TACHS Exam Timetable: Complete Guide for Catholic High School Admissions
A complete, parent-friendly guide to the TACHS calendar, registration deadline, diocesan testing dates, high school choices, skill areas, scoring, online test setup, and preparation timeline.
Table of Contents
- What Is TACHS?
- Official 2026–2027 TACHS Timetable
- Registration, Fee & High School Choices
- Official/Related TACHS Video
- TACHS Sections & Skills Tested
- Time Management & Practice Pacing
- Scoring, Percentiles & Admissions Use
- 12-Week TACHS Prep Timetable
- Online Test-Day Checklist
- Interactive TACHS Tools
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Official Sources
What Is the TACHS Exam?
TACHS stands for Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools. It is the entrance exam used by many Catholic high schools in New York City, the surrounding Archdiocese of New York region, the Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens, and the Diocese of Rockville Centre on Long Island.
The exam is designed for current eighth-grade students seeking admission into ninth grade at participating Catholic high schools. Schools use TACHS results together with academic records, applicant records, school choices, recommendations, and local admission policies.
Important: TACHS is not a general high school exam for all students. It is mainly for eighth-grade students applying to participating Catholic high schools for ninth-grade entry. Transfer applicants and students applying to other grades should contact the high school directly.
Students applying for Catholic high school entry in grade 9.
ADNY, Brooklyn/Queens, and Rockville Centre/Long Island schools.
Reading, language/writing, math, and reasoning skills.
Official 2026–2027 TACHS Timetable
The TACHS calendar is date-sensitive. Missing the registration deadline, accommodation deadline, or high school choice deadline can prevent scores from reaching the correct schools. Use the table below as the core planning timetable for the 2026–2027 admissions cycle.
| Date | Official Event | What Families Should Do |
|---|---|---|
| August 3, 2026 | Student Handbook becomes available electronically. | Download the handbook, review sample questions, system requirements, and test-day rules. |
| Before registration | Review device and online testing requirements. | Confirm the student has a supported computer, reliable internet, webcam, microphone, and quiet test space. |
| August 24, 2026 9:00 AM EST | Registration opens online and by telephone. | Register early. Save the TACHS ID, confirmation email, payment receipt, and login details. |
| August 24–November 7, 2026 | High school choices may be entered after registration. | Enter up to three high school choices. Do not wait until the final evening. |
| October 2, 2026 | Extended testing time accommodation request deadline. | Submit the Eligibility Form and supporting documentation to the aligned diocese, not to the TACHS Exam Office. |
| October 28, 2026 11:00 PM EST | Internet and telephone registration deadline. | Complete registration before this deadline. Official materials state there are no deadline exceptions. |
| November 4, 2026 After 1:00 PM EST | Session date, time, and code sent by email. | Check email for the assigned session. Students are assigned to either 8:30 AM or 10:00 AM; no time preference is accepted. |
| November 4–6, 2026 | Help window if session code is not available. | Call 1-866-61TACHS if the student cannot obtain the test session code. |
| November 6, 2026 Friday | TACHS administration for the Archdiocese of New York. | Students aligned to ADNY test on this date at the assigned time. |
| November 7, 2026 Saturday | TACHS administration for the Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens. | Students aligned to Brooklyn/Queens test on this date at the assigned time. |
| November 7, 2026 Saturday | TACHS administration for the Diocese of Rockville Centre. | Long Island Catholic high school applicants test on this date at the assigned time. |
| November 7, 2026 11:00 PM EST | High school choice deadline listed in the parent calendar. | Ensure choices are complete. Some materials use slightly different minute wording, so finish well before the deadline. |
| December 11, 2026 | Applicant Records for public school students due to the three high school choices. | Public school families should coordinate with the eighth-grade counselor early. |
| January 13, 2027 | Earliest admission notice release for DBQ and RVC. | Monitor email, mail, and phone communication from selected high schools. |
| January 20, 2027 | Earliest admission notice release for ADNY. | Monitor admission notifications from Archdiocese of New York high schools. |
| January 22, 2027 3:00 PM EST | TACHS Home Report available online. | Access the Home Report at the official TACHS site using the required student details. |
| February 2027 | Response cards due back to high schools. | Follow the accepted school’s instructions for enrollment confirmation. |
Accuracy note: The 2026 Student Handbook is scheduled to become available in August 2026. This page uses the currently posted 2026–2027 parent calendar and registration documents. Families should still check the official TACHS site before registration and again during test week.
Registration, Fee & High School Choices
Registration is the first critical step. Students may register online or by telephone, and the registration fee is paid by credit card, debit card, or prepaid card. The 2026 official registration document lists the TACHS fee as $78.
Internet Registration
- Preferred method.
- Use the registration link on the official TACHS homepage.
- Complete payment online.
- Save the confirmation email and TACHS ID.
Telephone Registration
- Call 1-866-61TACHS / 1-866-618-2247.
- Phone hours are listed in official registration materials.
- Payment is required during registration.
- Keep the verbal and email confirmation.
High School Choices
After registering, students can enter up to three Catholic high school choices. These choices control where TACHS scores are sent. If a family wants to apply to additional schools, they should follow those schools’ individual admission instructions and may need to provide a Home Report later.
Do not list the same school multiple times. Repeating one school does not increase admission chances and may waste valuable score-reporting choices.
Official / Related TACHS Video
Use this video as a quick overview for families before reading the full guide. For technical setup, also review any current device setup video and instructions linked from the official TACHS testing pages.
Testing setup reminder: TACHS online testing materials also point families to a device setup video and a system pre-check process. Complete those steps several days before the exam; do not wait until the morning of testing.
TACHS Sections & Skills Tested
TACHS measures a combination of academic achievement and reasoning ability. The tested skill areas are commonly grouped into Reading, Written Expression / Language, Mathematics, and Ability / Reasoning.
Reading
The reading portion tests comprehension, vocabulary in context, main idea, supporting details, inference, author’s purpose, and the ability to read efficiently under time pressure.
- Practice short and medium passages.
- Underline the question task: main idea, detail, inference, meaning, tone, or purpose.
- Answer using evidence from the passage, not outside knowledge.
Written Expression / Language
This area focuses on clear Standard English. Students may need to recognize correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, paragraph organization, usage, and expression.
- Review subject-verb agreement, pronouns, modifiers, commas, semicolons, and sentence fragments.
- Practice choosing the clearest version of a sentence.
- Watch for answers that are grammatically correct but wordy or awkward.
Mathematics
The mathematics portion emphasizes middle-school arithmetic, number sense, fractions, decimals, ratios, percentages, equations, basic algebra, geometry, measurement, data interpretation, estimation, and problem solving.
- Practice mental math and written arithmetic.
- Know fraction-decimal-percent conversions.
- Use estimation to eliminate unreasonable answer choices.
Ability / Reasoning
The ability section measures general reasoning skills. These questions may involve patterns, sequences, logic, spatial reasoning, classification, analogy-style thinking, and problem solving.
- Look for the rule before answering.
- Use elimination when patterns are not immediately obvious.
- Practice visual and nonverbal reasoning questions, not only school subjects.
Exact timing note: The precise 2026 subtest timing should be confirmed from the current TACHS Student Handbook after it posts in August 2026. This guide gives practical preparation structure but does not replace the official handbook.
Time Management & Practice Pacing
TACHS is not only a content test; it is also a pacing test. Students need to answer efficiently, mark difficult questions when allowed, and return to them before submitting a section.
The Core Pacing Formula
For practice, students can use a conservative benchmark of roughly 40–50 seconds per question when working through mixed drills. The exact target should be adjusted after the current official handbook confirms the section-level timing.
Vocabulary, grammar, and arithmetic questions that are clear within seconds.
Passage questions, multi-step math, and moderate reasoning items.
Do not let one problem consume time needed for several easier questions.
Scoring, Percentiles & Admissions Use
Families often ask for a single “passing score,” but TACHS does not work that way. Catholic high schools use TACHS results alongside school records and other application data. Competitive schools may weigh results differently from less selective schools.
Raw Accuracy
Raw accuracy is the easiest study metric for students to track during preparation:
Where \(C\) is the number of correct answers and \(Q\) is the number of attempted questions.
Percentile Rank
A percentile rank shows how a student performed relative to a comparison group. A percentile of 75 means the student performed better than about 75% of students in that comparison group.
Admissions strategy: A strong TACHS result helps, but schools may also consider grades, applicant records, recommendations, attendance, conduct, interviews, essays, financial aid forms, and school-specific applications.
The 12-Week TACHS Prep Timetable
A focused 12-week plan is practical for most students. It gives enough time to build content strength, correct weak areas, and practice online pacing without creating test-week panic.
Weeks 1–2: Diagnostic & Foundation
- Review TACHS skill areas and official sample questions.
- Take a short diagnostic in reading, language, math, and reasoning.
- Create a simple error log: skill, mistake type, correct method.
Weeks 3–5: Content Review
- Study grammar rules and sentence correction patterns.
- Review fractions, percentages, ratios, equations, geometry, and data questions.
- Practice daily reading passages and vocabulary in context.
Weeks 6–8: Reasoning + Timed Sets
- Practice ability/reasoning question types.
- Begin 15–25 minute timed sets.
- Review wrong answers immediately after each set.
Weeks 9–10: Full Mixed Practice
- Take at least one longer mixed practice session.
- Test pacing strategy: answer, mark, move, return.
- Use the weakest two skills as the main review focus.
Week 11: Online Readiness
- Confirm device, browser, webcam, microphone, internet, and quiet location.
- Complete official setup/pre-check steps.
- Practice reading and solving on screen, not only on paper.
Week 12: Final Review
- Do light review only; avoid cramming.
- Re-read test-day instructions and confirm session code.
- Sleep well and prepare the testing space the night before.
Online Test-Day Checklist
TACHS is administered online/remotely. Students should not treat test day like an ordinary homework session. Device setup, internet reliability, browser readiness, and room conditions matter.
2–3 Days Before Testing
- Review current device requirements.
- Install the required browser and secure testing/proctoring extension.
- Check webcam and microphone.
- Run the recommended system pre-check.
- Prepare scratch paper if allowed by current instructions.
On Test Morning
- Use the assigned date, time, TACHS ID, and session code.
- Start the login process early.
- Restart the computer and close other apps/tabs.
- Disable notifications and VPNs.
- Use a quiet, well-lit testing room.
Do not wait until test morning: Official testing tips warn that attempting device setup on the morning of testing can negatively affect the testing experience and may prevent the student from starting or completing the exam.
Interactive TACHS Tools
TACHS Diocese Date Planner
Select the student’s aligned diocese/region to see the main test date and the most important follow-up dates.
Practice Pacing Calculator
Use this tool for study sessions. Enter the number of questions and minutes in your practice set.
Raw Accuracy Estimator
Track improvement with raw accuracy. This does not convert to an official TACHS percentile; it is a study metric.
Weak Area Study Focus Finder
Select the area where the student currently loses the most points.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TACHS only for eighth graders?
Yes. TACHS is for current eighth-grade students applying to ninth grade at participating Catholic high schools. Students applying to other grades should contact the target school directly.
When is the 2026 TACHS?
The official 2026–2027 calendar lists November 6, 2026 for the Archdiocese of New York and November 7, 2026 for Brooklyn/Queens and Rockville Centre.
Can students choose their test time?
No. The official calendar states that students are randomly assigned to either 8:30 AM or 10:00 AM on the aligned diocesan test date, with no time preference accepted.
How many schools can receive TACHS scores?
Students may enter up to three high school choices for score reporting.
What if the student needs extended time?
The official 2026 documents list extended testing time as the accommodation and set October 2, 2026 as the request deadline. The request and documentation must be submitted to the aligned diocese.
Is there a calculator on TACHS?
Students should prepare to complete math without relying on a calculator unless the current official handbook or accommodation approval states otherwise.
When are results available?
The 2026–2027 parent calendar lists January 22, 2027 after 3:00 PM EST as the date to access the TACHS results / Home Report online.
Does TACHS have a passing score?
No universal passing score is published. Each Catholic high school makes its own admission decisions using TACHS results and other applicant information.
Official Sources & Update Notes
This page is based on currently available official TACHS and diocesan documents. Families should always verify final rules in the current Student Handbook after it is posted.
