Knowing when to start TACHS prep is the one question I wish more 7th-grade families asked me before it was too late. I've watched students cram for three weeks before the November test date and walk out feeling blindsided by the Ability section — not because they weren't smart, but because nobody told them that section tests skills school never teaches. The TACHS is a 200-question, multiple-choice exam taken once per cycle with no retakes, and the students who land in the 90th percentile or above almost always started building reasoning skills well before 8th grade began.
TACHS Quick Facts
- Full name: Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools (TACHS)
- Who takes it: 8th graders applying to Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of New York and Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens
- Format: 200 multiple-choice questions, 4 sections, 137 minutes total
- Sections: Reading (~50 questions, ~35 min), Written Expression/Language (~50 questions, ~30 min), Mathematics (~50 questions, ~40 min), Ability (~50 questions, ~32 min)
- Scoring: Raw scores converted to scaled scores (200–800 range), then reported as Local Percentile Rank (LPR) and National Percentile Rank (NPR)
- Test delivery: Fully online/remote with virtual proctoring — requires a desktop, laptop, or Chromebook with reliable internet
- 2026–27 registration window: August 24 – October 28, 2026
- Test date: One Saturday in November per diocese (Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens tested November 8, 2025 — confirm 2026 date at tachsinfo.com)
- Retakes: Not permitted — one attempt per admissions cycle
- Results: Admission notices begin January 13, 2027 (DBQ) and January 20, 2027 (ADNY)
- No penalty for wrong answers: Attempt every question
Why Your TACHS Preparation Timeline Should Start in 7th Grade — Not October of 8th Grade
The standard advice is to start TACHS prep "a few months before November." That works fine for academic review — grammar rules, math formulas, vocabulary lists. It does not work for reasoning skills.
The Ability section is roughly 50 questions covering Figure Matrices, Paper Folding and Hole-Punch problems, and Figure Classification. None of those question types show up in any standard 7th or 8th grade class. When students see them for the first time in October of 8th grade, they spend the first few sessions just figuring out what's being asked. That's prep time gone.
Spatial reasoning and abstract pattern recognition are trainable skills. But they respond to sustained, spaced practice over months — not intensive cramming over days. A student who works through figure matrix problems once a week starting in January of 7th grade will arrive at the November test with real fluency. A student who starts in late September of 8th grade is still building basic familiarity when the clock starts.
Early preparation also pays off in Mathematics. The TACHS Math section tests concepts, data interpretation, problem solving, and estimation — all without a calculator. Students who spend months practicing mental math and algebraic reasoning under light time pressure score measurably better than students who rely on written calculations they don't have time to finish.
7th Grade TACHS Preparation Timeline: A Month-by-Month Study Plan
This timeline assumes your child is in 7th grade and the TACHS is roughly 12–18 months away. The goal at this stage is skill-building, not test-taking mechanics.
September – December (7th Grade): Build the Foundation
Start with the Ability section exclusively. Spend 20–30 minutes per week on figure matrices and figure classification problems. The goal is pattern recognition, not speed — don't time these sessions yet. Let your child develop the habit of asking: "What rule connects these shapes?"
At the same time, reinforce calculator-free arithmetic. Mental multiplication, fraction operations, and percentage estimation are the backbone of the TACHS Math section. Fifteen minutes of daily mental math practice — no calculator — builds the fluency students need under the 40-minute section timing.
January – April (7th Grade): Add Reading and Language Work
Reading comprehension requires stamina, not just skill. Assign one long nonfiction article per week and ask your child to summarize the main argument in two sentences. This builds the reading speed and inference skills the TACHS Reading section tests.
For Written Expression, review capitalization, punctuation, and usage rules through short exercises — 10 minutes, two or three times per week. Grammar knowledge builds slowly. Starting now means it's solid by fall of 8th grade, which frees up prep time for harder work later.
May – June (7th Grade): Take a First Diagnostic
By late spring of 7th grade, your child is ready for a first timed diagnostic practice test. The goal is not a strong score — it's figuring out exactly which Ability question types and Math problem categories need the most work heading into 8th grade. Use the diagnostic as a map, not a grade.
8th Grade TACHS Prep Schedule: Intensifying Before the November Test
I've seen this pattern consistently: students who hit the 85th percentile or above in 8th grade almost always did some form of reasoning practice during 7th grade. By the time 8th grade starts, they're polishing — not starting from scratch.
September – Early October (8th Grade): Full-Section Timed Practice
Move to full timed sections. Practice each of the four sections under real time conditions: Reading at 35 minutes, Written Expression at 30 minutes, Mathematics at 40 minutes, Ability at 32 minutes. Aim for at least two full timed sections per week. After each session, review every wrong answer before moving on.
Pay close attention to Paper Folding and Hole-Punch problems. These are the Ability questions students most consistently underestimate. They require visualizing a folded piece of paper with punched holes and identifying where those holes appear when unfolded. Students who have practiced for months work through them in seconds. Students seeing them for the first time in October burn two to three minutes per problem — time they simply don't have.
Mid-October – Test Day (8th Grade): Simulate the Real Conditions
The TACHS is now administered fully online at home using virtual proctoring software. Students are assigned a morning session time — confirm the exact times for your cycle at tachsinfo.com, as session windows can vary year to year. Run at least two full practice sessions at home, seated at the actual device your child will use, at the actual session time they expect. Test the internet connection. Close all other programs. Practice the camera scan protocol proctoring software typically requires at the start.
Also confirm that high school choices are entered at tachsinfo.com by the night of the exam. Missing that deadline means scores cannot be sent to chosen schools — regardless of how well your child performed.
What TACHS Scores Do Catholic High Schools Look For? School-by-School Benchmarks
Catholic high schools don't publish official cutoff scores, but patterns from parent forums, school counselor conversations, and admissions offices give useful starting points. Use these as a starting point, not a guarantee — cutoffs shift year to year based on the applicant pool.
- Archbishop Molloy High School (Queens): Competitive applicants typically show Local Percentile Ranks of 85th–95th or above on the Total Achievement Score.
- Holy Cross High School (Flushing): An admissions interview is required; academic benchmarks generally fall in the 75th–90th LPR range. The Ability score is reviewed alongside GPA.
- Cardinal Spellman High School (Bronx): Honors-track placement commonly requires Math and Ability percentiles at 80th or above, even for students admitted at lower overall percentiles.
- Christ the King Regional High School (Queens): Community-observed competitive range is roughly 70th–85th LPR for standard admission; scholarship consideration typically starts near the 85th percentile.
- Bishop Kearney High School (Brooklyn): A more accessible threshold — applicants in the 60th–75th LPR range are regularly admitted. Extracurriculars and GPA carry additional weight here.
Always contact each school's admissions office directly to ask about current-cycle thresholds and scholarship score requirements.
One thing most families miss: TACHS section scores — especially the Ability score and Math percentile — can trigger merit scholarships independently of the overall Total Achievement Score. A student with a 70th-percentile total but a 92nd-percentile Ability score may qualify for a scholarship the family never expected. This is a strong reason to prepare for every section, not just the academic three.
How the TACHS Ability Section Affects Honors Track Placement — Not Just Admission
Most parents assume the TACHS determines admission — full stop. It does far more than that. Many Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of New York and Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens use TACHS Ability scores and Math percentiles separately from the Total Achievement Score when placing students into honors, scholars, or accelerated tracks on day one of freshman year.
A student admitted with a solid overall score but a weak Ability score may be placed in a standard-track class even when their academic grades are excellent. On the flip side, a student with a standout Ability score — even with a modest Math percentile — sometimes earns accelerated placement because reasoning skill predicts success in rigorous STEM coursework.
This is why the Ability section deserves a central place in your TACHS preparation timeline. It's not a secondary concern. It affects which classroom your child walks into on the first day of high school, which teachers they have, which peers they're surrounded by, and which college-prep pathway they're on from September of freshman year.
TACHS vs. SHSAT: What to Know If Your Child Is Taking Both Tests
Thousands of NYC 8th graders take both the SHSAT (for Specialized High Schools) and the TACHS in the same fall. The SHSAT is administered in late October; the TACHS follows in November. These tests overlap significantly in Math and verbal reasoning, but they differ in one major way: the SHSAT has no abstract reasoning section, while the TACHS Ability section is 25% of the exam.
If your child is preparing for both tests, the TACHS preparation timeline actually supports SHSAT prep — but not the other way around. Practicing SHSAT-style math and Revising/Editing questions helps with TACHS Mathematics and Written Expression. It does nothing for the Ability section. Build Ability practice into the schedule explicitly and separately, not as a byproduct of SHSAT study.
The dual-test fall also creates real scheduling pressure. Registration for the TACHS opens August 24, 2026. SHSAT prep typically accelerates in September and October. Plan both calendars together in the summer so you're not scrambling during the most important 10 weeks of 8th grade.
If your child is navigating both tests, the skills built through consistent TACHS Ability practice will carry over — stronger pattern recognition and faster abstract reasoning help across both exams. Starting that work in 7th grade gives your child a head start on two tests at once.
Frequently Asked Questions: TACHS Prep Timeline and Catholic High School Admissions in NYC
Q: Is it too early to start TACHS prep in 7th grade?
A: No — 7th grade is actually the ideal time to begin. The TACHS Ability section tests abstract reasoning skills that take months of sustained practice to develop. Starting in 7th grade lets your child build those skills gradually instead of cramming. Spatial reasoning and pattern recognition don't respond well to last-minute study. Students who begin early also have time to spot their weakest sections and fix them without panicking before November.
Q: What should a 7th grader do to prepare for the TACHS?
A: Focus on the skills that take the longest to build: abstract reasoning for the Ability section, reading stamina for longer passages, and calculator-free math fluency. Grammar and spelling rules can be reviewed closer to the test — those absorb quickly. Reasoning skills cannot be crammed. Even one timed session per week on figure matrices, paper folding, and figure classification builds the mental flexibility the Ability section requires. Start there.
Q: How many months before the TACHS should prep start?
A: Most tutors recommend 3–6 months of focused preparation for the academic sections. For the Ability section specifically, starting in 7th grade — 12–18 months before the test — gives your child the strongest advantage. Figure Matrices, Paper Folding, and Figure Classification appear nowhere in standard school curriculum. Without prior exposure, students hit those questions cold on test day, which costs them both time and confidence even when they know the rest of the exam cold.
Q: Can my child retake the TACHS if they are unhappy with their score?
A: No. The TACHS can only be taken once per admissions cycle — there is no retake. Your child gets one shot in November, and that score is final. Score reports go directly to the selected high schools before students even receive their own Home Report online in late January. That single-attempt rule is exactly why building skills early matters more than any last-minute push.
Q: Does my child need to attend a Catholic elementary school to be eligible for the TACHS?
A: No. Public school students are fully eligible to register and take the TACHS. The registration process and test content are the same regardless of elementary school background. One practical difference: students from Catholic or parochial elementary schools have an Applicant Record submitted by their school, which some high schools review alongside the TACHS score. If your child attends a public school, contact your target high schools directly and ask whether any supplemental materials are needed in place of that record.
Q: What is the TACHS Ability section and how do we study for it if it is not taught in school?
A: The Ability section is roughly 50 questions covering Figure Matrices (visual analogies), Paper Folding and Hole-Punch problems (spatial reasoning), and Figure Classification (finding the rule that connects groups of shapes). None of these appear in standard 7th or 8th grade class. The most effective way to prepare is repeated timed exposure to each question type — start untimed to build pattern recognition, then add time pressure once the logic clicks. STEM Critical Thinking practice tests are built specifically to train this kind of reasoning.
Q: How much does the TACHS score affect scholarship eligibility at Catholic high schools?
A: More than most families expect. Many Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of New York and Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens look at TACHS section scores — not just the overall total — when determining scholarship amounts and honors-track placement. A strong Ability score or Math percentile can unlock merit awards even when the overall percentile isn't at the very top. Thresholds vary by school, so call each school's admissions office directly and ask for their current scholarship score requirements.
Q: What happens if my child has an IEP or 504 — can they get extended time on the TACHS?
A: Yes. Extended time and other accommodations are available for students with a current IEP or 504 plan. Families must submit accommodation requests during the registration window, which opens August 24 and closes October 28 for the 2026–27 cycle. Documentation must be current and school-issued. Because the TACHS is administered remotely with virtual proctoring, families approved for accommodations should also confirm the technical setup requirements with TACHS administrators at tachsinfo.com well before test day.
Start Building TACHS Ability Skills Now — With Practice Tests Designed for This Exam
The students who score highest on the TACHS Ability section aren't always the most academically advanced. They're the ones who practiced abstract reasoning regularly, starting early. That skill is fully teachable — it just needs the right tools and enough time.
At stemcriticalthinking.com, our STEM Critical Thinking Practice Tests are built to develop exactly the skills the TACHS Mathematics and Ability sections test: number sense, algebraic reasoning, data interpretation, spatial pattern recognition, and abstract logic — all under timed conditions that mirror the real exam. Your child works through the same categories of questions they'll face in November, with immediate feedback on every answer.
Whether your child is in 7th grade building a foundation or in 8th grade sharpening their edge before November, our practice tests give them structured, measurable reps on the question types that drive TACHS scores — and Catholic high school scholarship eligibility.
Don't wait until September of 8th grade. The families who start now are the ones celebrating in January. Try a STEM Critical Thinking Practice Test today and find out exactly where your child stands on the skills that matter most for the TACHS.
