The 2026 SHSAT is changing to a Computer-Adaptive Test (CAT) with Technology-Enhanced Items (TEI).
Performance is evaluated dynamically, under changing difficulty, strict timing pressure, and interactive digital execution.
Traditional preparation models do not replicate these conditions.
Most students will encounter this testing environment for the first time on test day.
Founders Access exists for families who do not want that to be true.
It provides early access to the SHSAT (CAT) Simulator — a controlled digital testing environment engineered to replicate the adaptive mechanics, TEI interaction formats, timing pressure, and scoring volatility of the real exam.
This is not tutoring.
This is not content review.
It is exposure to the system that determines admission.
During the Founders Access period, enrollment is intentionally limited.
Access is granted before public release to allow families to train inside the adaptive environment while capacity remains controlled.
When public enrollment opens, Founders families will already be training inside real SHSAT conditions.
Private early access to the adaptive SHSAT environment before public enrollment.
How Technology-Enhanced Items (TEI) Function on the SHSAT
Founders Access is a limited early-access window for families who want to train inside the SHSAT (CAT) environment before public enrollment opens.
It provides controlled early entry into the Simulator ahead of the general release.
This private two-week access window begins February 1, 2026, and is designed for families who want earlier exposure to the adaptive testing environment.
During this period, enrollment is limited to:
250 Global Elite (Captain’s Chair) seats
750 Oversight Advantage (Co-Pilot) seats
All tiers, including the Core Simulation (Flight Ready) tier, open publicly for the first time on February 15, 2026.
Each tier represents a distinct level of preparation depth:
Global Elite (Captain’s Chair) — Total adaptive command (250-seat capacity)
Oversight Advantage (Co-Pilot) — Diagnostic depth, visibility, and structured performance growth (750-seat capacity)
Core Simulation (Flight Ready) — Foundational readiness inside the authentic SHSAT (CAT) environment (1,000-seat capacity / opens February 15)
Enrollment Timeline
Now – January 2026: Founders Access registration
February 1–14, 2026: Private Founders Access window (Global Elite + Oversight Advantage only)
February 15, 2026: Public enrollment opens for all tiers
Founders Access is intentionally limited.
Once the private window closes, enrollment proceeds according to the public schedule.
Families who enter during Founders Access begin training earlier — under the same conditions — while public enrollment has not yet opened.
Founders Access is designed for families making a serious, long-term investment in SHSAT outcomes — not casual or last-minute test prep.
Parents are not observers in this process.
While your child trains inside the SHSAT (CAT) Simulator, parents are granted structured visibility into performance — with access depth determined by the enrollment tier selected.
Founders Access includes parent-facing systems designed to provide clarity into preparation progress, pacing behavior, and emerging performance patterns.
Parent visibility may include, depending on tier:
A separate parent login with performance dashboards
Automated alerts for pacing issues, instability, and emerging weaknesses
Printable progress reports for review and record-keeping
Detailed pacing and category analytics aligned to test-day conditions
The goal is not reassurance.
It is informed visibility — so decisions are made with data, not guesswork.
Parent-facing visibility is included according to the selected tier.
In 2026, the SHSAT transitions to a Computer-Adaptive Test (CAT).
Difficulty adjusts in real time.
Each response recalibrates what comes next.
Test paths diverge immediately, and no two students see the same sequence of questions.
This shift changes how performance is evaluated — and what preparation must account for.
Static preparation models cannot replicate adaptive behavior.
Traditional tutors cannot recreate dynamic difficulty.
Workbooks and online practice tests prepare students for a fixed exam that no longer exists.
The SHSAT (CAT) Simulator is engineered to replicate the adaptive mechanics of the real exam, including Technology-Enhanced Item (TEI) formats.
This is not a workbook.
It is not a class.
It is a controlled digital testing environment designed to expose students to the same interaction patterns, scoring volatility, and pacing pressure they will face on test day.
It is not imitation.
It is replication.
Access the same adaptive mechanics and Technology-Enhanced Item formats used on the real exam.
Admission decisions are determined by performance under real test conditions.
The SHSAT (CAT) Simulator is designed to remove uncertainty by ensuring students are familiar with the adaptive environment, interaction formats, and pacing pressure before test day.
This is preparation for families who want alignment with how admission decisions are actually made — not reassurance through promises.
By the time test day arrives, students have already trained inside the same conditions they will face when it counts.
Founders Access opens February 1, 2026. Public enrollment begins February 15.
SHSAT Computer-Adaptive Test (CAT) Simulator
simulator@nycshsat.com
©2026 SHSAT Computer-Adaptive Test (CAT) Simulator Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) is administered by the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE). Our practice materials are independently developed and are not sponsored, endorsed, or affiliated with the NYC DOE. While every effort has been made to design these practice tests in alignment with the skills and content areas assessed on the SHSAT, as well as the New York State Learning Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics, they are intended for preparation purposes only. Use of these materials does not guarantee performance outcomes on the official exam or entry to any school.