Admission screenings are required for a plethora of high schools in Chicago. As the CPS website states, “these consist of admissions exams, auditions/portfolio reviews, information sessions, and interviews, as well as the submission of essays and teacher recommendations.” Parents generally schedule these screenings online through the RSVP function of their GoCPS account after their student has applied online. For admission into selective enrollment high schools, this means parents will need to schedule their student’s SEHS (Selective Enrollment High School) exam.
Selective Enrollment High School exams are administered at five high schools: King, Lane Tech, Lindblom, Westinghouse, and Whitney Young. You can sign up to test at one of these sites on any of the dates CPS will announce in the fall. Typically, there are about 7-8 dates beginning in November and ending in January. However, spots will fill up, so be sure to submit an application and sign up for a date as soon as you can to ensure the date and location you prefer. On the day of the exam, you may be asked to enter the testing site through a specific door. To see your site’s specific day-of directions, visit https://go.cps.edu/high-school/admissions-screenings, and click on “Selective Enrollment Admissions Exams.”
For all testing sites, CPS has provided a few general rules and guidelines for the day of testing, and they are listed below.
Food and water are not allowed in testing rooms. There are water fountains located in the hallways that students can access. There are no scheduled breaks, but if students need to use the restroom or get water between sections, they are allowed to do so.
Students should not take snacks to the admissions exam unless they have an IEP or 504 Plan which designates that they are to be allowed snacks for medical reasons.
Students who receive extended time (50% or greater) on the exam due to accommodations will receive a short break. If they take a snack, they can consume it at that time.
Arrive at the test site 20 minutes before the time of the test.
The test is approximately three and a half hours long (unless the student has a public school 504 with testing accommodations or a public school IEP that allows for testing accommodations under section 10c).
Students are assigned to test rooms as they arrive; early arrivals may begin testing before the scheduled test time.
Students with public school 504s with testing accommodations, or public school IEPs with testing accommodations under section 10c, have pre-assigned rooms and will not start before the scheduled appointment time.
Parents should be available for student pick-up from the test site three and a half hours after the scheduled test time.
Students who arrive late may not be allowed to take the examination.
Students should take two #2 pencils to the exam. No other items or materials will be allowed on the desk during the testing process (unless the student has a public school IEP [section 10c] or 504 Plan that allows for other materials).
No iPods, MP3 players or other electronic devices are allowed in the testing room.
If the student has a cell phone or watch, it must be secured as directed by the examiner. Cell phones must be turned off. If, during the examination period, the student’s cell phone rings, or the student’s watch emits an alarm, they will be disqualified from testing and they will not be allowed to reschedule the test.
If the student is ill, or the parent is facing other extenuating circumstances, the student’s exam should be rescheduled via their GoCPS account or by contacting the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The Office of Access and Enrollment is not open on Saturdays and Sundays. Students should not be taken to test if they are ill.
CPS has not yet released any information regarding SEHS testing and Covid-19, and if the pandemic will affect these procedures in any way. Test Prep Chicago will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as CPS makes it available. Be sure to subscribe to our website on our homepage to receive email updates about selective enrollment admissions in Chicago.
For additional information on admission screenings for IB programs, AVID programs, or art schools in Chicago, visit https://go.cps.edu/high-school/admissions-screenings.
Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266