CPS Selective Enrollment High Schools

When applying to selective enrollment high schools in Chicago, students earn a score out of 900 comprised of two parts:

 450 points from academic grades during 7th grade

Math, language arts, science & social studies grades are included.

450 points from CPS High School Admissions Test 

Math portion is worth 225 points (1 section)

ELA portion is worth 225 points (3 sections: Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary & Language/Grammar)

Scoring

View the 2022-23 scoring rubric.

The Tier System 

A student's zip code determines his or her tier, and the tier determines how high a score out of 900 is needed for entrance into each of the various schools. Use the school search tool to determine what tier you are in.

Cutoff Scores

The cutoff scores for each school change from year to year. View the resources below to understand more:

Schedule for students entering high school fall of 2024

CPS and charter school students will take the test on a weekday at school:

Wednesday, October 11 (make up day is October 25), 2023


Non-CPS students can schedule to take the test on a weekend at a CPS site:

October 14, 15, or 21, 2023

The GoCPS application for the 2024-25 school year will open on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 at 10 am! 

The GoCPS application window will close on Thursday, November 9, 2023 at 5 pm. Families will be able to log back in and rerank their choices until Wednesday, November 22, 2023 at 5 pm.


Note: The NWEA MAP is no longer a part of the CPS high school admissions process.

For more information, visit the CPS Office of Access and Enrollment.