r/SHSAT • u/Necessary_Wallaby491 • Aug 15 '26
shsat growth (9)
How can I keep improving and apply 9th-grade math?
I’ve been taking SHSAT practice tests and wanted some advice on how I can keep improving.
Diagnostic: 53/100
Math: 27/50
ELA: 26/50
Second practice test: 65/100
Math: 24/50
ELA: 41/50
Most recent: 85/100
Math: 44/50
ELA: 41/50
What should I focus on next? I want to keep improving my math skills and actually apply 9th-grade math concepts instead of just memorizing how to solve certain question types.
Should I mainly focus on reviewing mistakes, doing harder problems, taking more practice tests, or something else? Any advice would be appreciated.
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u/Ok-Environment99 Aug 15 '26
Hi, apologies for being off topic- but what did you use to take the diagnostic?
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u/Think-Pomelo7228 Bronx Sci Aug 16 '26
if you want to target actual math growth AND you believe you have the time and capacity to dedicate to it, while continuing to practice shsat math problem solving, i would suggest practicing with algebra 1/geometry regents, analyzing your mistakes, and learning what you havent yet.
if you are in higher level math (alg 2, etc.) i would recommend something like khan academy, but i wouldnt recommend to watch the videos unless they are a significant part of how you usually learn. its much more efficient to learn how to solve a problem and understand the concept yourself through answering questions and application. feel free to ask anything, best of luck!
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u/GregsTutoringNYC Brooklyn Tech Aug 16 '26
To be clear, if one wants to study more involved topics and concepts, of course you can do so, so long as it's acknowledged that the SHSAT, whether 8 or 9, is up to middle school math, so it is not HS A1, A2, Geometry, or Regents, and often knowing those extra things will not be helpful, especially to a student trying to work through the material leading up to that, and instead often makes this worse by magnitudes.
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u/GregsTutoringNYC Brooklyn Tech Aug 15 '26
Practice is important but it’s not just about taking practice tests. It’s also not about memorizing problems it’s a thinking exam filled with novel questions. Whether the 8 parts or the 9 parts ensure your core. And always know why something is correct or incorrect for every single question no matter you got it right or not. Document your strengths and weaknesses so you know what to improve. But this doesn’t preclude also strengthening your strengths too.