Free HSPT practice test, with every answer explained
Ten sample questions from the five HSPT sections, the way they look on the test. Tap a choice to check it. When you are ready, take a full timed practice test in the app, free and with no account.
Updated October 29, 2026
The HSPT (High School Placement Test) is the entrance exam many Catholic high schools give eighth graders. It is 298 multiple-choice questions in 141 minutes, in five timed sections. There is no penalty for a wrong answer and no calculator.
| Section | Questions | Minutes | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal Skills | 60 | 16 | Synonyms, antonyms, analogies, which word does not belong, and verbal logic (true, false or uncertain) |
| Quantitative Skills | 52 | 30 | Number series, geometric and non-geometric comparison, number manipulation |
| Reading | 62 | 25 | Passages (main idea, details, inference, words in context) and a vocabulary part |
| Mathematics | 64 | 45 | Numbers, fractions and percents, ratios, algebra, geometry and measurement, data, word problems |
| Language | 60 | 25 | Punctuation, capitalization, usage, spelling and composition |
| Total | 298 | 141 | Plus breaks; about 2.5 to 3 hours on the day |
Verbal Skills: 3 questions
About 16 seconds a question on the real test, so speed matters as much as vocabulary.
Show the answer and why
B. Correct. Abundant means existing in large amounts, so plentiful is the same idea.
- Ask whether the word describes an amount: abundant describes a large amount.
- Plentiful means there is a lot of something, the same idea.
Why the others are wrong: A Scarce is close to the opposite: a scarce supply is small and hard to find. C Abandoned looks like abundant at a glance, but it means left behind or deserted. D Generous describes a person who gives freely, not an amount of something.
Show the answer and why
B. Correct. A puppy is a young dog, and a kitten is a young cat. The pair is young animal to adult animal.
- Bridge: a puppy grows up to be a dog.
- A kitten grows up to be a cat, so find the adult animal.
Why the others are wrong: A Milk is what a kitten drinks as a baby, so it fits the kitten but is not the grown animal the kitten becomes. C A mouse is a small animal, but it is a different animal, not the adult form of a kitten. D Purr is a sound a cat makes. It describes what a cat does, not what a kitten grows into.
Vera stands to the left of Walt. Xia stands to the right of Walt. Vera stands to the left of Xia.
If the first two statements are true, the third isShow the answer and why
A. Correct. Vera is left of Walt, and Walt is left of Xia, so Vera is left of Xia.
- Left to right: Vera, Walt, Xia.
- Walt is between them, so Vera is left of Xia.
Why the others are wrong: B False is wrong, because the line runs Vera, Walt, Xia from left to right, so Vera is left of Xia. C Uncertain is wrong, because the first two statements place all three in one line.
Quantitative Skills: 2 questions, no calculator
Show the answer and why
A. Correct. Each number is 8 more than the one before, so 94 + 8 = 102.
- Find the step: 70 − 62 = 8. Every pair of neighbors should show this same step.
- Check a second pair: 86 − 78 = 8, so the rule holds all along the series.
- Apply the step once more to the last number: 94 + 8 = 102.
Why the others are wrong: B That is an earlier number in the series. The rule was run backward instead of forward. C That is the last number shown. The series keeps changing, so the next number is different from it. D This moves two steps past 94 instead of one. The next number is only one step after it.
Show the answer and why
A. Correct. 34 of 24 is 18, and 18 more than 18 is 36.
- Find 34 of 24: 24 ÷ 4 = 6, then 6 × 3 = 18.
- Then add 18: 18 + 18 = 36.
Why the others are wrong: B That takes one of the 4 equal parts, not 3 of them. C The number was multiplied by the top number and the bottom number was never used. A fraction of a number divides first. D That is only the fraction part. The question also asks for 18 more.
Reading: 2 questions
Every Kid Should Learn to Cook, written for Owl Test Prep.
Every kid should learn to cook, and not only because it is useful. Cooking teaches patience, careful measuring, and the simple pleasure of making something other people can enjoy. I learned this the hard way, when I burned my first batch of pancakes and decided that the stove and I needed to become better friends.
Start with the most basic skill: reading a recipe. A recipe is a set of directions, and following one carefully builds the same habits that good schoolwork requires. You learn to read every step before you start, to gather the ingredients, and to check that you have measured correctly. A cook who skips a step usually finds out the hard way.
Cooking also teaches kids about money and food. When families plan meals, they learn to compare prices, use leftovers, and avoid throwing away food that is still good. A child who can make a simple dinner from rice, beans and vegetables has a skill that will matter for the rest of life.
Some people argue that cooking is too dangerous for young children. It is true that knives and hot stoves deserve respect. But with a clear lesson on safe handling, a grown-up nearby, and a little practice, most children can learn to chop, stir and measure safely. The danger is real, but it is one more thing to learn, not a reason to stay out of the kitchen.
Finally, cooking is a way to share. A child who makes a meal for family members learns that food is a gift, and that people at the table notice the effort. Even a plate of toast, served with care, can turn an ordinary morning into something special.
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B. Correct. The first paragraph says the writer decided that the stove and the writer needed to become better friends, which means improving as a cook.
- Read the first paragraph and find the word decided.
- The right choice is the step the writer chose, in the writer's own words.
Why the others are wrong: A The essay says the opposite: the burned pancakes led to a decision to improve. C The essay never mentions buying a stove. D The essay does not say the family cooked, so the decision was the writer's own.
Show the answer and why
C. Correct. The essay states its claim in the first sentence, and each paragraph gives a reason cooking is worth learning.
- Find the claim in the first sentence.
- Choose the sentence that matches the claim and the reasons after it.
Why the others are wrong: A Pancakes appear only in the writer's story, and the essay does not argue that they are the easiest food. B The essay argues the opposite: the danger is one more thing to learn, not a reason to stay out. D The third paragraph argues that cooking helps families save money, so this is the reverse of the essay's view.
Mathematics: 2 questions, no calculator
Show the answer and why
D. Correct. Simplify: 5 310.
- Write a mixed number as an improper fraction first: whole number times the bottom, plus the top. Then use one common bottom for both.
- The common bottom is 30. Scale the tops: 144 + 15 = 159, so the answer is 159 over 30.
- Simplify: 5 310.
Why the others are wrong: A The first fraction was changed to the common bottom, but the second one was not. Its top number has to be scaled too. B The bottom numbers were added (or subtracted) too. Fractions need a common bottom first, and then only the top numbers change. C Only the top numbers were combined. Both fractions have to be cut into the same size pieces before the tops can be added.
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A. Correct. Total spent is $18.75, so $39 − $18.75 = $20.25 is left.
- Notebooks: 3 × $5 = $15.
- Pens: 3 × $1.25 = $3.75.
- Total spent is $18.75, so $39 − $18.75 = $20.25 is left.
Why the others are wrong: B That is the total spent. The question asks how much is left, so take the total away from the starting money. C That adds the money spent to the starting amount. Spending takes money away. D That counts only one pen. Paul buys 3 pens, so the pens cost 3 times as much.
Language: 1 question
Show the answer and why
D. Correct. All three sentences use correct verb forms, comparatives and adverbs, so there is no error.
- Should have arrived describes what was expected.
- Better is the comparative form of good.
- If every sentence passes, the answer is No mistakes.
Why the others are wrong: A This sentence has no error. Should have is the correct form for an expected past event. B This sentence has no error. Better is the correct comparative of good. C This sentence has no error. Maybe is the adverb meaning perhaps, which is correct here.
How did you do?
Ten questions say little. Owl-y's 40-question diagnostic gives an estimated standard score and percentile for each section, then builds a study plan day by day to your school's test date. Every question in the app explains every choice, and the math never runs out.
You keep $120.99, and get more.
Compare every price we checked
| Price | What the price buys | |
|---|---|---|
| Test Innovators HSPT Starter | $59.99 | 1 full-length practice test, 12 months |
| Test Innovators HSPT Ultimate | $179.99 | 2 full-length practice tests, 12 months |
| Owl Test Prep High School Entrance Prep | $59 | all 3 full HSPT practice tests plus the ISEE, SSAT and SHSAT, the study plan and Ask Owl-y; every practice question is free |
Prices as listed on each company's own page on October 29, 2026 (linked). Owl Test Prep is not connected with any of these companies or with any test maker.
$59 a year, paid once
- Every full testHSPT, ISEE, SSAT and SHSAT, timed like the real day
- A plan to test dayAdjusts every week to what they miss
- Ask Owl-y anythingAny question, any time, as often as needed
- Sunday reportA progress email to a parent every week
See everything included
- Every full timed practice test for the HSPT, ISEE, SSAT and SHSAT
- Your whole study plan to test day, adjusted every week
- Ask Owl-y about any question, as often as you need
- A progress email to a parent every Sunday
- One payment for a full year, covering every entrance test your child takes
More than one child? Owl Family covers up to 6 for $129 a year.
Questions people ask
Is there a free HSPT practice test?
Yes. Owl Test Prep's first full-length HSPT practice test is free, with no account, along with the diagnostic and practice by skill. The test is timed like the real one, section by section, and every answer is explained.
How many questions are on the HSPT?
298: Verbal Skills 60, Quantitative Skills 52, Reading 62, Mathematics 64 and Language 60. Testing time is 141 minutes, plus breaks. Some schools add one optional test (Science, Catholic Religion or Mechanical Aptitude).
Can you use a calculator on the HSPT?
No, not without an approved accommodation. Practice the math by hand from the start.
Is there a penalty for guessing on the HSPT?
No. Only right answers count, so answer every question, even when time is almost up.
When is the HSPT?
Each Catholic high school or diocese sets its own date, usually between November and January of eighth grade. Check the school's admission page, then put the date into Owl-y's study plan.
Is there an HSPT practice test PDF?
Owl Test Prep's tests run online, timed like the real test, so the score and the explanations come at once. Schools sometimes hand out their own sample pages too.
Keep reading
Sources
Read on October 29, 2026. Each Catholic high school or diocese runs its own HSPT day, so check the school's admission page for its date, fee and any optional test. If something here is out of date, write to hello@owltestprep.com.
Owl Test Prep is independent. HSPT is a registered trademark of Scholastic Testing Service, Inc., which is not affiliated with and does not endorse this site. Every question here is original, written for Owl Test Prep.