The Precision Test Prep Guide to the TACHS Exam:
for Parents
So, you want your child to go to Catholic high school?
You’re making a great choice, but of course, even the best choices come with some “extras.” In this case, unfortunately, your choice requires what some may feel equates to jumping through hoops, and depending on your level of technological comfort, some hoops that may appear to be on fire.
One such flaming hoop is ensuring that your son or daughter is prepared for and does well on the Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools, or TACHS, commonly called the TACHS exam.
The good thing is that we are confident ring leaders who can help make this moment in your life a lot less stressful than it has to be.
What this guide is. . . and isn't.
Over the years, we have worked with thousands of parents and students. We love helping our students get into the schools they want. In fact, we take great pride in this and have devoted our work to helping students reach their potential.
The goal of this guide is to take all the information that parents need to know about the TACHS exam and centralize it in one place, thus making it easier for them to prepare their children to take it.
So, in short, this is a simplified version of all the information parents will come across regarding the TACHS exam. By simplifying the process, parents can simply scroll through one page rather than having to navigate the TACHS exam website and sift through lots of links and pdfs.
Everything you need is here, and we will continue to update this page as needed.
However, we recommend that parents familiarize themselves with the official TACHS exam website. While this webpage attempts to simplify (and demystify) everything from the good people at TACHS, it is not a substitute for tachsinfo.com but an extension of it.
If you call us, we will always give you the best information we have. However, we will almost always ask you to call the TACHS Examination Office because your situation may be unique.
How is the TACHS exam administered?
Cue the flames! This high-stakes test is administered online from the comfort of your home. Yes, online. In your home.
This means that you will have some work ahead of you.
While an in-home, online test may raise your eyebrows and immediately fill you with anxiety, the test-day will run smoothly because you will have already read this guide and prepared your computer and testing place ahead of time.
Now, there are computer tech-related things that some might find intimidating and even impossible, but I assure you that it’s not that bad and that you can do it…or someone you know can do it for you.
Either way, it’s not that bad, just a minor inconvenience. To make things easier, I have included the directions from tachsinfo.com in this guide, so you don’t have to search for them.
Plus, you can contact the people at the TACHS Examination Office at any time. We call them often, and they are very nice and helpful. (You’re also not the first person doing this, so they are accustomed to taking lots of frantic calls about the online setup.)
When is the TACHS exam?
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, the next thing you need to know is when the test is given so that you can put together a plan to ready your child for the TACHS exam.
To do this, I want you to visualize a mountain. You are currently at the bottom of the mountain. At the top of the mountain is your child’s success on the TACHS exam.
Your job: get your child to the top of that mountain…with the least amount of stress.
When prepping for a test as impactful as the TACHS exam, good tutors will guide their students up the “mountain.” The best tutors guide both students and parents up that mountain because they understand how stressful this moment can be for all involved.
So, by “least amount of stress,” I am referring to you just as much as I am referring to your child. We are working with 12 and 13 year olds. They simply won’t have the same sense of urgency that you will have.
With that said, the TACHS exam is offered the first Friday and Saturday of each November.
Students who are part of the Archdiocese of New York take the test on Friday. Students who are part of the Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens and the Diocese of Rockville Centre (Catholic High Schools of Long Island) take the test on Saturday.
How much time do students need to prepare for the TACHS exam?
Because the test has so much bearing on your child’s future, we recommend taking a longer rather than a shorter approach to preparing. In order to excel on a test like the TACHS exam, students need to learn specific fundamental skills that include reading effectively for comprehension, grammar skills, math skills, and sequencing skills that are part of a very difficult section called Abilities.
Everyone is different, but our 50+ years of teaching experience has taught us that approximately two months is the right amount of time to prepare for this test. If you are reading this and there is less time, we recommend starting now.
See, our brains need time to process information, and this especially holds true for 12 and 13 year olds. The more time—within reason— the better, because so much is riding on this one test.
No one can complete a semester course in one day or week or even two weeks, so you can’t realistically learn and master the material tested on the TACHS exam in a very short amount of time. It’s not as if school just stops so that everyone can study for this test, either.
Kids will feel the pull and pressure of schoolwork as well. And even if they don’t, so many new topics and concepts are introduced during the preparation process that enough time to take everything in is essential. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and this certainly holds true for success on the TACHS exam.
Why approximately two months?
Two months allow for enough time for us to introduce the material in a sequence that allows the material to grow with the student. Students need time to process everything, and they certainly need time to practice everything.
If you don’t have that much time, don’t fret but don’t hesitate either. Any preparation is better than no preparation. There are lots of materials out there that can be purchased on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble. As part of our program, we offer multiple options so that if the test is approaching, your child can jump right in and start studying.
What is tested on the TACHS exam?
You will read on tachsinfo.com that there are three sections broken down into two parts each, for a total of six parts. The sections are:
- Reading
- Written Expression
- Math
While this is certainly true, it is better to view the test as four major sections. The reason why we recommend this is because we consider the Abilities Section to be its own section and feel that it should be considered (and respected) as such. The Abilities Section is not traditional math but something altogether unique. It is very difficult.
So, using our logic, the TACHS exam consists of four main sections:
- Reading Comprehension
- Written Expression
- Math
- Abilities
*It’s important to note that the test changes slightly each year, but the general structure stays the same.
TACHS Reading Comprehension Section
Let’s start with the English-related sections.
The “English” portions of the test are made up of the Reading Section and the Written Expression Section.
The Reading Section tests students ability to read for comprehension. This is not the same as testing a student’s ability to read. Students can read and understand what they are reading, but reading comprehension is a different game.
Instead, reading comprehension tests a student’s ability to read properly, using inflection and intonation to inference and problem solve. Additionally, if a student understands how to properly attack reading passage questions—notice how I wrote questions and not passages—then he or she will do infinitely better on the TACHS exam Reading Comprehension Section than those who don’t know how to do so.
Of course, this is a skill that takes some time to learn and is definitely not taught in school. I am an English teacher with over twenty years of experience and the father of a 5th grader and 8th grader. I can assure you that this is not taught, so by having your child prepare for the TACHS exam, you are helping them even more than you realize. The same skills that are tested on the TACHS exam reading passages are tested on the SAT and ACT.
Additionally, students will be tested on vocabulary. Traditionally, when the test was on paper, there was a formalized vocabulary section that listed a word followed by four to five potential definitions in the form of synonyms. Either students knew the word or knew how to reason through potential wrong answers to arrive at the correct answer, or they didn’t.
While this style question is still found on the test, all indications point to more context based vocabulary questions appearing on the test. In my opinion, this is better for students because it provides them with an opportunity to use the sentence(s) to help them. Either way, students must be ready to answer all potential forms of these questions.
A fun and engaging resource that I use with my students is freerice.com. This website is a vocabulary builder, and I believe it is the best tool for kids to learn vocabulary because it is easily accessible and non-threatening. Plus, every time a student gets an answer right, rice is donated to the needy. Students get to learn and give back. What’s better than that?
TACHS Written Expression Section
The TACHS Written Expression Section is also sometimes referred to as the TACHS Language Section. The names may be different, but that is the only difference.
For many students, this section will be the most difficult because they have not been exposed to the foundations of grammar. This section tests student proficiency in the following (order does not matter):
- sentence structure
- organization
- clarity
- effective or appropriateness of expression
This means that students need a good foundation in the basics of grammar. Having one allows students to visualize the parts of the sentence in order to logically place and move sentences around. A good teacher understands that even though students may have been exposed to the basics of grammar, most students need this reinforced. By doing so, all students can rise to the level needed for success on the TACHS Written Expression Section.
If your child is coming from public school, then he or she will most definitely need a knowledgeable expert to lay the foundation and guide him or her through each level. This is in no way a knock on the public schools, but grammar is not taught nearly enough, in my opinion.
TACHS Math Section
The TACHS Math Section has over 50 skills that must be taught, learned, and mastered. (Yes, 50.)
Some concepts may be new to students as well, and students are not permitted to use calculators. This, in and of itself, makes the TACHS Math Section even more challenging. Without the use of a calculator, students must master formulas, operations, and sequences to correctly answer the questions.
Some mathematical concepts and topics on the TACHS Exam Math Section are:
- number sense and operations
- algebraic patterns and connections
- data analysis
- probability
- statistics
- geometry
- measurement
TACHS Abilities Section
The following is taken from the TACHS website:
“This test measures students’ learned reasoning abilities. Although grounded in biological processes, these abilities are developed through in-school and out-of-school experiences. The questions assess students’ abilities to reason with somewhat more novel questions that use spatial and figural content. The questions show how well students use their reasoning skills to solve problems they may or may not have been directly taught.”
Have you ever worked on IQ-type brain teasers? That’s basically what is tested on the TACHS Abilities Section. Picture boxes with dots in each. How can you turn the boxes so that the dots align in the proper way?
Abilities consists of three major tasks: Paper Folding, Figure Matrices, and Figure Classification. The TACHS Abilities Section is very difficult and foreign to students. This section tests students’ ability to reason, think critically, inference, problem solve, and visualize patterns.
To make matters worse, admission and scholarships are often tied to this section. Realistically, students need an expert to show them how to take this section. Like the other sections, Abilities is timed, and we need students to finish every section to maximize their scores. We never want to put students at a disadvantage, so mastering these difficult tasks is paramount.
The TACHS Abilities Section is the final part of the exam, and this adds a level of difficulty to it. Students need to diligently prepare for this section because it is the most foreign to them. A good teacher will approach the section with an open mind: students haven’t seen anything like this in their lives. Then, as the students gain proficiency, the teacher can continue to increase the level of difficulty while helping to build confidence.
When it comes to this section, I wish there was a website or an app that allows students to practice. I will continue to look, and if I found one, I will put a link here. Until then, students need some old fashioned practice and an understanding teacher to guide them through the concepts.
The good thing is that the skills tested on the Abilities Section can be taught and with practice, mastered.
What are some aspects that can’t be taught?
The number one thing that can’t be taught is how to handle the pressure.
Yes, we discuss and address how to handle the pressure, but we have to be realistic. No one can predict how a twelve or thirteen year old student will ultimately feel the day of the test, or how they will react to the pressure.
We can only provide the guidance needed and get students focused enough so that they aren’t affected by the pressure.
For this reason, we believe that the earlier we start, the better. We want students to feel so comfortable with the material that the pressure doesn’t affect them one way or the other.
Personally, I want my students to become emotionless robots. This may sound harsh, but emotion is the worst thing that a student can bring to a test. Emotion is the opposite of reason, so ideally, students who can “shut off” their emotions for tests such as the TACHS exam will find more success than those who can’t.
How to Register for the TACHS Exam
Registration opens the third week of August and closes the last week of October. There are no exceptions, so please be mindful of these dates.
For your reference, the registration period for the 2023 TACHS exam begins on August 21, 2023, at 9:00 AM EST, and closes on October 26, 2023, at 11:59 PM EST.
Registering for the TACHS Exam
There are two ways to register for the TACHS exam: Internet and phone.
However, TACHS exam registration is easier and more convenient if done online.
Method 1: Internet (PREFERRED)
Students, parents, guardians, or principals may register students via the Internet using the registration link.
Method 2: Telephone
Students or their parents/guardians may register by telephone, using 1-866-61TACHS (1-866-618-2247).
Telephone registration is available Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM-7:00 PM EST and Saturday-Sunday from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM EST.
To pay the registration fee, currently set at $71, you can use a credit or debit card.
Proctorio Consent
In order for you to set up and administer the test in your home, you have to use a program called Proctorio. When you register, you will have to consent to using Proctorio. Basically, you are stating that you understand the use of Proctorio, which is “the Al (Artificial Intelligence) system that will monitor and record your student’s test session.” You will “be able to consent to the contents of the Proctorio Consent Form before beginning the registration process,” meaning that you will grant consent or your child won’t be able to take the exam. To consent to the agreement, you will check a box on the online registration form prior to entering student information or speak with a Call Center representative, granting the verbal agreement. FYI: The fee will typically be listed on your credit card statement as “TACHS” or as a fee from Illinois. Yes, Illinois. Weird. So, please let anyone who checks your credit card statement know to expect this fee. The last thing you need is to dispute the charge and cause a potential mess for yourself.
Is my child being recorded while taking the TACHS exam?
A note on Proctorio:
Every year we get a lot of questions about the administration of the TACHS exam. I mean a lot. I can only imagine what our friends at TACHS receive. These are all valid concerns.
Most parents are worried that:
- someone could help a student during the test.
- someone could take the test in place of the student.
- the program is recording their child.
- someone is watching their child take the test.
These are all valid concerns, but the program is widely used and doesn’t present many problems. If someone is brazen enough to attempt to help a student during the test, Proctorio will catch it. If someone takes the test in place of a student, Proctorio will catch it. Lastly, no one is actually watching on the other end, and Proctorio doesn’t record but somehow utilizes a sensor to catch anything that doesn’t seem right (i.e. constantly looking up behind the monitor, looking to the right or left consistently, having a phone in hand).
During setup, you will perform a scan of your testing space and complete some tasks (remember those hoops?) to ready the space for the test. So, you will just have to trust that everything will work smoothly. There are people who work behind the scenes and review the logs. If something isn’t right, Proctorio will report it, and people will review it. I’m fairly technical, but I’m not so technical that I can explain the inner workings of the program. I just know it works, and I can confidently say that it does a great job.
One last thing: we always communicate with parents during our course to remind them to download Proctorio and set everything up. However, some parents push this off for various reasons: time, lack of ability, faulty computer programs, moving, fear. Whatever the case, please make installing Proctorio and performing all the necessary components a priority. I would rather something go wrong one month out from the test than one week or even one day. Talk about stress!
You have to allow for your child to use Proctorio by signing a consent form. This is the link to the Proctorio Consent Form. Click here to access it.
TACHS Exam Accommodations
If your child receives accommodations, my advice is to call the TACHS Examination Office to speak to someone. I often hear from parents who tell me they won’t have their child use accommodations because they feel doing so will put their child at a disadvantage by giving them a red flag. I don’t agree with this. I believe that students who are approved for accommodations need the accommodations and should use the accommodations. I also feel that not giving the opportunity to use extended time puts certain students at a disadvantage, and I don’t want to set students up to not succeed.
With that said, as taken directly from tachsinfo.com, “the only accommodation allowed will be extended testing time of time and a half.”
You will have to submit an eligibility form along with the specific documentation in order to receive an accommodation. However, forms will only be accepted up to approximately one month before the exam. The TACHS Examination Office clearly states that “absolutely no exceptions to, or extensions of, the deadline will be accepted/allowed.”
If your child is approved, you will receive notice via email. If you don’t receive verification of approval for extended time accommodations by a week after the due date, contact your aligned Diocese at that time.
For specific information regarding the Eligibility Form and who to send it to, please check with the people at TACHS because the information can potentially change at any time.
In order to apply for extended time on the TACHS exam, you have to fill out the following document. Click here to access it.
What If I have a scheduling conflict that prevents my child from taking the TACHS exam?
Some Catholic high schools such as Regis administer a different entrance exam called the HSPT. This poses a problem because the HSPT is almost always administered the Saturday of the TACHS exam. Yes, I know.
If this affects you, register for the TACHS exam as you normally would in addition to registering for the HSPT.
On the day of TACHS testing, you will be considered a no-show and will be scheduled for the make-up exam. However, to be eligible for the make-up exam, you MUST be registered for the TACHS exam by the regular end date.
You will then receive a new test session code a few days after the main administration of the TACHS exam. The test session code that was originally assigned to you for the Friday or Saturday administration will no longer be valid.
Choosing Where Your TACHS Scores Are Sent
From the point you register until the day of the test, you will be able to enter your top three high school choices. Please note that this is not an option. If you don’t choose these schools and properly enter them by the deadline, your child’s scores will not be sent to any high schools.
Students may enter up to 3 choices, but there is an option to apply to additional schools. If you choose to apply to additional schools, you will access a copy of your child’s Home Report online in January of the year after your child took the exam. You will provide a copy of this report to those additional schools.
The Order that You Rank Your Choice of Catholic High School Matters!
The most important, unknown, and overlooked aspect of selecting your child’s schools is the order that you list them. I cannot stress enough how critical this is. Many Catholic high schools state somewhere on their websites that if you want to be considered for scholarship money AND financial aid, you must list that school first. For instance, this is taken from a prominent Catholic high school’s website:
“Register to take the Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools (TACHS). Select _________ High School as one of your top three choices (first choice to be considered for merit scholarships or financial aid). Complete the online Application for Admission by December 15.”
Notice the information in the parentheses.
This aspect of the admissions process is another potential hoop for you to jump through.
Occasionally, conflicts arise between parents and their children regarding which schools to send scores to. I have spoken with many parents who were at odds with their kids about which school to attend, pending acceptance. This can become an issue, but I can tell you this: you want a strategy here. Scholarship money and financial aid are money off tuition, and this can sometimes be substantial, and even a necessity.
We’ve had students receive thousands of dollars in scholarship money, and I would hate it for a family to miss out on this. I emphasize this because some schools more readily award scholarships while others don’t. I don’t believe in telling parents what to do, but I feel it is in your best interest to strategize accordingly and have real conversations about the specific order of the schools because more than admission is at stake.
Catholic High School Open House Information
To help you with your decisions, schools have open houses each year that allow families to tour and experience the schools. Please note that these open houses are optional and not tied to admission. Open house information can be found in a variety of places. To make it easy for you, I have included links to various open house listings. (If you find that any of the links are broken or no longer include open house information, please let me know. Thank you.)
Archdiocese of New York Open Houses
Important Test Session Information
A few days before test day, you will receive an email from tachs@tachs.riverside-insights.com with your test session information. If you do not receive your email, be sure to check your spam or junk folder. You may also access your test session code by going to the top navigational tab titled “Prepare for Testing” and clicking on “Get Test Session Code.” You will be required to enter the student’s TACHS ID and the email address you provided at the time of registration. If you are still unable to access your test session code, please call the help desk at 1-866-618-2247.
Please note: Test dates are determined by where you attend school, not where you live.
Students will either test at 8:30 AM or 10:00 AM. Times will be randomly chosen.
Students that were pre-approved for extended time will test at 8:30 AM.
Please note that you cannot request a specific time or date. My advice is to clear your calendar for the morning so that test day is stress-free.
What are the TACHS Exam Computer and System Requirements?
We did it. We’ve made it to the computer stuff. What you will see here may mean something to you. For others, it will be gibberish. In a nutshell, you will need a (fairly new…let’s use the word “modern”) computer or laptop for this test. If you’re planning to use something from ten years ago, please reconsider. That trusty computer you’ve held onto from the Bush Administration isn’t going to cut it.
The following minimum requirements are listed below, but any computer purchased within the last five years will (most likely) meet these specifications:
Windows 8.1, 10 or 11
Mac OX 10.13 or higher
Current version of Chrome with Proctorio Chrome extension (*Chrome extensions are easily downloaded programs that are used in conjunction with the web browser Google Chrome. In other words, don’t use Safari.)
250 MB of free disk space
4 GB Ram or more for optimal performance
High speed Internet
Microphone, internal or external
Webcam
Here is the link to the Proctorio Set-Up Guide to show you how to install and set up Proctorio. All the steps you need to prepare your device for testing will be found here:
Here are just a few of things that will be discussed:
- Internet connection
- Webcam and microphone
- Sound
- Installing the Google Chrome browser
- Downloading the Proctorio Extension
Note: If you are not technically-inclined, you may need to find a quiet time to do this so you can concentrate. Remember that this isn’t that difficult. You can do it. Literally thousands of others have already.
Below are pictures from the set-up guide. I am including them because I feel it is beneficial for you to see them earlier in the process rather than later in the process. While you don’t have to set up Proctorio this instant, I believe these pictures will help to alleviate some anxiety for many of you.
TACHS Exam Refund Policy
If your child can’t take the TACHS exam, please follow these directions to request a refund.
You can use this [link] or call 1-866-61TACHS (1-866-618-2247).
You will need the following information available when you request your refund:
- TACHS ID number that you want to cancel.
- student first and last name.
- name and contact information of person requesting the refund.
- credit card type.
- last 4 digits of the credit card you used at the time of registration.
- reason for refund request.
If you are eligible for a refund, your refund will be issued within 3 days and should appear on your bank statement 3-7 days after the refund has been processed. Please call the TACHS Exam Office at 1-866-61TACHS (1-866-618-2247) first to check the status of your refund or to discuss a duplicate charge rather than dispute the fee through your bank. The people at the TACHS Examination Office are very helpful.
To be eligible for a full refund amount, refund requests must be submitted prior to a date that is approximately one week before test day. (Please check with people at TACHS for the exact date as this may vary.) After that date, processing and documentation expenses have already been incurred and refund requests will not be accepted.
If you have to request a refund after the date, you have to prove that your child “was unable to attend his or her original test date and all subsequent make-up offerings due to unforeseen illness and/or extenuating family circumstances.
Refunds are reviewed and/or approved on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed. After the third week of November, no refund requests will be considered or issued.
To request a refund, please use this link: TACHS – Request a Refund
What about technical difficulties the day of the test?
This is often on the minds of parents and students, so I have copied what you need to know:
“If a student experiences technical issues on the original day of testing, and makes every attempt to test the make-up offerings, but is still unable to enter the test due to technical issues, refunds will be reviewed and or approved on a case-by-case basis; refunds are not guaranteed.” The same November cutoff applies.
The same applies if a student or school registered a student more than once.
However, there are some cases in which refunds will not be issued at any time:
- if a student was able to access the exam and complete the majority of the questions.
- in cases of cheating.
- if parents choose to exclude their scores from being reported to their high school choices.
- if students missed all the communicated test dates.
Why Precision?
In the end, we offer a comprehensive program that, compared to others, offers far more at a better price. We’re also professional, licensed teachers who own this business and teach the classes. We will do anything to ensure that your child succeeds on this test. So, if you’re looking for a great TACHS exam preparation program, we have you covered.
For more information about our programs, please visit our TACHS Exam Prep Classes main page by clicking here.
Email Us – (516) 376-8241 – (516) 302-5608 – Privacy Policy
You must be logged in to post a comment.