The Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools, also known as the TACHS exam, is the admissions test for eighth grade students wishing to attend Catholic high schools in and around New York City, NY.

The TACHS test measures a students’ aptitude for reasoning abilities and helps determine their scholastic achievements and knowledge in reading, written expression, and mathematics.

Earning a high score on the TACHS exam will not only help a student gain admission into a prestigious Catholic High School in New York City, a high TACHS score will also increase the student’s chances of receiving scholarships and financial aid.

The TACHS exam is a multiple-choice test that includes reading, language, math, and abilities sections.

1. Reading: The vocabulary and reading comprehension of the student is tested under the reading section of the test.
2. Language: The language section includes questions on sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, grammar, paragraph structure, writing clearly, expressing ideas in an organized manner, etc.
3. Math: The math section of the test covers topics such as percentage, estimating, solving problems, understanding graphs and tables, integers, analogies, fractions, measurement, sequences, decimals, algebra, plane geometry, circles, polygons, and word problems, etc.
4. Abilities: The abilities section of the test evaluates the reading abilities of the test takers. It contains questions related to problem-solving, patterns and sequences and abstract reasoning.

The TACHS exam has approximately 200 multiple choice questions and it takes almost 2 ½ hours to complete it. Each section of the TACHS exam is timed separately.  The Reading Section is 35 minutes long and consists of two parts: Vocabulary (20 questions, 10 minutes) and Reading Comprehension (30 questions, 25 minutes).  The Language Section is 30 minutes long and consists of two parts: Spelling, Capitalization, Punctuation, and Usage/Expression (40 questions, 23 minutes) and Paragraphs (10 questions, 7 minutes). The Mathematics section is 40 minutes long and consists of two parts: Concepts, Data Interpretation, Problem Solving (32 questions, 33 minutes) and Estimation (18 questions, 7 minutes). The Abilities section is 32 minutes long and consists of two parts: Similarities and Changes (40 questions, 25 minutes) and Abstract Reasoning (10 questions, 7 minutes).

The TACHS exam scores involve a percentile rank between 1 (low) and 99 (high) where 50 is the average. Students will receive an NPR (National Percentile Rank) and LPR (Local Percentile Rank) for Reading, Written Expression, Mathematics, Total Achievement Score (this is a weighted average of Reading, Written Expression, and Math), and Ability Score. A student’s TACHS score is an important factor in the admissions process for Catholic high schools. Schools use TACHS scores to gauge a student’s academic abilities and potential. TACHS scores may also determine academic placement within the school and whether students are eligible for scholarships or other academic programs.

A good TACHS score on the TACHS test percentile score is considered to be 70 – 99, while the average TACHS score is a 50. According to TACHS website, “A score of 50 doesn’t mean that the student had 50% of the questions correct or incorrect, it means that half the students tested scored above and half scored below the 50th percentile, and a 50 is still considered a good result.”  Preparing several weeks leading up to the TACHS exam will be critical for students who want to increase their TACHS percentile score and fall into the above-average and high percentile ranges.

No, there isn’t a passing score for the TACHS exam. Each New York City Catholic High School sets its own standards for the acceptable score in order for a student to gain admission, academic placement, and/or scholarship.  The higher a student scores on the TACHS test, the better chance they will have in being accepted into their dream Catholic high school and even earn scholarships.

TACHS exams can be taken only once per student. As such, TACHS prep, especially with TACHS practice tests, before the exam is very important. Preparation times will vary by student, but to study the most efficiently it is recommended that students use online test preparation or books which have diagnostic test and test taking strategies. Diagnostic tests allow students to see their strengths and weaknesses so they can focus their study efforts and minimize required study time to pass the exam.

You have two options for registering for the TACHS:

1. Internet registration – Follow the steps to register online on the TACHS website. This is the preferred method and is open to students, parents, guardians, and principals.
2. Phone registration – Students, parents, and guardians can also register for the TACHS by phone, by calling 1-866-61TACHS, and by speaking with a live operator, who will walk you through the process.