CPS HSAT PreACT 9 Secure Tutoring
The admissions process for CPS Selective Enrollment High Schools and Choice programs is complicated. We'll help you make sense of it, and help your child do their best on the test!
The Nurturing Wisdom Approach
We understand the high stakes nature of the CPS HSAT PreACT 9 Secure, the new test used for admissions to Selective Enrollment High Schools and Choice Programs (including IB). Students are vying for a limited number of available spots, so there is little room for error. This can make for a stressful experience for both students and parents.
While we can't wave a magic wand, we can help students achieve great scores by strengthening four core areas:
Getting Started
To get started, you can either contact us to learn more or dive right in with a diagnostic pre-test. Then we’ll help you build a timeline for 1:1 tutoring sessions and additional practice tests.
Contact Us
When you contact Nurturing Wisdom, you'll connect with a tutoring director. They'll answer any questions you have and create a plan that makes the most sense for your child. If your child will take another entrance test (like the HSPT, ISEE, and/or SSAT), it will be especially helpful to talk with a director first.
Diagnostic Pre-Test
We offer several options for taking a practice PreACT 9 Secure pre-test. After the pre-test, we'll provide a score analysis and recommendations for the number of tutoring sessions.
New for 2026!
On June 3, 2026, CPS announced that they're replacing the CPS HSAT with the PreACT 9 Secure.
You have questions. We have answers!
What's on the PreACT 9 Secure?
The PreACT 9 Secure is a digital test that's aligned with the ACT. It has four sections: English, math, reading, and science.
How long is the PreACT 9 Secure?
It's a 2.5-hour test with 143 questions.
English: 44 questions in 35 minutes
Math: 34 questions in 45 minutes
Reading: 33 questions in 40 minutes
Science: 32 questions in 35 minutes
How is the PreACT 9 different from the CPS HSAT?
It's a 2.5-hour test, while the HSAT was just 1 hour long.
The PreACT 9 has two more sections than the HSAT: English and science.
It allows the use of a calculator on the math section; the HSAT did not.
The PreACT is a version of the ACT for younger students, whereas the HSAT was a "mystery" test.
The PreACT is a more difficult test in some ways, with more advanced content and question types than the CPS HSAT.
Where and when is the PreACT 9 Secure?
CPS students will take the test at school on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Non-CPS students will take the test at Lane Tech or Lindblom on October 17, 18, 24, or 25, 2026. Non-CPS students must register for the test through the GoCPS application. CPS shares many more details for non-CPS students.
How does scoring work?
The PreACT 9 has a score range of 1-32. There is a composite score, as well as separate scores for each section.
While students are required to take English, math, reading, and science sections, only scores for the English, math, and reading sections will be included in the composite score. The composite score is the average of those three sections.
CPS says it will use the science section score for class placements, as well as to inform "instructional alignment."
Will CPS still use the 900-point system? What about socioeconomic tiers and cutoff scores?
No, CPS has updated their points system. The max possible point total is now 640. Fifty percent of the points (320 points) will come from the PreACT 9 Secure composite score, and 50% (320 points) will come from final 7th grade grades in core subjects.
The PreACT points are calculated by multiplying your child's composite score by 10.
The grade points are calculated by multiplying your child's final 7th grade GPA by 80.
CPS has also provided a document with information about socioeconomic tiers. There is no information about cutoff scores at this point.
We also provide more details about the admissions process.
My child is allowed testing accommodations. Will they be able to use them on the PreACT 9?
Yes, students who have been approved for "allowable" testing accommodations may use them on the test. CPS requires that an IEP or 504 Plan "be current and within one year of the test date." Please verify with your school team as soon as possible that your child's accommodations are all set.
