HSPT in Chicago 2026: date, registration and schools
Chicago-area Catholic high schools we checked give the HSPT on Saturday, December 5, 2026, with online registration opening Friday, November 13 and a $25 fee at Marist. Dates still ahead on our list: Sat, Dec 5, 2026 (Marist, St. Ignatius College Prep, Carmel Catholic); Mon, Dec 7, 2026 (Carmel Catholic). Dates come from school pages, linked below; check with the school you apply to.
Updated October 25, 2026 · by AdmitTest
There is no single Chicago HSPT date for everyone: each high school lists its own sitting, and STS says each school or diocese chooses its own date. The schools below are the ones whose pages we could read on October 25, 2026. They are examples, not a complete list of Chicago schools that use the HSPT, and not a ranking.
Chicago HSPT dates and registration, by school
| School or group | Date | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marist High School (Chicago) | Sat, Dec 5, 2026 | Online registration from Fri, Nov 13; $25 fee paid when you register. The page gives no year next to the date; we read it as 2026 because the same page gives an accommodations deadline of Nov 20, 2026. No calculator; bring #2 pencils. A student may take the HSPT at one Catholic high school only. | Marist: entrance exam |
| Saint Ignatius College Prep (Chicago) | Sat, Dec 5, 2026 (8:00 a.m.) | Registration opens Fri, Nov 13, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. The page lists no fee or room. It says eighth graders may take the entrance exam at only one Catholic high school. | St. Ignatius: admissions process |
| Carmel Catholic High School (Mundelein) | Sat, Dec 5, 2026 Mon, Dec 7, 2026 (make-up) | Open to students who have not already taken it at another Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic high school. We read this from a search result for the school's events page; the page itself did not open for us, so check it. Fee not seen. | Carmel Catholic: entrance exam |
No date is left on our list for this season. Check with your school or diocese: each sets its own date (STS: test dates). HSPT dates by region.
Marist's page gives no year next to its date; we read it as 2026 because the same page gives an accommodations deadline of Friday, November 20, 2026. Saint Ignatius states "Saturday, December 5, 2026" directly, and says this exam is for the class of 2031, who enter 9th grade in fall 2027.
Chicago-area schools that use the HSPT
- Marist High School, Chicago: entrance exam page, 4200 W. 115th Street.
- Saint Ignatius College Prep, Chicago: its admissions page says it "utilizes the HSPT".
- Carmel Catholic High School, Mundelein: entrance exam event page (read through a search result, see the table).
Other Chicago-area schools use the HSPT too; ask the schools on your list. We list only schools whose own page we could read.
How it works in Chicago, from the school pages
- You register with the high school you want to test at, online, not with STS.
- One sitting. Marist and Saint Ignatius say a student takes the exam at one Catholic high school.
- Bring #2 pencils, no calculator (Marist).
- Accommodations are requested through the school; Marist's page gives a deadline for them.
What to do in the weeks before your date
Count back from the date of the school you test at. This is our own plan, not STS's:
- Four weeks or more: take one full timed test now to see where the points go, then follow the 4-week study plan.
- Two to three weeks: one full timed test, a week of short daily practice on the weakest section (see the Verbal, Quantitative, Reading, Mathematics and Language guides), then a second full test. The preparation guide has a day-by-day two-week plan.
- Under two weeks: one full timed test, then daily 20-minute sessions on the one or two weakest skills, and an early night before the test day.
The test is on paper and has no calculator, so practice without one. The free HSPT practice test has all five sections on their own clocks; for the dates in other areas, see HSPT test dates 2026.
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
When is the HSPT in Chicago in 2026?
Three Chicago-area high schools we checked (Marist, Saint Ignatius College Prep and Carmel Catholic) list Saturday, December 5, 2026. Dates still ahead on our list: Sat, Dec 5, 2026 (Marist, St. Ignatius College Prep, Carmel Catholic); Mon, Dec 7, 2026 (Carmel Catholic). Confirm with your school.
How much does the HSPT cost in Chicago?
Marist's entrance exam page lists a $25 fee, paid when you register online. The other school pages we read did not list a fee.
When does HSPT registration open in Chicago?
Saint Ignatius College Prep says registration opens Friday, November 13, 2026 at 8:00 a.m., and Marist's page gives the same Friday, November 13.
Can my child take the HSPT at more than one Chicago high school?
Marist and Saint Ignatius both say a student may take the entrance exam at only one Catholic high school, so choose the school where you will test.
Can my child use a calculator on the HSPT?
No. Marist's page tells students to bring #2 pencils and no calculator, because the test is taken without one.