DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Get some practice for the Catholic high school entrance exams
ALONG with thousands of other eighth graders, before being offered a place at most Catholic high schools, you’ll need to take a test which will be taken into consideration along with your admission, even if you’re already enrolled in a K-12 school.
Tests include the Cooperative Admissions (COOP), High School Placement
Test (HSPT), and the Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools (TACHS), which is the one currently in use by almost all high schools in the Archdiocese of New York, Diocese of Brooklyn and Diocese of Rockville Centre.
The test is designed to measure abilities and achievement in language, reading and math, and the questions are unique each year. (You can find more info about the test and timelines at TACHSinfo.com.)
At some schools, the competition is tough, so preparation is key. These publications can help.
Princeton Review Catholic High School Entrance Exams Prep (HSPT/ COOP/TACHS), 3rd Edition
(Princeton Review, $18.99)
Techniques and tactics are designed to help you avoid trapping questions and teach you how to work smarter, with less difficulty. Current information about changes to the tests, along with study plans to help you plan out your prep are included, as are reviews of test topics, analogies, reading comprehension, math, vocabulary and more. Finally, six practice tests are embedded inside, with practice drills at the end of each, along with direction on a slew of sample questions.
Master the Catholic High School Entrance Exams, 26th Edition
(Peterson’s, March 2022, $21.95)
Dive in to this comprehensive test-prep manual to score high marks on Catholic school entrance exams. Information is focused on HSPT and TACHS, which are the most popular parochial placement tests. Test formats, scoring, review of subjects and common types of questions are covered in here, as are tips for every question type. There are additional strategies to build confidence and 10 practice tests included.
Catholic High School Entrance Exams: COOP, HSPT, TACHS
(Kaplan, $18.99)
This guide offers expert advice, pointers and extensive practice. Included are three diagnostic quizzes (one for each exam), a targeted review of important concepts, practice quizzes, up-to-date test information and changes. Importantly, there’s also timely advice for parents to help children with setting realistic expectations.