The big change: one language now
Until 2025, the CPS HSAT was offered in six languages — English, Spanish, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Polish, and Urdu — and families chose one at registration. That is over. The PreACT 9 Secure, which replaced the HSAT for the October 2026 cycle, is administered in English only.
For thousands of bilingual CPS households this is a meaningful shift. There is no longer a language to choose; every student takes the same English test. This guide is about preparing well under that reality, not about a choice you no longer make.
Which sections lean hardest on English
The four sections do not depend on English equally. Math is the most language-light — it is mostly numbers, symbols, and figures, with a layer of word problems. A student who computes fluently can score well even while still building English, as long as they can parse the word problems.
English and Reading are the opposite: they ARE language. The English section tests grammar, usage, punctuation, and sentence sense in English; the Reading section is comprehension of English passages under a 40-minute clock. Science sits in the middle — the reasoning is about data and graphs, but the passages and questions are in English, so reading speed still matters.
Practical consequence: a multilingual student's biggest score lever is English reading speed and the conventions of written English. That is exactly what this app's English and Reading sections drill.
How to build test-English fast
Read English academic text on a clock. The skill that moves the score is reading informational and literary passages quickly and accurately in English — not conversational fluency. A student can be perfectly fluent at home in Spanish, Polish, Arabic, or Urdu and still need reps reading English passages against a timer.
Hit the English (grammar/usage) section deliberately. For many bilingual students the editing rules — subject-verb agreement, punctuation, idiomatic prepositions, transitions — are the most learnable points on the whole test, because they are rules, not vocabulary you must already know. Steady practice here pays off fast.
Use vocabulary spaced repetition. Academic word knowledge speeds up reading and helps on word-choice English questions. A few minutes a day compounds over the months before October.
Accommodations and support to ask about
Students designated English Learners (EL) may qualify for testing supports such as extra time or an approved word-to-word bilingual glossary, depending on CPS and ACT policy for the PreACT 9. These are not the same as a translated test (which no longer exists), but they can matter.
If your child has an EL designation, an IEP, or a 504 plan, contact the school's testing coordinator early — well before October — to confirm exactly which supports are available for the PreACT 9 and that they will be in place on test day. Do not assume; ask in writing and keep the confirmation.
Bottom line
The choice of test language is gone; the PreACT 9 is English only. The highest-leverage prep for a bilingual student is English reading speed and the rules of written English — both very trainable.
Lean into the English and Reading sections, keep Math and Science sharp, use vocabulary review daily, and confirm any EL or IEP/504 supports with the school early. A strong bilingual student who builds test-English reading speed can absolutely compete.