By Diane Phelan
This fall, eighth graders in the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of New York will be taking the Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools, or TACHS, if they are interested in attending a Catholic high school beginning in September 2018.
In order to be admitted into Catholic high schools, an eighth grader who attends school within the Diocese of Brooklyn should take the TACHS admissions exam on Saturday, Nov. 4.
The test results from TACHS, along with school records, are then sent to the high school principals to assist them in making admission decisions. Each student’s information will be sent to three high schools of his or her choice.
High schools then release their admission notices to students beginning Jan. 10, 2018.
The registration fee for the TACHS exam is $63 per student. Registration is now open and students may register at www.tachsinfo.com or by calling 1-866-61TACHS (1-866-618-2247).
The TACHS exam is only offered to students currently attending eighth grade during the 2017-18 academic year. Students who are interested in applying to a Catholic high school within the Diocese of Brooklyn in other grades should contact the high school admissions director regarding admissions.
Reasoning, Math and ELA Skills
The TACHS exam measures academic achievement in reading, written expression and mathematics, along with an ability section on general reasoning abilities. The exam is a norm-referenced standardized test. Scores are based on a national sample that compares the students’ scores to the scores of other eighth graders measured at the same time of year that the TACHS is administered.
In addition, scores are compared to the scores of all students tested on the TACHS exam this fall.
One way to prepare for the exam is to answer practice questions in the TACHS Student Handbook, which is available online, and will also be available at Catholic elementary and high schools, and public schools with eighth-grade classes in early September.
More than just sample test questions, the handbook contains information regarding the TACHS Program, including a calendar of events and deadlines, registration information, high school fairs and an eligibility form for students requesting extended testing time.
Scholarship and financial aid decisions are made by each individual high school. Questions regarding scholarships and financial aid should be directed to the individual high schools.
Information Fairs
There are two major Catholic High School Information Fairs that parents and students may attend to speak directly with high school representatives:
For the Diocese of Brooklyn, these High School Information Fairs are set for Wednesday, Sept. 20, 6-8 p.m. in the Genovesi Center at St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, and Monday, Sept. 25, 6-8 p.m. in the D’Angelo Ballroom at St. John’s University, Jamaica.