Quick answer
The HSPT is the entrance exam used across the Philadelphia area, by all 15 Archdiocese of Philadelphia high schools through a single collaborative test, and by the region's independent Catholic schools including St. Joseph's Prep, La Salle College High School, Devon Prep, and Merion Mercy Academy. Students applying to archdiocesan high schools may take it only once, and the same sitting doubles as the scholarship test. Saso Prep prepares Philadelphia families online with an on-demand self-study course, plus practice assessments and mock exams.
For families targeting a Catholic high school in the Philadelphia area, the HSPT is the gatekeeper. Schools use it to decide admission, to place incoming freshmen into honors and accelerated courses, and to award merit scholarships, and since students applying to archdiocesan schools get one attempt, thorough preparation is the highest-leverage move you can make.
Which Philadelphia Catholic high schools use the HSPT?
The HSPT is the standard Catholic high school entrance exam across the region, used by the archdiocesan system and the independent Catholic schools alike. Below are the well-known examples; always confirm the current entrance-exam requirement directly with each school.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia's 15 high schools
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia runs a single collaborative HSPT for all 15 of its high schools, spanning the city and the Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester County suburbs, from Roman Catholic High School and St. Hubert Catholic High School in the city to Archbishop Wood in Bucks County, offered free of charge. One sitting sends scores to up to three archdiocesan high schools for admission and scholarship evaluation. Eighth graders at the archdiocese's elementary schools and Independence Mission Schools test at their own school; everyone else (public, charter, private, or homeschool) registers to test at one of the 15 high schools.
Independent Catholic schools
The area's independent Catholic schools use the HSPT too. St. Joseph's Preparatory School uses it as its entrance exam, paired with an essay. La Salle College High School (Wyndmoor, Montgomery County) requires it of every eighth-grade applicant as its scholarship entrance exam. Devon Prep (Chester County) administers it as its entrance and scholarship exam, and Merion Mercy Academy (Montgomery County) offers it on campus, with every student who tests there considered for academic scholarships.
Applying from across the river? South Jersey's Diocese of Camden schools (Paul VI, Camden Catholic, Gloucester Catholic) run their own HSPT; see HSPT prep in New Jersey →.
School and archdiocese names are referenced for informational purposes only. Saso Prep is an independent test-prep provider and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by any of these schools or the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Test dates and policies change every year; always verify directly with your target school.
HSPT scholarships at Philadelphia Catholic high schools
This is where a strong HSPT score pays off most directly. In Philadelphia, the entrance exam and the scholarship exam are largely one and the same:
- The archdiocesan collaborative HSPT doubles as the scholarship test for all 15 Archdiocese of Philadelphia high schools: one sitting covers admission and academic-scholarship evaluation, including qualification testing for Neumann Scholarship candidates.
- La Salle College High School calls its required HSPT the Scholarship Entrance Exam: every applicant's sitting is also their shot at merit awards.
- Merion Mercy Academy considers every applicant who takes the HSPT on its campus for academic scholarships, with no separate application.
Beyond named awards, schools across the area use strong HSPT percentiles to place freshmen into honors and accelerated courses, so a high score can shape your child's schedule from day one. (Award details change yearly; verify current offerings with each school. For what counts as a strong percentile, see what's a good HSPT score →.)
Saso Prep's Ultimate HSPT Self-Study Course covers all five sections with 18 video lessons, 1,000+ practice problems, and 2½ model tests, on demand, so your child can start today and study on their own schedule. $499
When is the HSPT given in Philadelphia?
Dates are set by the archdiocese and each school and shift a little every year, so confirm rather than assume. Philadelphia's HSPT season runs earlier than most regions: eighth graders at archdiocesan and Independence Mission elementary schools take the collaborative test at their own school in the early fall, other students test at an archdiocesan high school in October with later fall make-up dates for a small fee, and the independent schools set their own dates in October and November. That early calendar makes summer the natural prep window; the practical first step is to pick your testing site and lock in its date and registration deadline early. See the HSPT test dates page → for dates across all regions.
How Philadelphia families prepare with Saso Prep
Saso Prep has spent nearly three decades on one test, the HSPT, and prepares Philadelphia families entirely online, so location is never the barrier. The Ultimate HSPT Self-Study Course ↗ covers all five sections on demand, so your child studies on their own schedule, ideal for getting ahead of Philadelphia's early-fall test dates. The dependable sequence is the same for every student: assess, build, rehearse. The course delivers all three:
- Assess. The course opens with a full-length practice test, so you see your starting point and which areas need the most work.
- Build. 18 video lessons and 1,000+ practice problems take you through all five sections.
- Rehearse. It closes with a full-length test under real timing, so test day feels routine.
Prefer live instruction? The summer session of the Live Online HSPT Course ↗ is the one that fits the Philadelphia calendar; it wraps up before early-fall testing begins, and registration includes the self-study course, assessment, and mock exam.
New to the exam? Start with what is the HSPT → and how to study for the HSPT →. Ready to choose? Compare every option on the courses & practice tests page →.