Free HSPT Practice Test
All five High School Placement Test subtests in the real mix of question types: timed practice tests and ten drills, from synonyms to number series. Everything is free, no account needed.
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The HSPT exam at a glance
The HSPT (High School Placement Test) is Scholastic Testing Service's test for eighth graders entering high school, used by high schools, often through a Catholic diocese's education department, for admissions, scholarships and placement into ninth grade. It has five multiple-choice subtests: Verbal Skills (60 questions: synonyms, antonyms, analogies, verbal classification and logic), Quantitative Skills (52: number series, number manipulation and comparisons), Reading (62: comprehension and vocabulary), Mathematics (64) and Language (60: punctuation, capitalization, usage, spelling and composition), 298 questions in a working time of 2 hours 30 minutes. Calculators are not allowed and there is no penalty for guessing. Scores are standard scores and national and local percentiles, and each school sets its own cut-offs. A school may give one optional test, science or Catholic religion, which does not count in the composite.
Tigertest has two timed practice tests, each about a third of the real HSPT in the same mix of question types, with a percent score per subtest, and ten drills from synonyms and number series to usage and composition. All of it is free with no account required. It is a practice test, so it gives no STS standard score or percentile.
- Who takes it
- Eighth graders entering high school (the Pre-HSPT is a grade 7 edition)
- Subtests
- Verbal Skills, Quantitative Skills, Reading, Mathematics, Language
- Questions
- 298: 60 verbal, 52 quantitative, 62 reading, 64 math, 60 language
- Time
- 2 hours 30 minutes of working time
- Format
- Paper test booklets and answer sheets, multiple choice; no calculators
- Score
- Standard scores (200 to 800), national and local percentiles, cognitive skills quotient
- Pass mark
- None: each high school sets its own cut-offs
- Optional tests
- Science or Catholic religion, not counted in the composite
Updated by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow Scholastic Testing Service's HSPT Interpretive Manual, HSPT overview and parent pages, and 2026-27 catalog. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with Scholastic Testing Service: High School Placement Test.
How It Works
Drills on a Phone
Ten short drills, two for each HSPT subtest, from synonyms and analogies to fractions and commas. One tap to check, an explanation straight away, and every miss comes back until it is mastered.
Full Test on a Computer
All five subtests in order, each with its own clock, no calculator. Flag questions to come back to, reading passages stay beside their questions, and you finish with a percent score per subtest and a list of what to drill next.
Built on the Real Exam Format
Each practice test follows the skill mix in Scholastic Testing Service's own HSPT reports, at about a third of the real length: the same five subtests in the same order, the same kinds of questions in about the same proportions, and no calculator. The real HSPT reports standard scores and percentiles; this one reports percent correct so you can see which subtests to work on.
Teach an HSPT Prep Class?
Teachers can set it for a class for free: post one link, students join with just their first name, and you see who practiced, their scores in each subtest and the questions your class misses most.
Make a class at tigertest.io/teachHow to Prepare for the HSPT
1. Keep moving on Verbal Skills
Verbal Skills has 60 quick questions on words and logic. Answer the ones you know at once, make a best guess on the rest and move on; getting stuck on one word costs more than missing it.
2. Practice math without a calculator
Calculators are not allowed, so fractions, decimals, percents and long division have to be quick on paper. A few minutes a day on the number drills builds that speed.
3. Answer every question
There is no penalty for guessing, so never leave a bubble blank. When time is nearly up, fill in a guess for every question you have not reached.
4. Drill the weakest subtest
Take Practice Test 1, look at the scores by subtest, and spend most of your time on the weakest drills. Then take Practice Test 2. Its questions never appear in the drills, so it shows real progress.
HSPT Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HSPT?
The HSPT, or High School Placement Test, is a test from Scholastic Testing Service (STS) that high schools give to eighth graders, often through a Catholic diocese's education department. Schools use it for admission, scholarships and placing students in ninth grade classes. It has five multiple-choice subtests: Verbal Skills, Quantitative Skills, Reading, Mathematics and Language.
How many questions are on the HSPT, and how long is it?
The HSPT has 298 questions: 60 in Verbal Skills, 52 in Quantitative Skills, 62 in Reading, 64 in Mathematics and 60 in Language. STS lists the working time as 2 hours 30 minutes, and the person giving the test announces when each subtest is halfway through. Each Tigertest practice test is about a third as long, 100 questions in 50 minutes, at about the same pace and in the same mix of question types.
What is a good HSPT score?
There is no pass mark. STS turns the number of questions answered correctly into standard scores from 200 to 800 and national and local percentiles, and each high school decides which scores it needs for admission, honors classes or scholarships. Ask the schools you are applying to. Tigertest reports percent correct per subtest, not an STS score, so use it to see which subtests need the most work.
Can you use a calculator on the HSPT?
No. STS does not allow calculators, phones or other technology, so the Quantitative Skills and Mathematics questions are written to be worked out on paper. The Tigertest practice tests have no calculator either.
Is there a penalty for guessing on the HSPT?
No. Your score is the number of questions you answer correctly, and nothing is taken off for a wrong answer. So answer every question, even if you have to guess near the end of a subtest.
What are the optional HSPT tests?
STS offers optional tests in science and Catholic religion, and a school may give one of them with the HSPT. Those scores are not part of the overall composite score. Tigertest covers only the five main subtests, so check with your school whether it gives an optional test.
Is the Tigertest HSPT practice free?
Yes, all of it: both practice tests, all ten drills and every explanation, with no account required. An account saves progress across devices.
I teach an eighth grade HSPT prep class. Can my students use Tigertest?
Yes, for free. Make a class at tigertest.io/teach, post one link, and students join with just their name. You see who practiced, their test scores and the topics your class misses most.
HSPT sample questions and answers
6 of the 252 practice questions, one from each topic, with the answer explained.
- 1.
Meticulous most nearly means:
- A.
hurried
- B.
timid
- C.
clever
- D.
careful
Answer: D.A meticulous worker pays close attention to every detail, so meticulous means very careful. Hurried work is the opposite of meticulous work.
- A.
- 2.
Which word means the opposite of conceal?
- A.
protect
- B.
reveal
- C.
examine
- D.
disguise
Answer: B.To conceal is to hide, so the opposite is to reveal, or show. Disguise is another way of hiding, so it is a near synonym.
- A.
- 3.
Drought is to water as famine is to:
- A.
hunger
- B.
food
- C.
rain
- D.
farm
Answer: B.A drought is a serious lack of water, and a famine is a serious lack of food. Hunger is what a famine causes, not what is missing.
- A.
- 4.
Which word does not belong with the others?
- A.
content
- B.
furious
- C.
irate
- D.
enraged
Answer: A.Furious, irate and enraged all mean very angry. Content means calm and satisfied.
- A.
- 5.
A pen costs more than a pencil. A pencil costs more than an eraser. An eraser costs more than a pen. If the first two statements are true, the third statement is:
- A.
True
- B.
False
- C.
Uncertain
Answer: B.The pen costs more than the pencil, which costs more than the eraser, so the pen costs more than the eraser. The third statement says the reverse, so it is false.
- A.
- 6.
Compare (I) 15 - (-3), (II) -15 + 3 and (III) the absolute value of -15. Which is true?
- A.
III > I > II
- B.
I > II > III
- C.
II > III > I
- D.
I > III > II
Answer: D.Subtracting -3 is adding 3, so I is 18. II is -12, and the absolute value of -15 is 15. So 18 > 15 > -12.
- A.
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Ready for Test Day?
Free. No account required. Two timed practice tests and ten drills, from synonyms to number series.
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