The SHSAT Is Now Digital: What Changed and How to Prepare
The SHSAT moved from paper to computer starting with the fall 2025 exam. It still covers the same skills, but the test now uses technology-enhanced questions, on-screen tools, and a digital interface your child should practice in. Here's what changed — and how to get ready.
What stayed the same
The bones of the test are unchanged: two sections (English Language Arts and Math), the same underlying skills, and the same scoring scale. Going digital didn't shrink the test or swap the content — it changed how questions are delivered and how students interact with them. A calculator still isn't allowed, and scratch paper is provided.
What's new: technology-enhanced items
Some traditional multiple-choice and grid-in questions are now technology-enhanced items (TEIs) — questions that ask students to interact, not just bubble in a letter:
- English: select more than one correct answer, drag to reorder parts of a sentence, or choose from a drop-down menu.
- Math: plot points on a coordinate plane, manipulate graphs or shapes, or type in a numeric or polynomial response.
These assess the same skills as before — they just measure them in a more interactive way.
On-screen tools to get comfortable with
The digital test gives students tools that can genuinely help — but only if they've used them before: a highlighter for reading passages, zoom, a flag-for-review marker, and a math response area for entering answers and working with figures. Time spent learning where these live and how they behave is time not lost on test day.
What to practice differently
- Read and annotate on a screen — you can't underline on paper, so practice highlighting digitally.
- Keep scratch-paper discipline: work math out on paper, then enter the answer on screen.
- Learn the TEI mechanics so a “select all that apply” or “plot the point” doesn't eat time.
- Build stamina for reading and focusing on a screen across a three-hour test.
The simplest fix for most of this is to practice in the same medium as the real test. claura runs in the browser, so your child rehearses on screen — reading, annotating, and entering answers digitally — instead of on paper. For what's coming next, see our guide to the computer-adaptive SHSAT arriving in 2026.
Aiming for one of these scores? claura is adaptive SHSAT prep built for NYC families — full-length practice exams, the Ask claura AI tutor, and a parent dashboard that shows exactly where your child stands.
Frequently asked questions
When did the SHSAT go digital?
The SHSAT moved to a computer-based format starting with the fall 2025 exam (for fall 2026 admission). It's taken on a DOE-provided computer at a DOE testing site.
Is the digital SHSAT harder than the paper version?
The skills tested and the score scale are the same. What's different is the interface and some new technology-enhanced question types — so the challenge is mostly about being comfortable working on screen, not harder content.
Can students flag a question and come back on the digital SHSAT?
On the fall 2025 digital test, yes — students can flag questions and return to them, navigate back and forth before submitting, and even choose whether to start with the ELA or Math section. Note that the fall 2026 computer-adaptive version tightens this: on Math and standalone questions you'll have to answer before moving on.
Is a calculator allowed?
No. As on the paper test, no calculator is permitted. Scratch paper is provided for working through math.