble sheet, which means that you'll fill in other personal information on that sheet too. There are special instructions on how to fill in your information on the bubble sheet, such as your birthdate, current middle school, and the high schools you are applying to.
- If you miss these instructions, your answer sheet may not be graded correctly, which will cause a lot of problems later on.
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2Try your best to fully concentrate on the test. Don't look around the classroom or see what other people are doing, as this wastes time, and you may not finish the test in time. You aren't allowed to go back to a section if you didn't finish it in the alloted time, so don't think of flipping back to the section that you didn't finish and continue it. Besides, people may suspect you of cheating, which could prevent all of your private high schools from accepting you in.
- Read the problems in your test booklet carefully. Underline any important key words.
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3Circle or put a checkmark next to problems in the test booklet that you don't know the answer to. Putting a mark next to the question makes it easier to find the question that you need to go over. Don't try to skip over the question, as you may forget to shade in the answer later. Shade in the most reasonable answer (or just guess if you don't know) lightly for you to erase it easier when you come back to it later. [5] X Research source
- Come back to the questions you've marked when you are finished with the section. Then, you can prioritize checking over the marked questions first, then checking over the whole paper to see if you've shaded in each answer for each question correctly.
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4Check the clock. There is probably a clock in the classroom that you're taking the test in. Check it every 15 minutes or so to see if you have enough time to finish all of the problems. If the instructor set up a timer, you can also look at that instead. Looking at a timer reduces the need to calculate how many minutes have passed and how many minutes are left, which also wastes some time.
- If there are still at least 5 minutes left, use the time to go over marked questions and the whole test. Make sure that you didn't shade in more than one answer for one question and that the answers you shaded in are right.
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5Utilize the test-taking tips that you have learned and studied about. These test-taking tips will help you ace the HSPT, so use them to your advantage. As you've prepared for weeks and months for this test, this shouldn't be too hard. Try not to blank out or let your nerves get in the way of your concentration and smarts. Some tips that may help you during the test include:
- Underline key words in each of the questions.
- Mark your HSPT question booklet. You are allowed to write in the booklets, as each person has their own. Mark questions that you need to go over and do some calculations on the booklet itself in the math and quantitative reasoning sections to save space on your scratch paper.
- Shade the answer in lightly if you aren't sure of the answer. You may find that your answer is wrong, and light pencil marks are easier to erase than heavy, dark ones.
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6Relax during the breaks. Worrying about the test during the alloted breaks is useless, as you cannot change your answers once you've finished a section. There is at least one break that is given, although the exact number varies from school to school. Some give you a 15-minute break after finishing the first two sections of the test, then a 2-minute stretch break 4/5 of the way through the test, whereas other schools may give you more or less breaks than that.
- It is likely that you will meet your classmates from other classrooms during the break (as multiple classes are released at a time for break). You may not meet all of them, but you might see some of them. Find the chance to talk to them during the break to relax.
- Some may even give you some food during the breaks for a snack and lunch.
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7Finish the test off strong. After the break, you may not have motivation to complete the test off strong. You should continue to concentration and remind yourself of your goals. One of them should be to get accepted into at least one of your private high schools, which will look at whether or not your HSPT score is good. Continue to utilize your HSPT test-taking strategies and read each problem carefully.
- Guess the most reasonable answer if you're unsure, and mark those questions with a circle or checkmark to find them easier.
- When the test-taking time's almost over, check to see if you marked every single answer on your bubble sheet. You should also check to see if you wrote your name, birthdate, and school info on the sheet correctly.
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1Treat yourself to some well-deserved fun and relaxation. As you've gotten another chunk of private high school-related things done, pat yourself on the back! Applying to high schools is tricky enough, and preparing for the HSPT and taking it is a great accomplishment! You really don't need to worry about anything except finishing off eighth grade strong with good grades and making sure that you've established a great reputation so you are seen as a great student when you graduate. Some fun ways to celebrate include:
- Go out to dinner with your family.
- Go to the park to enjoy some nature.
- Play some board games.
- Buy something for yourself if you have enough money, or kindly ask your parents to buy something for you.
- Watch a movie or binge-watch fun videos.
- Binge-play video games.
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2Congratulate your classmates if they have taken the HSPT before or on the same day as you. Many of your classmates have probably signed up for the same date as you to take the HSPT. As all of you have finished the exam, you should congratulate everyone on their success. Do this when you meet your friends at school or congratulate everyone online. You can do this before or after a conversation about the HSPT. You can talk about HSPT-related stuff and how everyone thought about the test.
- Say something like, "Congrats to everyone for finishing the HSPT! Kudos to everyone for finishing this important task!" or "Yay! We've all finished the exam. I hope that we all get accepted to our high schools and that everything goes well in the last months of middle school."
- Add a few happy emojis when talking about it online, such as the celebration emojis (examples include 🎉, 🎊, 🎆, and 🎇), smiling emojis (examples include 😄, 🤩) and hand gesture emojis (examples include 👏, 👍, 🙏) Add a 💯 emoji to demonstrate paid-off effort and a job well done.
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3Focus on the end of middle school . The HSPT is usually taken after you've finished your essays and most of the process of applying to private high schools. The HSPT is one of the last parts of this process. After you've finished it, start thinking about finishing eighth grade strong. Some schools may require interviews in December-March, so start thinking and preparing for them if you haven't yet.
- Get your grades high. Try to maintain mostly Bs and As if you can, as private high schools want people who can maintain a steady gradebook full of good scores.
- Study for finals. The semester (or trimester) may be ending soon, so you should try to study a bit for these long tests each day.
- Prepare for eighth grade graduation and a new start.
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Tips
- Don't worry about the HSPT test too much; most of the topics covered are things you have learned about.Thanks
- Concentrate on the test fully. Try not to get distracted by everything around you.Thanks
- Try to get in at least 15 minutes of practice for the test daily if you have time, or get in an hour of practice on the weekends.Thanks
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Warnings
- Do not try to cheat on the HSPT. The consequences for this are severe- the high school you're taking the test at will notify all other schools that you're applying to of your behavior, and they will probably not accept you in after. Your reputation at the schools will be ruined. So, do not even try to glance at another kid's paper or talk with others during the test.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.mometrix.com/academy/hspt-practice-test/
- ↑ https://www.highschoolofamerica.com/how-do-i-prepare-for-my-high-school-placement-test/
- ↑ https://study.com/academy/popular/hspt-test-day-preparation.html
- ↑ https://www.testmagic.com/blogs/news/what-is-the-hspt
- ↑ https://marianhighschool.net/test-taking-tips-for-the-high-school-placement-exam/
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