Academic Center Entrance Exam & Admissions
(For 6th Graders)
Information About Academic Centers
Academic Centers are Selective Enrollment programs for 7th and 8th grade students. If a student is accepted into an Academic Center, the student is automatically granted admission to the Academic Center's affiliated high school.
The 7 Academic Centers are Brooks, Kenwood, Lane Tech, Lindblom, Morgan Park, Taft, Whitney Young.
The admissions process for Academic Centers consists of two 300 point parts (600 total points). The two parts are:
5th-grade grades in Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies 300 points
Academic Center Entrance Exam 300 points
Feel free to use the calculator below to see what point totals are required for admission to the different Academic Centers (based on last year’s cutoff scores).
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The ACEE is akin to an IQ test. The exam includes 6 sections, 3 verbal and 3 non-verbal, chosen out of 10 possible sections that rotate each year. The sections test relationships between words, letters, numbers, and shapes and each last 10 minutes, leading to a 60 minute test.
While CPS does not list the sections that students will test in prior to the exam, our material prepares students for all 10 of the possible sections: Verbal Classifications, Sentence Completion, Verbal Analogies, Sentence Arrangement, Number Series, Figural Series, Figural Analogies, Number Puzzles, Matrices, and Paper Folding.
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The ACEE takes 60 minutes to complete and includes 6 sections, each 10 minutes each. The test itself is no calculator and involves no guessing penalty.
Additionally, please note that the test is no-retake; students may only take the exam once a year. If a student is not admitted to an Academic Center for their 7th grade year, they may reapply and retake the test during their 7th grade year, for admission to an Academic Center for their 8th grade year.
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The Academic Center application process is very similar to the process of applying to Selective Enrollment High Schools.
In order to apply, students must fill out an application at go.cps.edu. There, they can rank their top 6 Academic Centers. Please note that it is of utmost importance that students rank their choices from their most preferred to least preferred, regardless of what they feel are their chances of admittance.
Once they have applied, students will sign up for the ACEE on go.cps.edu. Students will take the exam at a testing center, usually at one of the Academic Centers that they have applied to, usually in January or February.
Students will typically be notified of admissions decisions in the spring of the same year.
Academic Center Entrance Exam Prep Services
Academic Center Entrance Exam FAQs
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The Test Prep Chicago AC Entrance Exam course prepares students for both the Verbal and Non-Verbal sections on the AC Entrance Exam.
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Our courses are structured around 3 core learning principles: Teach, Practice, Apply; Building Blocks; and Practice Makes Perfect. Learn more about our philosophy.
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Any 6th grader who is interested in applying to an Academic Center. The Academic Center admissions process in Chicago is extremely competitive, and our course will give students a competitive advantage for the entrance exams.
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Your child will receive weekly packets that include worksheets for use in class. These handouts include easy-to-understand teaching notes as well as practice questions. Our materials are designed to facilitate active-learning by striking the right balance between instruction and student participation. Students will also have access to weekly online homework assignments (in our online testing platform) that will allow them to hone the skills learned in class. These online assignments will mimic the format of the Academic Center Entrance Exam.
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Students will take an online diagnostic exam (during Session 1) to measure their strengths and weaknesses. An online final exam will be administered (during Session 6) to measure how students have improved during the course. Additionally, graded homework assignments will provide insight into your child's weekly comprehension and improvement.
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You will receive weekly emails from your child's teacher detailing what topics were covered in each class. Additionally, parents/students can access practice test results and weekly homework results in our online testing platform. These results include detailed analysis of each subtopic within each section.
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Your child will be taught by one of Test Prep Chicago's highly skilled instructors. All Test Prep Chicago instructors have completed our intensive interview and training process.
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Our course consists of 6 two-hour sessions offered once a week.
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Classes will be held weekdays after school and on weekends. Classes will be taught in your child's middle school or, when necessary, at a nearby school or public classroom. We also offer online courses.
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The tuition for our 6th-grade courses is $505 (~$42/hour for in-class instruction). This tuition covers all in-class instruction, test prep material, and student feedback.
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If you are interested in HSEE prep material but worry about your student’s performance in a course setting, we also provide individual tutoring. Individual sessions include the same material offered in the course, with students taking a diagnostic test prior to the first session, reviewing session packets and supplemental material with the tutor and completing session homework, and ending with a final exam.