On-Demand SHSAT Course: 21 Lessons, 3 Practice Tests, and 22,807 Practice Problems
Our on-demand SHSAT course is self-paced preparation with 21 interactive lessons, 3 full-length practice tests, and over 22,807 practice problems. It covers every math topic and every ELA question type on the SHSAT, and the assessment tells a student which topics to work on next. Access is $299 for 12 months. Students who complete it have averaged a 19.2% increase in ELA and a 17.7% increase in math.
Try Math Lesson 1 for Free
Create a free account and work through the first math lesson before deciding anything.
It won’t affect your progress if you sign up later. The point is to see how the lessons are built before spending money on them.
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The SHSAT Is Now Adaptive. Here's What That Means for This Course.
Beginning in fall 2026, the SHSAT is a computer-adaptive test. The testing system re-estimates a student’s score after every answer and uses that estimate to choose the next question. A student can’t go back and change an answer once it’s submitted.
That’s the biggest change to this test in decades, and it’s worth being clear about what it does and doesn’t change for preparation.
What didn’t change. According to the NYC Department of Education, every student is tested on the same grade-level standards, the same content areas, and the same item types as before. Every student still answers 50 questions per subject. The math a student needs to know is the same math. The reading and revising skills are the same skills.
That means the lessons in this course teach what the test still asks about. Integers, fractions, ratios, algebra, geometry, probability, commas, verb tense, modifiers, reading comprehension. None of that changed in 2026.
Why our practice tests are not adaptive. The practice tests in this course mimic the digital test in format and question types, but they are fixed-form. Every student sees the same questions.
That is deliberate, and here is the reasoning.
The College Board and the DOE have not published how the adaptive scoring works. Nobody outside the DOE knows what raw performance produces what composite score on the new test. A prep company that builds an adaptive practice test has to guess at that, and a score produced by a guess is not a measurement.
A fixed-form test scored against known results tells a student something real. We know what students who answered these questions this way went on to score. That is a number a family can plan around.
If we build adaptive practice tests before the scoring is understood, we would be handing students a score we cannot stand behind. We would rather give an accurate measurement on a fixed test than an invented one on an adaptive test.
More on how the SHSAT adapts and what it changes about test day.
Built by an Instructor, Not a Publisher
Glyn Caddell is a graduate of Staten Island Technical High School, one of the eight schools this test admits to, and is founding president of its alumni association. He founded Caddell Prep in 2012 and holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from NJIT. He speaks to students and parents at IS24 in Staten Island and IS 187 in Brooklyn about the SHSAT and the specialized high schools admissions process.
He built every lesson in this course himself, using an engineer’s approach: work out what the test actually asks, categorize it, and teach that.
12 months of access. One payment, no subscription.
What's in the Course
| Interactive lessons | 21 (15 math, 6 ELA) |
| 9th grade supplemental lessons | 7 |
| Full-length practice tests | 3 |
| Practice problems | 22,807+ |
| Video explanations | Included throughout the lessons and practice sets |
| Topic assessment | Updated after every test and practice set |
| Access | 12 months |
Lessons are built as short videos with practice questions between them rather than as one long video. A student answers something every few minutes instead of watching for an hour.
The practice problem bank is the largest part of the course. The 22,807 figure is not a marketing number. It is a bank deep enough that a student working on ratios can do ratio questions until he stops getting them wrong, rather than running out after twelve.
The whole course is online. Nothing gets shipped, and a student can work from any device with a browser.
How the Course Breaks Down Math and ELA
The SHSAT tests English Language Arts and Mathematics. Most prep breaks math into four broad areas: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. Those categories are too broad to study from. A student told he is weak in algebra still doesn’t know what to work on.
We categorized the math questions into 21 specific topics, taught across 15 math lessons, with practice problems for every one.
The ELA section has two parts, Revising and Editing and Reading Comprehension. The course covers both across 6 lessons: commas, verb tense, pronouns, modifiers, precise language, and reading comprehension including poetry.
That comes to 21 lessons in total, 15 math and 6 ELA, plus 7 supplemental lessons for students taking the test in 9th grade.
That’s the whole reason for the categorization. A student who knows he needs work on ratios and dangling modifiers can do something about it. A student who knows he needs work on “math” cannot.
The Assessment: What to Study Next
The course starts with a diagnostic test. After that, it tracks progress on every topic as a student works through lessons, practice problems, and tests.
The assessment updates after every test and shows which topics are costing the most points. That list is the study plan.
As a student improves, the list changes. The topics with the most room for improvement are not the same in October as they were in July.
Maximizing a score doesn’t mean working on the weakest topics. It means working on the topics with the greatest room for improvement, and those are different things. A topic a student is weak in that appears on one question is worth less time than a topic he’s slightly weak in that appears on eight.
The Score Increase Guarantee
Complete the course, and if your score doesn’t increase, you get a full refund.
Here is what that means specifically.
Your baseline is whichever came first: a Caddell Prep proctored diagnostic, or the first practice test in the course. A student needs a starting measurement before the increase can be measured against anything.
Completing the course means finishing all lessons, all practice tests, and all sets of practice problems. Practice sets labeled “unlimited” are not included in that requirement, since those sets have no end.
The course must be paid for in full.
The remedy is a full refund.
There is also a separate 5-day cancellation window. If you change your mind within 5 days of signing up, for any reason, email us and we will cancel and refund the purchase. That one has no conditions attached.
Which Schools Use the SHSAT
Eight New York City Specialized High Schools admit students based on the SHSAT and nothing else.
- Stuyvesant High School
- The Bronx High School of Science
- Brooklyn Technical High School
- Staten Island Technical High School
- The Brooklyn Latin School
- High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College
- High School of American Studies at Lehman College
- Queens High School for the Sciences at York College
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School is also a specialized high school, but it admits students by audition or portfolio rather than by test score.
In 2024, 25,678 students took the SHSAT and approximately 15.9% received an offer. More on the 8 NYC specialized high schools, including each school’s cut-off score.
12 months of access. One payment, no subscription.
Is the On-Demand Course Right for Your Student?
Self-paced prep works for a student who will open it without being told to. It doesn’t work for a student who needs someone expecting him on Wednesday.
That’s the honest test, and it matters more than anything about the content.
Who the Course Works Best For
Students who study on their own schedule. The course is available whenever the student is.
Students who learn better from video than from a review book. Every lesson is taught, not just written down.
Students with full schedules. Sports, music, and other activities make a class meeting three times a week difficult.
Students who want detailed feedback. The assessment shows exactly which topics need work rather than a single score.
Students outside Staten Island. Our classes and in-person tutoring are on Staten Island. The course isn’t.
The course works less well for a student who needs accountability. A student who won’t open it on his own is better served by an SHSAT prep class, where the schedule does that work.
Preparing for the 9th Grade SHSAT
Students can take the SHSAT once more in 9th grade for a chance to enter a specialized high school as a sophomore. The format is the same. The math content is harder.
This course includes 7 supplemental lessons covering the additional 9th grade math topics: systems of equations, transformations, linear functions, linear graphs, increasing and decreasing functions, common fractions, and mathematical reasoning.
That fills a real gap. The DOE handbook contains two full practice tests for the 8th grade SHSAT and no 9th grade practice test at all, only sample questions. Students taking the 9th grade test should work through the regular course first and then the supplement.
More on taking the SHSAT in 9th grade, including how many sophomore seats each school offers.
Start With a Free Diagnostic SHSAT
Before buying anything, it’s worth knowing where the points are going.
A free diagnostic SHSAT gives a student a score and a breakdown of which topics are costing him the most points. It also establishes the baseline the score increase guarantee is measured against.
On-Demand Compared With a Class or Tutoring
The course is self-paced and the least expensive option. An SHSAT prep class meets on a set schedule with an instructor and other students. SHSAT tutoring is one-on-one and targeted at specific topics.
The differences are cost, schedule, and whether someone is expecting the student to show up.
Some students use more than one. See all SHSAT prep options to compare them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close is your material to the actual SHSAT?
We model our practice questions and tests on the samples the NYC DOE publishes, currently the NYC Guide to the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) for 2027 Admissions. The DOE updates the guide each year and we update the course with it.
Could this course help someone preparing for the 9th grade SHSAT?
Yes. The 9th grade test is very similar to the 8th grade test, and the difference is in the math topics covered. The course includes supplemental lessons for those topics. Students should work through the regular course first, then the supplement.
How many times will I be charged?
Once. One payment, no subscription.
How does the refund policy work?
Two separate things. If you want to cancel within 5 days of signing up, for any reason, email us and we will refund the purchase. Separately, if you complete all lessons, practice tests, and practice sets and your score doesn’t increase from your baseline, you get a full refund. Full terms are above.
How does the course work?
It is entirely online. Take the diagnostic test, then work through lessons and practice problems. The system tracks progress and shows which topics to work on next.
How long do I have access?
12 months from purchase.
Can I access the course from my phone or tablet?
Yes, on any device with a major browser.
Are both sections covered?
Yes. English Language Arts and math.
Can I watch the lessons in any order?
Yes. We recommend following the order the content is presented in. The practice tests unlock after certain lessons are completed.
When should a student start preparing for the SHSAT?
Students take the SHSAT in the fall of 8th grade, so the summer before is the most common starting point. Starting in 7th grade or earlier gives a student more room, particularly if the math fundamentals need work first.
Can I use a calculator on the SHSAT?
No. Calculators are not permitted, and that has not changed with the move to the computer-adaptive test.
What score is necessary to get into a specialized high school?
There is no fixed score. Students are ranked by composite score and offers are made in rank order until each school fills its seats, so the cut-off changes every year. See SHSAT cut-off scores by school and year.
12 months of access. One payment, no subscription.