Last verified Sep 20, 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
- Saturday, October 10, 2026
- Registration deadline
- Thursday, October 8, 2026
- Test fee
- Free
- Completely free for all students. Roman Catholic's own later sittings cost $50.
- Register
- Official registration
Test dates
| Date | What | Where | Register by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, September 21, 2026past | In-school testing window opens (Sept 21–25)The earliest HSPT administration in the country.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. The archdiocesan page says through Thursday the 24th; the STS portal lists elementary sites through Friday the 25th. | — |
| Saturday, September 26, 2026past | Bishop Shanahan (Saturday, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.; also Wednesday, September 30, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.)Each STS sitting closes at 11:59 p.m. Central two days before its date; the September 30 sitting closes September 28. St. Hubert also tests September 26 and 28; Archbishop John Carroll September 28.source | Bishop Shanahan High School, Downingtown. Open to public, independent, private, and home-school 8th graders. | Sep 24, 2026Register |
| Tuesday, September 29, 2026past | Cardinal O'Hara (Tuesday; also Saturday, October 3)The October 3 sitting closes October 1. Father Judge tests Thursday, October 1 and Tuesday, October 6, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.source | Cardinal O'Hara High School, Springfield. Start times not published. | Sep 27, 2026Register |
| Saturday, October 3, 2026past | Roman Catholic (Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to noon; doors 8:15 a.m.)Roman also runs its own paid sittings on November 14 and December 12, 2026 ($50) whose scores go only to Roman. Late arrivals after 9:05 a.m. are turned away.source | Roman Catholic High School, Philadelphia. Bonner and Prendergast, Little Flower, Pope John Paul II, and West Catholic Prep also test October 3; Little Flower adds October 4 and 5. | Oct 1, 2026Register |
| Sunday, October 4, 2026past | Archbishop Ryan (Sunday; also Tuesday, October 6)The October 6 sitting closes October 4. Only the fall test counts for academic scholarships; spring results are used for placement only. Lansdale Catholic tests Wednesday, October 7.source | Archbishop Ryan High School, Philadelphia. Times not published. | Oct 2, 2026Register |
| Saturday, October 10, 2026past | Archbishop Wood, Conwell-Egan, and Ss. Neumann Goretti (Saturday)The last of the archdiocesan fall sittings. Merion Mercy Academy, an independent Mercy school, tests October 10 and 17 through its own portal.source | Archbishop Wood, Warminster; Conwell-Egan, Fairless Hills; Ss. Neumann Goretti, Philadelphia. Start times not published. | Oct 8, 2026Register |
Registration, fees & policies
- How to register
- Online through the Scholastic Testing Service (STS) portal for the archdiocese, open since August 1, 2026. Each sitting closes at 11:59 p.m. Central two days before its date; after that, call the testing school's admissions office. Choose up to three archdiocesan high schools to receive scores. Archdiocesan elementary students are tested in school and do not register separately. source
- Fee
- FreeCompletely free for all students. Roman Catholic's own later sittings cost $50.source
- Retake policy
- The HSPT may be taken only once, and only by 8th graders. Only the fall sitting counts for academic scholarships; Lansdale Catholic states students may not take the test twice. source
- 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. Archbishop Wood renews its freshman HSPT scholarships for four years with continued academic excellence; Lansdale Catholic combines the test with 7th-grade final grades and must be one of the three receiving schools; Cardinal O'Hara's 7th-grade practice test can earn $1,000 toward freshman tuition. source
- Score reporting
- STS emails results to parents on November 25, 2026, by end of day, and to the up to three schools chosen at registration. Accommodation documentation is uploaded with the high school application or emailed to the testing school. source
- Optional subtest
- Check with the school
Schools that use the HSPT
| School | City | Admissions |
|---|---|---|
| Archbishop Ryan High SchoolHSPT Oct 4 or Oct 6, 2026; fall test only for scholarships | Philadelphia, PA | Admissions page |
| Roman Catholic High SchoolBoys; free HSPT Oct 3, 2026, 9 a.m.; own $50 sittings Nov 14 and Dec 12 | Philadelphia, PA | Admissions page |
| Father Judge High SchoolBoys; HSPT Oct 1 or Oct 6, 2026, 4 to 7 p.m. | Philadelphia, PA | Admissions page |
| Archbishop Wood High SchoolHSPT Oct 10, 2026; scholarships renewable four years | Warminster, PA | Admissions page |
| Cardinal O'Hara High SchoolHSPT Sept 29 or Oct 3, 2026; open house Sept 27 | Springfield, PA | Admissions page |
| Lansdale Catholic High SchoolHSPT Oct 7, 2026 per the STS portal; scholarships need Lansdale among the three receiving schools | Lansdale, PA | Admissions page |
| Bishop Shanahan High SchoolHSPT Sept 26, 2026, 8 a.m., or Sept 30, 3:30 p.m.; 7th-grade practice test Apr 4, 2027 | Downingtown, PA | Admissions page |
| Merion Mercy AcademyIndependent girls' school; HSPT Oct 10 or Oct 17, 2026 via its own portal; application due Oct 20 | Merion Station, 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 on the STS portal for a sitting at one of the 15 archdiocesan high schools between September 26 and October 10, 2026; each sitting closes two days before its date.
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://archphilaorg.finalsite.com/secondary/collaborative-test/scholarship-faq
- https://stsusers.com/stsusers/registration/static/philadelphia.php
- https://www.archbishopryan.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=285610&type=d&pREC_ID=2292262
- https://www.romancatholichs.com/admissions/important-admissions-dates
- https://www.fatherjudge.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=744035&type=d&pREC_ID=2457235
- https://www.archwood.org/admissions/scholarships
- https://www.cohs.com/admissions/opportunities-to-visit
- https://www.shanahan.org/whybshs
- https://www.merion-mercy.com/admissions/admissions-process
Verified Sunday, September 20, 2026. Policies change; confirm with the school before relying on any date or fee.