HSPT (High School Placement Test) Exam Survival Guide

Audience: Catholic HS admissions (grade 8) | Sections: Verbal, Quantitative, Reading, Math, Language

Must-do topics

• Verbal: synonyms/antonyms, analogies, verbal logic.
• Quantitative: number series, geometric comparisons, nonstandard arithmetic.
• Reading: main idea, detail, inference, vocabulary in context.
• Math: arithmetic, fractions/percents, pre-algebra, basic geometry.
• Language: usage, punctuation, capitalization, spelling.

Top traps

• Spending too long on dense Reading passages.
• Guessing vocab from “feel” instead of context clues.
• Dropping minus/percent signs in calc.
• Comma splices and subject-verb agreement misses.

Quick checks

• Percent: 25% of 240 = 60.
• Analogy: HAND : GLOVE :: FOOT : SHOE.
• Grammar fix: “Neither of the boys are ready” → is.
• Geometry: area of 6×4 rectangle = 24.

You will make

• Roots & prefixes wall (bene, mal, pre, sub, omni…).
• Percent–fraction–decimal wheel.
• Comma/semicolon cheat card.
• Reading question stems (main idea, inference, tone).

Last-48h checklist

• 2 timed Reading passages (10–12 Q each).
• 20 mixed math Qs (fractions/percent/pre-alg).
• 20 language/usage Qs (S–V, pronouns, commas).
• 15 verbal (syn/ant/analogies).
• Sleep + quick formula/vocab skim.

Speed tactics

• Two-pass method: bank quick points, return for grind.
• Reading: read Q stems first for purpose, skim intro/last paragraph.
• Math: estimate first; compute only if options are close.

Day-of plan

• Warm-up: 8 math drills + 8 vocab in 8 minutes.
• Bubble in batches of 5 to avoid misalignment.