Hunter College High School 2026–27: can your child sit the exam?
Hunter College High School, a public school on the Upper East Side, admits 7th graders through its own entrance exam. To sit it on Wednesday, January 27, 2027, a 6th grader needs 5th grade scores above Hunter’s cutoff and an application in by 2:00 PM on Friday, December 4, 2026. Enter the scores and see which side of the line your child is on, and what to do next.
Check eligibilityCheck eligibility in one minute
For a child in 6th grade now, applying for 7th grade entry in fall 2027. Every cutoff below is the one Hunter publishes, read on its site on Friday, October 2, 2026.
Pick the line that matches your child. Only one applies.
Cutoffs, dates and rules from Hunter College Campus Schools, “Eligibility for Fall 2027 Entry” and the AIP page, both read on Friday, October 2, 2026. Hunter verifies every score and residency claim with the school; its own pages are the ones that count. GeniusPrep is an independent tutoring company, not affiliated with Hunter College or the Hunter College Campus Schools.
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The four dates that matter
| Application opens on Ravenna | Wednesday, September 23, 2026, noon |
|---|---|
| Application closes | Friday, December 4, 2026, 2:00 PM |
| Last day for an authorized 6th grade test (no 5th grade scores) | Monday, December 21, 2026 |
| Entrance exam | Wednesday, January 27, 2027 |
Three conditions, all required: in 6th grade now at a New York City or neighboring school (or homeschooled and registered with the NYC Office of Homeschooling); living full time in one of the five boroughs since September 1, at the address on the family’s IT-201 tax form; and the qualifying score. Approved tests: ERB CTP 5, Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), TerraNova 3, Stanford 10 (abbreviated battery accepted). The application is free, no invitation letter is needed, and Hunter asks families not to send recommendation letters, report cards or essays.
What is on the exam: half Hunter, half ISEE
“The information below reflects the January 2026 entrance exam and is provided for general reference. It should not be understood to represent the January 2027 exam, as all components are subject to change.” (Hunter, Entrance Exam 2026 page)
| Section | Questions | Minutes | Written by |
|---|---|---|---|
| English booklet, 110 minutes | |||
| Reading Comprehension | 50 multiple-choice | 70 | Hunter-developed |
| Writing Assignment | Essay or short creative piece | 40 | Hunter-developed |
| Math booklet, 75 minutes | |||
| Quantitative Reasoning | 37 multiple-choice | 35 | ISEE Middle Level |
| Mathematics Achievement | 47 multiple-choice | 40 | ISEE Middle Level |
Section times are suggested: students move freely within each booklet, English first, then math. On the real ISEE Middle Level, ERB lists Quantitative Reasoning at 37 questions in 35 minutes and Mathematics Achievement at 47 in 40, the counts and times Hunter gave for its own math booklet. Hunter also writes that its exam is not an official ISEE administration, so it places no limit on taking the ISEE later, and a past ISEE score does not replace it.
That makes the math half something a family can practice on today. ERB’s free Middle Level guide has a full practice test, and our ISEE practice test scorer marks its Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics Achievement sections against ERB’s own key (choose “Applying to 7th grade”). The practice test is shorter than the real one: 32 and 42 questions in 30 and 36 minutes (What to Expect on the ISEE, July 2021).
How the exam is decided: the multiple-choice sections are scored and Hunter sets a cutoff that changes every year; a portion of test takers then have their essays read blind by a panel, and the most impressive essays are admitted. Families receive no score for any part, and there is an unranked waitlist. Hunter publishes sample questions for both booklets on its exam page.
Questions families ask about Hunter
What score do you need to take the Hunter College High School exam?
For fall 2027 entry, Hunter asks for Spring 2026 5th grade NYS scale scores of at least 478 in ELA and 497 in Math, both at once. A student whose school gave another approved test (ERB CTP 5, ITBS, TerraNova 3 or Stanford 10) needs the 90th national percentile in both Reading and Math. These are the scores to sit the exam, not to be admitted: admission is decided by the exam itself.
What if my child just missed the Hunter cutoff?
Hunter runs the Academic Insights Profile (AIP) for students who narrowly miss: NYS scores of at least 474 in ELA and 491 in Math, or the 85th percentile on another approved test. AIP students form a waitlist to take the exam; some are invited if space remains, and families hear in early January. Below the AIP range, Hunter writes that a student is not eligible to apply or re-test.
When is the Hunter College High School application deadline and test date?
The application opened at noon on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 and closes at 2:00 PM on Friday, December 4, 2026. It is free and goes through Ravenna. The entrance exam is on Wednesday, January 27, 2027. A student authorized to take a test in 6th grade must finish it by Monday, December 21, 2026.
Is the Hunter entrance exam the ISEE?
No. Hunter writes that its exam is not an official ISEE administration, and a past ISEE score does not replace it. But in January 2026 its two math sections, Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics Achievement, were licensed content from the ISEE Middle Level, alongside a Hunter-written Reading Comprehension section and a Writing Assignment. Hunter says the January 2027 exam may change.
Does Hunter accept ISEE, SSAT or MAP scores to qualify?
Not this year. Hunter lists ERB Milestones, NWEA MAP, iReady, ISEE, SSAT as not accepted for qualifying. A child whose only 5th grade test was one of these follows the "no scores" route: apply, then wait for Hunter to authorize one approved test in 6th grade.
Sources, all read on Friday, October 2, 2026: Hunter College Campus Schools, “Eligibility for Fall 2027 Entry”; Hunter College Campus Schools, “Just Missed the Score? The Academic Insights Profile (AIP)”; Hunter College Campus Schools, “Entrance Exam 2026”. Hunter changes its cutoffs every year; its own pages are the ones that count. GeniusPrep is an independent tutoring company, not affiliated with Hunter College or the Hunter College Campus Schools, and not with ERB.
Weighing other routes too? The eight specialized high schools admit by the SHSAT, taken in 8th grade, and the NYC private school test list shows which schools take the ISEE or the SSAT for 7th grade. The free tools hub has the rest.