Taking the Exam

  • About the Exam

    All examination high school applicants are required to take the High School Placement Test (HSPT) for admission consideration. The exam, which covers Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Science, may only be taken once per application cycle. This means students who take the test in November or December may not take it again in the Spring. The duration of the exam is about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Students can expect to be on site for about 3 hours. The exam is administered using paper and pencil. 

    Current District 8th Grade Students

    The test window for eighth graders who attend Detroit Public Schools Community District will be November 12 and 13, 2024. Contact your school to learn the specific day of your student's test date. District students must complete the application to be considered for admission. Students who miss the exam or who enroll in the district after the application deadline may apply during Round 2 of the application cycle, which will begin in March 2025.

    Out-of-District Students and Current District High School Students

    Students who do not attend a District school or who are already in high school must apply in order to be scheduled for testing. The exam dates will be: Thursday May 8 and Saturday May 17 for all students.

    An email confirmation that contains the student's designated arrival time will be sent to the email address that was used to submit the application in Submittable at least 3 days before the exam. 

    If you don’t get a confirmation email after submitting your application, contact the Enrollment Division, exam.schools@detroitk12.org or (313) 873-6345.

  • Exceptional / Special Education Students

  • Multi-Lingual Learners/English Language Learners

  • Students who may be exempted from testing

  • Examination Procedures


  • Exam Scoring

    The placement test is scored by the provider, Scholastic Testing Services. 

    The full application score includes the high school placement test score, grade point average and interest essay. For more information about application requirements and scoring, click here.

  • Test-Taking Resources