The HSPT (High School Placement Test) is an admissions test used by many Catholic high schools. The test is broken up into five different sections:
Section 1: Verbal Skills
The Verbal Skills section is made up of 60 questions, and students are given 16 minutes to complete the section. The section consists of five types of questions:
Synonyms: Students are given a word and are asked to choose the answer choice that most closely matches the meaning of the original word.
Antonyms: Students are given a word and are asked to choose the answer choice with the opposite meaning of the original word.
Analogies: Students are given a pair of words and need to determine the relationship between those two words. Then students need to pair a second set of words that have the same relationship as the given pair.
Word Classifications: Students are given a list of four words and are asked to choose the word that does not fit with the other three words.
Logic: Students are given three statements. The first two statements are true, and students need to determine if the third statement is true, false, or uncertain based on the first two statements.
Section 2: Quantitative Skills
The Quantitative Skills section is made up of 52 questions, and students are given 30 minutes to complete the section. The section consists of four types of questions:
Sequences: Students are given a list of numbers or letters and need to determine the pattern to figure out the next term, next few terms, or missing term in the sequence.
Reasoning: Students need to translate a mathematical statement into a number equation and then find the solution.
Non-Geometric Comparisons: Students are given three quantities and need to choose the answer choice that correctly compares these three quantities.
Geometric Comparisons: Students are given geometric figures and need to choose the answer choice that correctly compares quantities related to these figures.
Section 3: Reading
The Reading section is made up of 62 questions, and students are given 25 minutes to complete the section. The section consists of two types of questions:
Reading Comprehension: The first 40 questions in the section are reading comprehension questions. Students are presented with short reading passages, covering topics such as history, art, science, and literature. Each passage is accompanied by a set of comprehension questions that test students’ understanding of main idea, inferences, style, details, and vocabulary.
Vocabulary: The last 22 questions in the section are vocabulary questions. Students are given a short phrase with one of the words underlined. Students need to choose the answer choice that has the same meaning as the underlined word.
Section 4: Mathematics
The Mathematics section is made up of 64 questions, and students are given 45 minutes to complete the section. The questions are more traditional than the questions seen in the Quantitative Skills section and test students on a variety of math skills. The questions are a mix of straightforward calculations and word problems.
Section 5: Language
The Language section is made up of 60 questions, and students are given 25 minutes to complete the section. The section consists of three types of questions:
Grammar: Students are given three sentences, one of which may contain an error in capitalization, punctuation, or usage. Students need to choose the sentence that contains an error, and if no sentences contain an error, students choose “no mistake.”
Spelling: Students are given three sentences, one of which may contain an error in spelling. Students need to choose the sentence that contains an error, and if no sentences contain an error, students choose “no mistake.”
Composition: There are a variety of composition questions that show up on the test. Students may be asked to choose the most clearly written sentence, choose the best transition word for a sentence, choose the best topic sentence for a paragraph, and understand sentence placement in paragraphs.