How to prepare for the HSPT, including a 2-week plan
Start with one full timed practice test of all five sections (298 questions, about 2.5 hours) to see which sections cost points. Then practice those skills 30 to 45 minutes a day, and take a second full test about a week before test day. Two weeks is enough for that plan.
Updated October 23, 2026 · by AdmitTest
First, what STS says
STS, the publisher, believes parents and teachers "are best advised to avoid expensive preparation materials" and that a well-rounded education is the best preparation. It is fair advice: the HSPT measures years of reading, vocabulary and math. STS's own tips for the day are practical ones: read the directions, keep a steady pace, answer every question (there is no penalty for guessing), work without a calculator, and make sure each answer is bubbled on the right line.
What a few weeks of practice can honestly do is make the format familiar, so the 16-minute Verbal Skills clock is not a shock, and close the gaps that are quick to close: a punctuation rule, how a number series works, what "uncertain" means in a logic question.
The plan in five steps
- Take one full timed practice test, all five sections in one sitting, like the real morning. Our free HSPT practice test is built for this.
- Read the result by section and by skill. Look for two things: skills with many wrong answers, and sections where the clock ran out before the end.
- Practice the weak skills 30 to 45 minutes a day. Short sessions beat a long weekend. Go over every wrong answer together and say why the right one is right.
- Learn the rules of the day: no calculator, no guessing penalty, each section on its own clock, four answer choices on most questions, a bubble sheet and a #2 pencil.
- Take a second full test about a week before the real one, then lighter practice, and an early night before test day.
A 2-week HSPT plan, day by day
Our own suggestion, for about 30 to 45 minutes a day, with a full practice test at each end. Move the days around school and family life; the order matters more than the exact days.
| Day | What to do |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Full timed practice test, all five sections (about 2.5 hours). No help, no calculator. |
| Day 2 | Read the result together. Pick the two weakest sections and, inside them, the skills with the most wrong answers. |
| Day 3 | Verbal Skills: synonyms, antonyms and analogies. Make the analogy into a sentence ("a pilot flies a plane"). |
| Day 4 | Quantitative Skills: number series. Write the step between each pair of numbers. |
| Day 5 | Mathematics: fractions, decimals, percents and word problems, by hand. |
| Day 6 | Language: punctuation and capitalization rules, then usage (subject-verb agreement, pronouns). |
| Day 7 | Rest, or one timed section your child found hard, on its own clock. |
| Day 8 | Reading: one passage on a timer. Find the sentence in the passage that answers each question. |
| Day 9 | Quantitative Skills: comparisons and number manipulation. Verbal: logic (true, false, uncertain) and the odd word out. |
| Day 10 | Mathematics: geometry, measurement and the formulas for area, perimeter and volume. |
| Day 11 | Second full timed practice test, all five sections. Use a different test from Day 1 if you can: the same questions again mostly measure memory. |
| Day 12 | Go over every wrong answer of the second test. Compare section by section with Day 1. |
| Day 13 | Short review of the weakest skill. Pack what the school asked for. |
| Day 14 | Test day. A normal breakfast, arrive early, answer every question. |
Less than two weeks? Keep Day 1, Day 2 and the weakest one or two practice days, and make sure your child knows the rules. More than a month? Spread the same plan out, add reading every day (books, articles, anything), and take a full test every week or two.
Where the time goes, section by section
The clocks are very different, so pacing is different in each section:
| Section | Questions | Time | Per question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Skills | 60 | 16 min | about 16 s |
| Quantitative Skills | 52 | 30 min | about 35 s |
| Reading | 62 | 25 min | about 24 s |
| Mathematics | 64 | 45 min | about 42 s |
| Language | 60 | 25 min | about 25 s |
| All five | 298 | 141 min |
- Verbal Skills is the fastest: about 16 seconds a question. Answer what you know at once and do not linger. Verbal Skills guide.
- Quantitative Skills gives about 35 seconds a question for puzzles that reward a method. Quantitative Skills guide.
- Reading: 62 questions in 25 minutes includes the time to read the passages. Reading guide.
- Mathematics has the most time, about 42 seconds a question, all without a calculator. Math guide.
- Language: about 25 seconds a question on rules your child can learn. Language guide.
The night before and the morning of
- An early night matters more than one more practice session.
- Check the school's letter for the start time, what to bring and whether ID is needed.
- Remind your child: no penalty for guessing, so no blanks. When a clock is almost out, fill in an answer for every question left.
- On a bubble sheet, check every few questions that the answer number matches the question number.
Free full-length HSPT practice test. 298 questions in five timed sections, no sign-up. Your child's score by section and by skill when it ends.
Start the free testCommon questions
How do I prepare my child for the HSPT?
Take one full timed practice test to find the weak sections, practice those skills in short daily sessions, learn the rules (no calculator, no penalty for guessing, each section on its own clock), and take a second full test about a week before. Sleep and a calm morning matter more than a last-night cram.
Can you prepare for the HSPT in 2 weeks?
Yes, for the parts practice can change in two weeks: knowing the format and the clocks, the question types of Verbal and Quantitative Skills, the grammar and punctuation rules of Language, and pacing. Years of reading and math are not built in two weeks, so spend the time where the first practice test lost the most points.
Does STS recommend HSPT test prep?
STS advises families to avoid expensive preparation materials and says a well-rounded education is the best preparation. Its own tips are to read the directions, pace yourself, answer every question, work without a calculator and check the answer sheet. A free full practice test and short practice on weak skills fit that advice.
What should my child bring on HSPT test day?
What the school's registration letter lists. The standard HSPT is answered on a bubble sheet with a #2 pencil, and calculators are not allowed. Ask the school about pencils, ID, snacks and the start time.