Academic Center Admissions Test (6th graders)

SelectivePrep offers the only classroom program in Chicago to help students prepare for the Academic Center Admissions test. The Admissions Test is an aptitude test containing unusual problems that assess your child’s ability to recognize figural, quantitative and verbal relationships. This test is one half of the score required for admissions to an Academic Center.

Registration for our Fall/Winter 2022-2023 classes to prepare for the Academic Center Admissions is NOW OPEN!

Program Overview

With the SelectivePrep Program, students prepare for the Academic Center Admissions Test in an intensive, structured classroom setting with one of our expert instructors. The SelectivePrep Program starts with a diagnostic test to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. Students will have access to supplemental material so they can practice in areas where they need the most improvement. Students also take a practice test under test conditions just before they take “the real thing”.

The SelectivePrep Academic Center Program:

  • Is offered on weekends at convenient locations or after school at local elementary schools
  • Is 6 or 4 weeks long; 14 hours of classroom time
  • Limits class size to 24 students per Instructor
  • Includes a Study Guide with nearly 300 pages of content review including hundreds of problems, answers and solutions
  • Includes in addition to the Study Guide  homework packets providing hundreds of additional practice problems and over 70 pages of content review
  • Provides parents with regular updates on student progress

Academic Center Program Syllabus

Session Topics Covered
Session 1 Diagnostic Test; Intro to Exam; Figural Analogies; Logical Selection
Session 2 Quiz (Session 1); Math 1 (Number Series); Verbal 1 (Antonyms, Sentence Completion, Analogies)
Session 3 Figural Workshop 1; Quiz (Session 2) Figural Reasoning 1 (Pattern Matrix, Figural Series); Verbal 2 (Sentence Arrangement, Word-Letter Matrix, Verbal Classification)
Session 4 Math 2 (Number Matrix, Number Inference); Figural Reasoning 2 (Figural Classification, Figural Analytics)
Session 5 Quiz (Session 4); Math 3 (Arithmetic Reasoning); Verbal 3 (Syllogisms, Sentence Arrangement)
Session 6 Figural Workshop 2; Practice Test and Practice Test Review; Test Taking Tips

Sample SelectivePrep Academic Center Program material.

Test Timing

CPS does not publish an official list of Academic Center test dates. Most students take the Academic Center Admissions Test in December, January and February at a centralized testing site — though testing can start as early as mid to late November.