Two halves: the test and your grades
Admission to a CPS Selective Enrollment High School (SEHS) is decided by a composite that is 50% the admissions test (taken in October of 8th grade) and 50% your four core 7th-grade grades (English, Math, Science, Social Studies).
As of the October 2026 cycle, that test is the PreACT 9 Secure, not the old HSAT. The 50/50 structure is the same, but how the test half is scored — and converted into admission points — changed.
The symmetry is intentional: CPS wants consistent classroom performance AND a strong test. A student who aces the test but had Cs in 7th grade won't clear the top cutoffs; neither will a straight-A student who doesn't prepare for the test.
How the PreACT 9 is scored (1-32)
The PreACT 9 has four sections — English (48 questions, 35 min), Math (38 questions, 45 min), Reading (33 questions, 40 min), and Science (36 questions, 35 min). Each correct answer is one raw point in its section; there is no penalty for wrong answers, so always guess.
Each section is reported on the ACT scale of 1 to 32, and the composite is the average of the four section scores (also 1-32). This is the same scale family as the ACT, which is the point — the PreACT 9 is an on-ramp to the ACT.
Important and honest: as of mid-2026 CPS had NOT published the official formula for turning a 1-32 PreACT score into admission points. CPS said the details would come near the start of the 2026-27 school year. Until then, any specific PreACT 'cutoff' or points projection is a guess. This app shows your 1-32 section scores and composite as estimates and does not invent a points total.
How 7th-grade grades become points
The grades half is unchanged. Each of the four core 7th-grade letter grades converts to a point value: A = 112.5, B = 75, C = 38, D and F = 0. The four grades sum to a maximum of 450, half the historical composite.
This is brutally linear. An A is worth 1.5x a B, and a B is worth nearly 2x a C. A single C in a core class costs a student about 75 points relative to a straight-A peer. With one test in October and grades locked from 7th grade, the grades half is decisive — protect it.
The 4-tier system
Every Chicago residential address is assigned a Tier (1, 2, 3, or 4) based on the U.S. Census Block Group's socioeconomic profile. Tier 1 has the most economic disadvantage; Tier 4 has the most economic advantage.
When CPS distributes SEHS seats, the top 30% of seats at each program go to the highest scorers across all tiers (the 'rank-all' pool). The remaining 70% of seats are split equally among the 4 tiers — 17.5% per tier. Within each tier, seats go to the highest scorers in that tier.
This means cutoffs vary by tier — a Tier 1 student needs a strong performance, but not as overwhelming a one as a Tier 4 student. (The specific historical numbers — e.g. Walter Payton around 838 for Tier 1 vs. 891 for Tier 4 — were on the old HSAT 900-point scale. PreACT 9 cutoffs in the new 1-32-based system have not been published yet; expect them around the start of the 2026-27 cycle.)
What this means for your kid's prep
First, find your tier. The CPS website has a tool to look up any address. Knowing your tier tells you what target score range to aim for, which makes prep less stressful — you don't need a near-perfect test score if you're in Tier 1 and have all As in 7th grade.
Second, accept that 7th-grade grades are the 'free' half of the composite. By the time a student starts HSAT prep in summer or fall of 8th grade, their 7th-grade grades are locked. That's why we recommend starting strong-grade habits in 6th and 7th, not relying on a Hail Mary HSAT score.
Third, do practice tests. The PreACT 9 format — four sections (English, Math, Reading, Science) across about 2.5 hours — punishes students who haven't rehearsed the per-section pace and stamina. We have a full-length, four-section mock simulator that mirrors test-day conditions.
Common misconceptions
Misconception: 'My kid only needs to score above the cutoff.' The cutoff is the bottom of the admitted range, not the typical admit, and it shifts year to year. Aim comfortably above it — and remember the PreACT 9 cutoffs aren't even published yet, so don't chase a phantom number.
Misconception: 'It's graded on a curve, so test-day luck dominates.' A well-prepared student is well-prepared regardless of the cohort. The PreACT 9's 1-32 scaling smooths difficulty differences between forms.
Misconception: 'A higher tier means a higher chance of admission.' Wrong. Lower tiers face lower cutoffs precisely because the seat distribution is equity-based. Tier doesn't change your chance — it changes the score you need.
Bottom line
If your child is aiming for Walter Payton, Northside, Whitney Young, Jones, or Lane Tech — the five most competitive SEHS programs — start with a diagnostic to find your baseline across all four sections. Build a study plan, practice full-length four-section mocks under real conditions, and keep 7th-grade grades strong. That's the formula.
There is no shortcut. The students who get into top schools treat the PreACT 9 as a marathon, not a sprint, and start in summer rather than the week before the test.