Greg's Tutoring NYC has created a number of YouTube livestreams and other info pertaining to the SHSAT, NYC's Specialized HS Admissions Test.
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Details on, and resources for, the upcoming digital SHSAT for 2025 and beyond:
The Digital SHSAT, Let's talk, AMA, PART 1 January 7, 2025
What?
Since at least 2023, the DOE has been bringing a digital SHSAT to fruition.
Funding was approved in Dec 2024.
Therefore, the SHSAT will be going digital!
When?
The SHSAT will be going digital beginning in Fall 2025.
What does this mean?
The exam will be taken on a computer.
How?
Details on exactly how it will work are still forthcoming.
However, it will be rolled out in multiple steps.
Initially it will be computer-based.
Eventually, it will be fitted with an adaptive model.
What will change?
As with the how, details are still forthcoming.
Why?
Many exams are going digital.
Some exams have been digital for decades.
A shorter exam can be used to establish scores.
Technically, easier to grade.
Computer based tools can be made available.
What won't change?
Adherence to NY grade level standards.
The SHSAT will remain a challenging exam.
Student selection will be rank-ordered; a higher rank is still a higher rank.
Scrap paper will still be available.
Check back to this page often!
Greg's Tutoring NYC is working hard and will continue to bring you the latest and most accurate news on the digital SHSAT!
Lots of details are still coming!
The Digital SHSAT, What we know, What's misinformation, PART 2 January 8, 2025
"digital exam" -- on a computer
This is not a PBE (paper based exam) cut and pasted on the screen
"adaptive" -- questions will be adaptive at some level based on how the student is doing.
But we don't know HOW yet.
The test will be adaptive next year.
No, it'll be digital first.
On a PBE you can go to any question or section, and then come back to a question later.
This is NOT always true.
The above capability would be gone with an adaptive model.
The idea of "checking your work" would be eliminated
Digital or adaptive does not mean that.
We need the details first.
On the MAP tests you can't go back.
BUT on other ones you can.
Digital state exams are now "rolling out" online.
The SAT is digital and adaptive now, and the ACT following. It allows question transversal.
Digital tests are pretty difficult compared to paper ones.
mmm, what?
--> "Fear of the unknown"
The sky did not fall.
Digital exams have been around for decades.
I even wrote an digitl exam system 40 years ago.
PBE are easier to annotate.
Maybe.
Digital can have:
tools
shorter passages
inline questions
The DOE won't have proper equipment
The computers can't be Chromebooks, old or new.
It probably wont even load.
If it does it'll be too slow
What if the battery goes low?
Um, what?
A digital exam will lead to students cheating
Students can just search for answers.
Student can always cheat, even with paper
The devices will be DOE supplied.
Most likely will lock the screen.
Scores will get too high from cheating.
????
A digital exam will save time from having to bubble
Neither here nor there.
They'll be no way to do math problems on the screen.
Scrap paper will be provided
Equation editor, etc., but not a calculator.
IEP and 504 accommodations will allow pencil and paper tests
But also some accommodations available online too
The Digital SHSAT, A few more details, PART 3 January 28, 2025
A few additional details/expectations:
There will still be no calculators allowed.
The exam will still be administered on a school day and still on weekends.
The exam will still be still 3 hours.
...for the 2025 exam only?
The test will be accessible on whatever device a school has
...after it's been tested
There will be additional types of questions
I discussed this was going to occur already.
..."don’t expect a major content overhaul"
Is this an eye of the beholder statement?
What additions will look like I will extensively discuss in upcoming videos.
Practice tests available by end of March. This is significant.
However, this may not be correct. Also, what does available mean? PDF? Digital platform? Something else?
The Digital SHSAT, Surmising NEW Question Types, ELA, Part 4 January 29, 2025
Paradigm Shift: The notion of a bubble sheet may no longer have traditional meaning.
New types of questions ≠ new content
Still grade level proficiency
But this does not mean new questions are not possible.
Is content the input or the output?
Multiple choice, multiple responses, fill in the blank
Inline choice/drop-down, table grid, hot text, hot spot
Ordering, drag and drop
The Digital SHSAT, Surmising NEW Question Types, MATH, Part 5 January 31, 2025
Paradigm Shift: The notion of a bubble sheet may no longer have traditional meaning.
New types of questions ≠ new content
Still grade level proficiency
But this does not mean new questions are not possible.
Is content the input or the output?
Multiple choice, multiple responses, fill in the blank/grid in
Inline choice/drop-down, table grid, hot text, hot spot
The Digital SHSAT, Surmising NEW Question Types, MATH, Part 6 January 31, 2025
Ordering, drag and drop, graphing, drawing (points, histograms, charts)
The Digital SHSAT, AMA (Ask Me Anything) Q&A, Part 7 February 3, 2025
Digital SHSAT AMA Q&A
The Digital SHSAT will begin fall 2025
Don't make assumptions based upon other exams
The core of the SHSAT is not changing
Get your topics and concepts solid
There will be some learning curve involved with the Digital SHSAT
Summary of some of what we know so far; this is a sync point regarding what we know
Will practice exams really be available by the end of March?
Questions the DOE provides have always been "representational examples" not exacts
The underlying topics won't change but the exam will change
Prep is not just getting access to the digital platform
Overview of possible tools that may be available online
zoom, highlight, equation editor, text to speech, line reader, answer marker/eliminator
Also, regarding tools, by virtue of a digital exam, and question design changes, alternative ways of doing things will exist versus a paper based exam.
We have some 8ish months until the exam.
I will continue to poke the DOE for more information.
The Digital SHSAT, AMA (Ask Me Anything) Q&A, Part 8 February 13, 2025
Digital SHSAT AMA Q&A
What are your concerns regarding the Digital SHSAT?
The Digital SHSAT, DOE UPDATE!, Part 9 February 18, 2025
7pm
For the 2025 exam, "students will be able to choose which section (ELA or Math) they begin with, and they will be able to go back to questions until they submit their responses at the end of the test."
Tech Enhanced Features (TEF) include:
"universal accessibility features" such as zoom, highlighting, or note-taking features.
ELLs will be able to utilize embedded glossaries.
Students who have testing accommodations like tests read, breaks, or large print will also be able to receive these supports via the testing platform.
For 2026+, additional and different kinds of TEI may continue to be added.
For 2026+ "Students may use their discretion as to how this time is allotted across the English Language Arts and Mathematics sections."
This is queasy. A student would need to determine this. How?
"Beginning with the fall 2026 administration, the SHSAT will transition to a computer-adaptive test (CAT). A CAT is an exam that selects the questions that a student sees based on their ongoing performance. For example, a test-taker who performs well on a moderately challenging prompt will then receive a more difficult item; a student who does not answer such an item correctly will then be asked a less difficult question. Students will all be tested on the same grade-level standards, but the level of complexity of each question will be dependent upon the preceding response. Students will not be tested on standards that are above-grade level. Students will not be able to revisit questions or move around within sections and will need to respond to advance in the exam."
Various aspects of this might need clarification.
"In addition, for passage-based question sets in the ELA section, students will be able to return to questions within the set and alter their responses; once they complete and submit all questions in the set, they cannot review their responses. In the Math section and for stand-alone items in the ELA section, students must respond to each question before they will be able to move on to the next question. Students will not be able to return to the question after they have advanced in these sections. Once they complete and submit their responses in each subject, they will not be able revisit the questions for that subject."
Various aspects of this might need clarification.
Two fully functional online practice tests will be available this spring.
Despite all the above, the DOE refers students to previous paper based practice tests
A paper based test (PBT) will be available for some students with an IEP or 504.
Test scoring will still be the same.
Various aspects of this might need clarification.
Testing will occur with DOE-supplied equipment only.
Testing will occur on School Day, and also weekends, as previously done at a DOE specified location.
As in the past, your test results will be able to be reviewed after scores are released.
Send me any questions you may have about the Digital SHSAT!
The Digital SHSAT, Intro to "The SRT", Part 10 February 21, 2025
The SRT is abstract samples only, because it is not a test.
The SRT is to practice the feature being discussed, not a test.
The SRT is a pre-testing review.
It's important to understand the environment and the tools available.
Getting a balance between content, test prep, and exam format are each necessary.
Come back to the SRT as needed.
The idea is to process the SRT in bite sized pieces.
The Digital SHSAT, The SRT, NAVIGATION TOOLS, Part 11 February 21, 2025
The SRT / GETTING AROUND / NAVIGATION TOOLS
exploring the framework of "testnav"
next arrow, back arrow to move around questions
next arrow move ahead, back arrow move back to questions you've already seen
Read end of section directions before clicking submit
Review list with review and bookmark buttons
Review button ("library of content"), bookmark button
bookmark, adds to review list, marked with a booklist icon
review let's you see your bookmarked questions All/not answered/bookmarked
submit answers -- review answers from review list or that page, and then ready to submit
once submitted can't review questions any longer
The Digital SHSAT, The SRT, "MY TOOLS" TOOLS, Part 12 February 21, 2025
The SRT / MY TOOLS
The "tool categories" available for certain questions on the test
ANSWER ELIMINATOR
Click the "X" ICON on the top tool bar
Eliminates an answer choice with a red X drawn through it.
Click the answer choice again to reverse the elimination
Handy for POE (process of elimination)
HIGHLIGHTER
Highlight text with your mouse and the highlighter tool will appear
Click on a highlight colors (currently light blue and pink)
Highlight the text again and options box with the line in the highlighter tool will reverse the highlight
Highlight the text again and click on the other highlight color to change the highlight color
Can also active a text-to-speech mode for line being highlighted
NOTEPAD
Click the "notepad" ICON on the top tool bar
Add notepad thoughts at any point
Notes persist per respective question
Close the notepad by x'ing out of it using the x in the upper right hand corner
The Digital SHSAT, The SRT, "TEST SUPPORTS" TOOLS, Part 13 February 21, 2025
The SRT / TEST SUPPORTS TOOLS
Extra "Accessibility features" for content engagement
ANSWER MASKING
Mask answers allowing you to focus on the question, calculate the answer on your own, etc.
Enable via the "user drop down menu" on the right hand side of the screen next to your name
To un/mask a choice, click on the eye, to open/close the eye and hence make the choice visible or not.
Disable all masking via the same drop down menu next to your name
COLOR CONTRAST
Change text(foreground), and background, colors
Enable via the "user drop down menu" on the right hand side of the screen next to your name
LINE READER MASK
To focus on one line/area of text
While in the Passage Tab, or elsewhere
Enable via the "user drop down menu" on the right hand side of the screen next to your name
Drag or expand the line mask as you read.
Drag or expand the whole mask as you read.
Disable via the "user drop down menu" on the right hand side of the screen next to your name
MAGNIFIER
To see information up close.
Enable via the "user drop down menu" on the right hand side of the screen next to your name
When active shows a magnified box that you can select and drag
Disable via the "user drop down menu" on the right hand side of the screen next to your name
POP-UP GLOSSARY
It pop-ups a definition, image, or other content for the respective words.
A respective word appears with a dotted underline.
When you mouse over those respective words a question mark icon will appear,
click to see the pop-up.
Click the X in the upper right hand corner of the pop up to remove it.
TEXT-TO-SPEECH
To read the words on the screen via an audio device
Activation icons appear on the right hand side of the question.
Features include a play button (which changes into a stop button once active) to read from the beginning
Also has a speed setting, movement scrub setting (jump back, skip forward), volume setting, and voice setting.
To read from anywhere, select the "Toggle Click to Hear" icon (looks like a megaphone)
and then select a sentence for only that part to be read to you.
You can also highlight and click "listen"
ZOOM
Magnify to zoom out to 250% and zoom back in to 100%
Enable via the "user drop down menu" on the right hand side of the screen next to your name
Disable via the "user drop down menu" on the right hand side of the screen next to your name
On a tablet use your fingers
Mac: command +/-/0
PC: ctrl +/-/0
KEYBOARD ZOOM Mac and PC
BATTERY
Provides status of battery power as an icon
The Digital SHSAT, The SRT, "EQUATION EDITOR" TOOL, Part 14 February 21, 2025
The SRT / EQUATION EDITOR
For answering some math questions.
Appears along with some questions.
Dotted boxes appear (by default or by entering a symbol)
Fill in respective boxes by selecting respective numbers or symbols
undo, redo, delete
The Digital SHSAT, The SRT, Digital Question Types, Part 15 February 21, 2025
