Last verified Sep 4, 20262026–27 season
Diocese of St. Petersburg HSPT test dates
Tampa Bay, Florida. Dates, fees, and policies below come from official pages; anything we could not confirm says “Check with the school.”
- Next test date
- Saturday, November 7, 2026
- in 52 days
- Registration deadline
- Saturday, October 31, 2026
- Test fee
- Varies by school
- Set by each school. Bishop McLaughlin: free with an application by Oct 31, otherwise $50. Tampa Catholic: included in the $75 application fee ($100 after Dec 1). Clearwater Central Catholic: included in the $100 application fee.
- Register
- Through the school
Test dates
| Date | What | Where | Register by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, November 7, 2026 | St. Petersburg Catholic (8:00 a.m.) and Bishop McLaughlin (9:00 a.m.)Bishop McLaughlin: free if the application is in by October 31, 2026; otherwise $50 on test day.source | St. Petersburg Catholic, 6333 9th Ave N, St. Petersburg; Bishop McLaughlin, Spring Hill (check-in 8:30 a.m.). Bishop McLaughlin's Test Topper Scholarship is only for this date. | Oct 31, 2026Register |
| Saturday, November 14, 2026 | Tampa Catholic (arrive by 7:45 a.m.)Register by choosing a date inside the admissions application. Apply by December 1, 2026 to stay eligible for merit scholarships.source | Tampa Catholic High School, 4630 N Rome Ave, Tampa. About 3.5 hours. | Dec 1, 2026Register |
| Saturday, December 5, 2026 | Jesuit Tampa (8:30 a.m.), Tampa Catholic (7:45 a.m.), St. Petersburg Catholic (8:00 a.m.)source | Each school on its own campus. Jesuit check-in at Gonzmart Hall. | —Register |
| Saturday, December 12, 2026 | Jesuit Tampa (8:30 a.m.)Accommodation documentation due November 20, 2026.source | Jesuit High School, Tampa | —Register |
| Saturday, January 23, 2027 | Bishop McLaughlin make-up datesource | Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, Spring Hill | —Register |
Registration, fees & policies
- How to register
- Per school. At Jesuit, Tampa Catholic, and Clearwater Central Catholic the online admissions application doubles as test registration; Bishop McLaughlin uses its own online form. Scores can be shared between diocesan schools at the parent's request. source
- Fee
- Varies by schoolSet by each school. Bishop McLaughlin: free with an application by Oct 31, otherwise $50. Tampa Catholic: included in the $75 application fee ($100 after Dec 1). Clearwater Central Catholic: included in the $100 application fee.source
- Retake policy
- One sitting only. Tampa Catholic: the HSPT may be taken once and retakes are never permitted. St. Petersburg Catholic and Jesuit state the same. source
- How scores are used
- Required of every 8th-grade applicant; used for admission decisions and merit scholarship consideration. All Catholic high schools in the area use the same test and can share scores at the parent's request. source
- Scholarships
- Bishop McLaughlin's Test Topper Scholarship ($2,000 a year) goes to the highest scorers on its November 7 date. Tampa Catholic's merit award requires applying by December 1. St. Petersburg Catholic awards scholarships to HSPT takers who submit an early-decision application. source
- Score reporting
- St. Petersburg Catholic mails scores with admissions decisions. Tampa Catholic sends results only with the admissions notification, February or later. source
- Optional subtest
- Check with the school
Schools that use the HSPT
| School | City | Admissions |
|---|---|---|
| Jesuit High SchoolHSPT Dec 5 or Dec 12, 2026; adds a short school-specific essay section | Tampa, FL | Admissions page |
| Tampa Catholic High SchoolHSPT Nov 14 or Dec 5, 2026; apply by Dec 1 for merit awards | Tampa, FL | Admissions page |
| St. Petersburg Catholic High SchoolHSPT Nov 7 or Dec 5, 2026 | St. Petersburg, FL | Admissions page |
| Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High SchoolHSPT Nov 7, 2026; make-up Jan 23, 2027; free with application by Oct 31 | Spring Hill, FL | Admissions page |
| Clearwater Central Catholic High SchoolRegister inside the application; $100 fee includes the HSPT; dates in the portal | Clearwater, FL | Admissions page |
| Academy of the Holy NamesNot yet verified | Tampa, FL | Admissions page |
Common questions
When is the HSPT in the Diocese of St. Petersburg?
Each school runs its own sittings between November 7 and December 12, 2026, with a make-up at Bishop McLaughlin on January 23, 2027. Take it once at your first-choice school and ask to share scores with the others.
Can my child retake the HSPT in Tampa Bay?
No. The schools state the HSPT is a one-time exam and retakes are not permitted.
Nearby dioceses
Families near a diocesan border often apply to schools in more than one diocese.
- Archdiocese of MiamiNext test Dec 5, 2026
- Archdiocese of AtlantaCheck with the school
Sources
- https://www.spchs.org/admissions/hspt
- https://bmchs.com/admissions/placement-tests/
- https://www.jesuittampa.org/admissions/admissions-process/entrance-exam
- https://www.tampacatholic.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=3863569&type=d&pREC_ID=2476736
- https://www.ccchs.org/apps/pages/admissionprocess
Verified Friday, September 4, 2026. Policies change; confirm with the school before relying on any date or fee.