Entrance Exam 2026

Hunter College High School is piloting a change to the HCHS Entrance Exam beginning January 2026.  The exam will contain both internally generated content and licensed content from the The Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE)* which is owned by the Educational Records Bureau, Inc (ERB)* as part of our ongoing work to strengthen our admissions process.

The January 2026 HCHS entrance exam will include:
• Two English sections: Reading Comprehension and the Writing Assignment (Hunter-developed), and
• Two mathematics sections: Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics Achievement (from the Independent School Entrance Exam – Middle Level)

The two HCHS English sections reflect internal performance expectations standards by HCHS faculty. The ISEE math sections are aligned with national standards adopted by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and measure both mathematical reasoning and grade-level skills. 


_{*The Independent School Entrance Exam (“ISEE”) is owned by the Education Records Bureau, Inc. (“ERB”) “Independent School Entrance Exam” and “ISEE” are trademarks owned by ERB.”}

To the right are tips and strategies, test day information, FAQs, and sample materials to help you prepare for the 2026 Hunter College High School (HCHS) Entrance Exam. These samples illustrate the types of questions students may encounter; they are not past Hunter exams. 
NOTE: Sample Exam #1 contains fewer Reading Comprehension questions than the actual test.

Students are given approximately three hours to complete all four sections, including the Writing Assignment. Students who are approved for testing accommodations may receive adjustments to timing or other supports, as outlined in their documentation. The staff member in the test room will announce the start and end of each section.  Students will start with the English (Reading Comprehension and Writing Assignment) sections of the exam, followed by the two math sections (Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics Achievement).

Mathematics Achievement (ISEE content)

This section focuses on middle school curriculum-based mathematics skills. Questions may involve:

 

The HCHS Entrance Exam is designed to assess aspects of your academic readiness and creativity. We recognize that no single test captures everything about a student; however, your responses provide a meaningful sample of your comprehension, reasoning, problem-solving, and writing skills.

We hope these sample materials help you understand the exam format, feel prepared for test day, and perform your best.

Good luck!