Last verified Sep 4, 20262026–27 season
Archdiocese of Philadelphia HSPT test dates
Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs. Dates, fees, and policies below come from official pages; anything we could not confirm says “Check with the school.”
- Next test date
- Monday, September 21, 2026
- in 5 days
- Registration deadline
- Varies by school
- Test fee
- Free
- Offered at no cost to the family.
- Register
- Official registration
Test dates
| Date | What | Where | Register by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, September 21, 2026 | In-school testing window opens (Sept 21–24)The earliest HSPT administration in the country. Window runs Monday, September 21 through Thursday, September 24.source | 8th graders at the archdiocese's parish and regional elementary schools and the Independence Mission Schools test in their own building during the week of September 21. | — |
| Check with the school | Local test at each archdiocesan high school (early October)Only the fall sitting counts for academic scholarships. Check the school's page for its date.source | Students at public, charter, private, and home schools register for a sitting at one of the 15 archdiocesan high schools. Each school sets its own early-October date. | —Register |
Registration, fees & policies
- How to register
- Online through the Scholastic Testing Service (STS) portal for the archdiocese, which opens the first week of August each year and closes at 11:59 p.m. Central on the posted close dates. Choose up to three archdiocesan high schools to receive scores. Archdiocesan elementary students are tested in school and do not register separately. source
- Fee
- FreeOffered at no cost to the family.source
- Retake policy
- Check with the school
- How scores are used
- One test, called the Collaborative Scholarship Testing Process, used by all 15 archdiocesan high schools for admission and scholarship consideration. Scores go to up to three schools the family selects. source
- Scholarships
- Academic scholarships at the archdiocesan high schools are based on the fall HSPT. Tiers are set by each school. source
- Score reporting
- Check with the school
- Optional subtest
- Check with the school
Schools that use the HSPT
| School | City | Admissions |
|---|---|---|
| Archbishop Ryan High SchoolLocal sittings listed for early October 2026; confirm dates on the school page | Philadelphia, PA | Admissions page |
| Roman Catholic High SchoolEntrance exam for public, private, and charter students in October | Philadelphia, PA | Admissions page |
| Father Judge High SchoolHSPT required of all applicants | Philadelphia, PA | Admissions page |
Common questions
When is the HSPT in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia?
Students at archdiocesan elementary schools test in school during the week of September 21, 2026. Everyone else registers for an early-October sitting at one of the 15 archdiocesan high schools.
How much does the Philadelphia HSPT cost?
Nothing. The archdiocese offers the test at no cost to families.
Do I need to take the HSPT at every Philadelphia school I apply to?
No. One sitting is shared with up to three archdiocesan high schools you choose at registration.
Nearby dioceses
Families near a diocesan border often apply to schools in more than one diocese.
- Diocese of PittsburghNext test Nov 21, 2026
- Archdiocese of BaltimoreNext test Nov 14, 2026
- Archdiocese of CincinnatiNext test Nov 21, 2026
- Archdiocese of NewarkNext test Nov 6, 2026
- Diocese of CamdenNext test Oct 31, 2026
Sources
- https://www.aopcatholicschools.org/secondary/collaborative-test
- https://stsusers.com/stsusers/registration/static/philadelphia.php
Verified Friday, September 4, 2026. Policies change; confirm with the school before relying on any date or fee.