Academic Center Entrance Exam/Regional Gifted Center Test & Admissions
(For 6th Graders)
Information About Academic Centers & Regional Gifted Centers
If you are a parent of a 6th grader in Chicago, you may have heard about the Academic Center Entrance Exam (ACEE)/Regional Gifted Center Test (RGC Test). This important test plays a major role in admissions to CPS Academic Centers (competitive programs designed for advanced 7th and 8th grade students that lead into Selective Enrollment High Schools) and Regional Gifted Centers/Classical Schools (advanced elementary schools). It’s completely normal to feel unsure about what the exam includes or how best to support your child through the process.
At Test Prep Chicago, we provide targeted ACEE/RGC Test tutoring to help students strengthen their skills, build confidence, and approach the exam with a clear strategy. Click below to learn more about the exam, Academic Center and Regional Gifted Center admissions, and how Test Prep Chicago can help your child succeed:
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What is the ACEE/RGC Test?
Learn about the ACEE/RGC Test, its contents, how scoring works, and more!
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Which Schools Use the Exam?
Find a list of schools that use the exam as a factor in admissions decisions here.
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What Does Admissions Look Like?
Find out more about the Academic Center and Regional Gifted Center admissions process.
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Important Dates for 2025/2026
Get an idea of important dates relating to admissions and testing here.
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How Can Test Prep Chicago Help?
Discover how TPC can help your child be successful on the ACEE/RGC Test.
What is the Academic Center Entrance Exam/Regional Gifted Center Test?
The Academic Center Entrance Exam (ACEE)/the Regional Gifted Center Test (RGC Test) is a required part of the application process for students seeking admission to Academic Centers and/or Regional Gifted Centers. The ACEE and RGC are the same exam, though it is often referred to by the same name. This exam (an IQ test) assesses a student’s reasoning abilities, including abstract thinking and problem-solving with unfamiliar information. Taking the exam is mandatory for all students applying to these selective programs, and students who do not take the test are not considered for admission. While meeting eligibility requirements is necessary, it does not guarantee an offer. Learn more below:
General Information & Content
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. Each section is 10 minutes, leading to a 60 minute test.
While CPS does not list which sections will be included prior to the exam, Test Prep Chicago’s 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.
The exam is taken via paper/pencil, and students are not allowed to use a calculator. Students will not be penalized for incorrect answers, and thus, students should attempt to answer every question on the test. The ACEE is administered only in English and provides a composite score, along with Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning sub-scores, which may be used in tie-breaking situations during the selection process.
Finally, 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.
Test Dates
Each year, the ACEE/RGC Test can be taken by 6th graders (and 7th graders) in January/February at a testing center. Students can sign up to take the test by filling out an Academic Center application at go.cps.edu.
Extended Time
Students with disabilities, including ADHD, dyslexia, or processing disorders, can receive testing accommodations such as extended time (i.e. time-and-a-half, or 50% extended time), extra breaks, or small group testing through CPS’s GoCPS process. To get these accommodations, you must indicate on your GoCPS application that your child has an IEP or 504 Plan, which triggers a review by CPS. This will not negatively impact your student’s application process.
Which School Use the Academic Center Entrance Exam/Regional Gifted Center Test?
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. There are limited slots at each of these schools’ Academic Centers.
The exam is also used in Regional Gifted Center admissions decisions, for schools like Bronzeville Classical School, Decatur, Edison, Poe Classical School, Sor Juana, and more.
How Does the Admissions Process for Academic Centers & Regional Gifted Centers Work?
Admission to Academic Centers is competitive and based on a 600-point system, with students evaluated in two areas. The first 300 points come from final 5th-grade grades in Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies, while the other 300 points come from a student’s score on the Academic Center Entrance Exam/Regional Gifted Center Test. Together, these components determine a student’s total score out of 600. Applicants must earn at least 300 total points to be eligible for consideration. Scoring below this threshold disqualifies a student from receiving an offer or waitlist spot.
How to Apply
The application process for Academic Centers is similar to that of Selective Enrollment High Schools and is completed through the GoCPS platform at go.cps.edu. Here’s how it works:
Submit an Application
Students can apply to up to 6 Academic Centers.
Rank programs in your true order of preference (#1 = top choice). Students are only considered for programs ranked above the one they are offered. If you don’t qualify for your first choice, CPS will automatically consider your next school in line. However, if you place a school lower on your list in the top spot (because you think it’s more realistic), you risk getting matched there, even if you could’ve gotten into a higher choice.
Minimum Requirements to Apply: A GPA of 2.5 or higher and a same-year exam score. For Regional Gifted Centers (RGCs), applicants must earn at least 150 total points on the exam.
Register for the Entrance Exam
Students must register for the Academic Center Entrance Exam/Regional Gifted Center Test through GoCPS.
The exam will be administered in January/February at a CPS testing center.
Admissions Timeline
Applications are due by Friday, November 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM.
Admission decisions are usually released in spring of the application year.
You can edit, re-rank, or update your application as many times as needed before the deadline. Each update will generate a new confirmation receipt, so be sure to review it carefully.
Selection Process
Students are ranked by their total score, and offers are extended to the highest scorers. For 7th grade entry, 30% of seats are awarded to the top scorers overall, while the remaining 70% of seats are divided equally among Chicago’s four socio-economic tiers to ensure equitable access.
7th graders applying for their 8th grade year can also apply to Academic Centers and Regional Gifted Centers. That said, please note that there are less slots available for the 8th grade year, as a student must have dropped out of one of these programs after 7th grade in order for a spot to open up.
CPS Tiers
You can find your Tier via your GoCPS account, or by clicking this link. You can also utilize the calculator at the button below to determine the score your student will need to achieve on the exam in order to get into their top schools, based on their grades. Note the scores included in the calculator are based on last year’s cutoff scores, so the scores could change for the upcoming school year.
Important Dates for the 2026-2027 School Year
Registration: Opened via GoCPS in September, through November 14, 2025
Test Dates (2025 cycle): For all students, the exam must be registered for prior to test dates. Test dates for the 2026-2027 school year are January 17, 18, 19, 24, and 25. Other test dates may open up as slots begin to fill up.
Offers Released: Spring of 2026.
How Can Test Prep Chicago Help?
Our Test Prep programs help students feel confidently prepared to take the exam. We offer:
Full courses, 1-day workshops and/or individual tutoring
Comprehensive packets including practice questions, detailed explanations, and test-taking strategies, targeting the material seen on the exam
Access to our online testing platform where students complete diagnostic and final tests and homework assignments. Students and parents receive results, analytics and step-by-step solutions for all test and homework practice questions.
Academic Center Entrance Exam/Regional Gifted Center Test Prep Services
Academic Center Entrance Exam/Regional Gifted Center Test 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/RGC Test.
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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 or Regional Gifted 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/Regional Gifted Center Test.
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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 ACEE/RGC Test 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.