The Ultimate Guide to the TACHS Test
The TACHS (Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools) admits students to Catholic high schools in and around New York City. The TACHS is administered one time per year, during November. It may be taken during a Catholic high school’s first semester. Study and take a TACHS exam practice test to see how you’ll do on the admission test for Catholic high school.
TACHS exam was first administered in 1952 to eighth-grade students seeking entrance into a Catholic high school. The TACHS is a standardized test created by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), more than 1,100 Roman Catholic educational institutions serving over 650,000 students in the United States and Canada. The NCEA’s mission is “to enhance and promote the quality of Catholic education.” Admission to Catholic High Schools is dependent on a student’s ability to answer questions correctly on the TACHS test. Students are not admitted without successful completion of the exam.
The TACHS is required for all students entering 8th grade in a Catholic high school. The recommended way of registration is online, but you may call or submit a form to the TACHS address indicated at the bottom of their web page. Students will obtain an Admit Card after registering for the test.
They must bring their admission card, confirmation codes, and photo ID (a driver’s license, passport, or school ID). Applicants should also bring a calculator to use on the Mathematics Test only and should arrive an hour early before testing time so that the proctors can brief you on how to take the exam. The test location does not allow any electric devices. You will not be permitted inside the testing room if you are seen having one. This includes watches, cell phones, iPods, etc.
The registration fee for this test is $65. All registration materials, a student handbook, exam materials, and score reports for three high schools you’re applying to are included. You will be required to pay the test fee in full at the time of registration. The test fee is nonrefundable. You can substitute the original test date or center with a different date at no additional charge. Certain registration cancellations or substitutions may involve a fee.
TACHS Test
The test is an eight-hour test that consists of core subject areas in Language Arts, Mathematics, Reading, and Ability. TACHS tests typically have 200 multiple choice questions, two and a half hours to complete the exam. All students are allowed 30 minutes when it comes to writing, but most schools want students to type their answers, allowing 50 minutes for that section.
The scores that schools seek vary by location, but the good scaled scores are 70 to 99. An average score of 50 or higher is the average score. However, each institution has its own admissions standards, and some give more weight to test scores than others when making admissions choices. Contact the admissions office at your preferred school to learn more about their admissions standards. The exam cannot be retested or retaken. The grade they received will be reported and absolutely final.
Studying content from various topic areas is the best method to prepare for the TACHS test. It may be beneficial to take a few TACHS practice tests as you begin to prepare for your TACHS exam. Taking practice tests is a valuable tool for highlighting gaps in your knowledge and identifying areas where you need to enhance your concentration.
From this point forward, the first step will be to start familiarizing yourself with the content of the test and learning to recognize what topics could appear. Inexpensive study guides are available at most bookstores that cover all studied topics, including factual knowledge and memorization techniques. You should expect a certain amount of study time and plan ahead to spend your time so that you do not fall behind in any other areas while preparing for this exam.
