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High School Placement Test (HSPT)

dates

Registration is now open! Click a date to register your student. 
  • December 6, 2025  
    • Test starts promptly at 8:30 AM
  • December 13, 2025 (Makeup date - Extended Test Time Available)   
    • Extended Time: Test starts promptly at 8 AM  
    • Regular Time: Test starts promptly at 8:30 AM          
 
The test is conducted on our campus. You will receive an email with location and detailed instructions a few days in advance.
 
*Please Note: Applicants who take the HSPT at Seton will receive a copy of their test scores within the Admission Decision Letter.
 
fee
  • Test Fee is $50
  • Payment is due at the time of student registration.

 

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This is a three and a half hour test. Time allocations are as follows:

  • Verbal Skills: 60 questions, 18 minutes
  • Quantitative: 52 questions, 30 minutes
  • Reading: 62 questions, 25 minutes
  • Mathematics: 64 questions, 45 minutes
  • Language: 60 questions, 25 minutes
  • English: Writing portion (essay), 25 minutes
  • Optional Science Portion: 40 questions, 25 minutes. For those who would like to be considered for honors Biology. The test will be given the same day you take the HSPT.
    • If your student is taking the HSPT at another location and would like to take the Science portion, please email [email protected].

 

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  • Be well rested and have a good breakfast the day of the test.
  • Arrive 10-15 minutes prior to exam time. 
  • The test begins promptly at your designated start time. 
  • Bring at least two #2 pencils.
  • NO calculators permitted.
  • Dress casually and comfortably. Bring a sweater/sweatshirt, as the rooms may be chilly.
  • Water and snacks will be provided. Students are welcome to bring their own snacks and water.
  • The HSPT can only be taken once.
  • No smartwatches allowed.
  • Seton Catholic provides extended test time for students with documentation (IEP/504 Plan/Support Plan). Documentation must be emailed to us at [email protected] one week prior to the test date.
  • Visit Scholastic Testing Services HSPT Parent's Page here for answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

 

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All students who apply for admissions to Seton Catholic Prep (as well as any of the Catholic high schools) must take the High School Placement Test (HSPT). It is important to note that each school utilizes this test differently, and it is incumbent upon the family to research and clearly understand each of the schools’ policies regarding the HSPT. At Seton Catholic Prep, the HSPT is used in two ways:

  1. It helps assess whether applicants possess the skills necessary for success within our academic program.
  2. It helps identify students who are capable of, and would benefit from, a more rigorous, honors level curriculum.

The HSPT provides a reliable, nationally normed, research-based indicator of a student’s ability and preparedness in Math, Science and English. While any individual test can never fully tell the whole story, when reviewed alongside other data points such as the Iowa Basics, AIMS and class performance, the results do provide a clearer picture of a student’s capacity for success in honors level classes.

Seton Catholic Prep will use HSPT results alongside the admissions application to determine student placement in honors-level courses, provided the criteria for each academic discipline are met.

The HSPT is designed to assess whether a student has a strong foundation in 8th-grade academics. Based on the results, attendance at summer school may be required as a condition of admission. Please note that a high score on the placement test does not guarantee admission, just as a low score does not automatically disqualify a student from being accepted.