What score do you need to get into Westinghouse College Prep?

In the last HSAT-era cycles (through 2025-26), approximate cutoffs on the 900-point composite were 700 (Tier 1), 730 (Tier 2), 750 (Tier 3), 765 (Tier 4), and 800 for the rank-all pool. Cutoffs shift year to year — treat these as historical reference, not a guarantee.

Has CPS published PreACT 9 cutoff scores for Westinghouse?

No. The PreACT 9 Secure replaced the HSAT starting with the October 2026 administration, and CPS has not yet published the official conversion from the PreACT 9's 1-32 scale to admission points. Details are expected near the start of the 2026-27 school year; until then, all cutoffs are HSAT-era figures.

Why does the Westinghouse cutoff differ by tier?

CPS assigns every Chicago address a socioeconomic Tier (1-4). The top 30% of seats at Westinghouse go to the highest scorers citywide, and the remaining 70% are split equally across the four tiers — so students compete primarily within their own tier, and each tier has its own cutoff.

What test do 8th-graders take to apply to Westinghouse?

The CPS admissions test — officially still called "the CPS HSAT" — is now the PreACT 9 Secure by ACT: four sections (English 48 questions/35 min, Math 38/45 with calculator allowed, Reading 33/40, Science 36/35), taken online in a single sitting in October of 8th grade, in English only.

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CPS Selective Enrollment High School

Westinghouse College Prep

Humboldt Park · 1,100 students

Admission cutoff scores

Approximate published cutoffs from HSAT-era cycles (through 2025-26) on the 900-point composite (450 test + 450 7th-grade grades). CPS hasn't published PreACT 9 cutoffs yet — treat these as historical reference.

Tier 1

700

lowest socioeconomic group

Tier 2

730

Tier 3

750

Tier 4

765

highest socioeconomic group

Rank-all

800

top 30% across all tiers

About Westinghouse

West-side option with strong AP enrollment growth.

How to prep for the Westinghouse cutoff

Westinghouse cutoffs are achievable with consistent prep over a few months. Aim for:

Strong 7th-grade core grades (A in English, Math, Science, Social Studies = 450 GPA points).
Test prep targeting roughly 350 of the 450 test points (78% of the max) — an HSAT-era figure; the official PreACT 9 conversion is still pending, so treat it as an estimate.
Multiple full-length timed mocks under real-test conditions before the October test.
Vocabulary mastery — the Reading section relies on academic vocabulary heavily.
Mental-math fluency — a calculator is allowed in Math, but speed without it wins time.

Start with the diagnostic →·Build a 12-week plan →·Read the test day guide →

Frequently asked questions

What score do you need to get into Westinghouse College Prep?: In the last HSAT-era cycles (through 2025-26), approximate cutoffs on the 900-point composite were 700 (Tier 1), 730 (Tier 2), 750 (Tier 3), 765 (Tier 4), and 800 for the rank-all pool. Cutoffs shift year to year — treat these as historical reference, not a guarantee.
Has CPS published PreACT 9 cutoff scores for Westinghouse?: No. The PreACT 9 Secure replaced the HSAT starting with the October 2026 administration, and CPS has not yet published the official conversion from the PreACT 9's 1-32 scale to admission points. Details are expected near the start of the 2026-27 school year; until then, all cutoffs are HSAT-era figures.
Why does the Westinghouse cutoff differ by tier?: CPS assigns every Chicago address a socioeconomic Tier (1-4). The top 30% of seats at Westinghouse go to the highest scorers citywide, and the remaining 70% are split equally across the four tiers — so students compete primarily within their own tier, and each tier has its own cutoff.
What test do 8th-graders take to apply to Westinghouse?: The CPS admissions test — officially still called "the CPS HSAT" — is now the PreACT 9 Secure by ACT: four sections (English 48 questions/35 min, Math 38/45 with calculator allowed, Reading 33/40, Science 36/35), taken online in a single sitting in October of 8th grade, in English only.

Other CPS Selective Enrollment schools

Cutoff data is approximate and changes year to year. Treat as a target, not a guarantee. The official source of truth is the GoCPS portal at cps.edu/gocps.

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