The main score to look for on the HSPT^® score report is called the Composite National Percentile, which is abbreviated “NP-NS” under the “Performance Scores” section. This is a student’s national score and is the score that high schools generally use for admissions. Students will also be given National Percentiles for each of the 5 subtests. Taken together, these 5 subtest scores make up the Composite National Percentile score.

The percentile-rank scale ranges from 1 to 99 and compares the performance of an individual student with that of other students during a given year. A National Percentile compares a student’s performance to other students across the nation. A National Percentile score of 75, for example, means that the student scored higher than 75% of all students taking the HSPT^®. A 99th percentile means that the student scored higher than 99% of all students and is in the top 1% of all test takers. This is the highest score a student can achieve on the HSPT.

There is also a Local Percentile score (LP-LS) which is generally higher or lower than the National Percentile, which leads to some confusion. A Local Percentile compares a student’s performance to other local students. A local group consists of all of the students who tested at a particular school or group of schools. If test takers are strong in this local group, a student’s Local Percentile will be lower than their National Percentile. If test takers are weak in this local group, a student’s Local Percentile will be higher than their National Percentile. Schools generally use the National Percentile in their admissions considerations, so don’t worry if the Local Percentile is lower than the National Percentile.

To find out approximately what percentile a student would score on the HSPT, we invite him or her to take our HSPT Diagnostic Assessment. Included with the assessment is a printable score sheet that will indicate the approximate National Percentile a student would score on the HSPT based on the scores of this HSPT practice test.