Equation Editor, Pencil Tool, and More: The 2026 SHSAT On-Screen Toolkit
The SHSAT has been a digital test since Fall 2025, and in Fall 2026 it becomes computer-adaptive too. That means the screen is now part of the test: students who know exactly where the highlighter, answer eliminator, and Equation Editor live will spend their 180 minutes solving problems, while students seeing the interface for the first time will burn minutes hunting for buttons. This guide covers every on-screen tool, the new item types, and the free official practice that lets you master all of it before test day.
Every on-screen tool, at a glance
Here is the full toolkit available on the Fall 2026 SHSAT, per the official NYCPS testing page and the NYC Guide to the SHSAT for 2027 Admissions.
| Tool | What it does | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Highlighter | Mark up passages and question text on screen | |
| Answer eliminator | Cross out answer choices you've ruled out | |
| Notepad | Type notes to yourself | The Math notepad resets on every new item - nothing carries over |
| Pencil tool (new) | Draw directly on items and passages with the mouse, with undo, redo, and delete | New for Fall 2026 |
| Line reader | A mask that isolates the line you're reading | |
| Bookmark | Flag a question to revisit | Works only within ELA passage sets in Fall 2026 |
| Pop-up definitions | Click glossed words to see a definition | |
| Equation Editor | Enter answers to fill-in Math questions | Replaces paper grid-ins |
| Clock | On-screen timer | Can be hidden if it stresses you out |
Three of these deserve a closer look.
The Math notepad resets per item. Whatever you type on one Math question disappears when you move to the next. Don't plan to keep a running list of work or reminders there. Combined with the test's forward-only navigation, this reinforces a core habit: finish each Math question completely before advancing, because there's no going back - see our full guide to the no-skipping, no-backtracking rules.
The Pencil tool is new for 2026. Students can now draw right on the screen with the mouse: underline a phrase, sketch on a diagram, mark up a passage. It has undo, redo, and delete. It won't replace the scrap paper you get for real computation, but for quick visual marks on the question itself, it's a genuine upgrade.
The bookmark shrank. In Fall 2025, students could flag any question and return to it. In Fall 2026, the bookmark works only inside an ELA passage set, where you can still move among that set's questions and change answers until you submit the set. On Math and stand-alone ELA items, there is nothing to bookmark: once you answer and move on, the question is locked.
The Equation Editor: grid-ins, digitized
On the paper SHSAT, some Math questions had no answer choices; students computed an answer and bubbled it into a grid. Those questions still exist on the digital test, but the grid is gone. Fill-in Math questions are now answered with an on-screen Equation Editor: you produce the answer yourself and enter it on screen instead of bubbling digits.
The strategy for these questions hasn't changed; the mechanics have. If you trained on paper-style grid-in questions, the math skills transfer directly, but you should practice entering answers in the actual editor so the input step costs you zero thought on test day. The official practice tests (below) include working Equation Editor questions.
No calculator, on screen or off
Calculators are prohibited on the SHSAT, and the digital test does not include an on-screen calculator. Every computation is done by hand, on the scrap paper and pencil provided at the test site.
This makes arithmetic fluency a real scoring factor. Long division, fraction operations, percent conversions, and clean scratch-work habits are worth deliberate practice; our 2026 Math study guide covers how to build that speed. Get used to a two-surface workflow now: read and mark up on screen, compute on paper, then enter the answer.
Beyond multiple choice: the technology-enhanced item types
The digital SHSAT includes technology-enhanced items (TEIs), question formats only possible on a computer. NYCPS published an official TEI samples document from Pearson showing a screenshot of every type:
- Multiple Choice - the classic format, now clicked instead of bubbled
- Multiple Response - select more than one correct answer
- Fill in the Blank - type an answer into a blank
- Equation Editor - build a numeric or symbolic answer on screen
- Drag and Drop - move labels or values into place
- Hot Spot - click a region of an image or diagram
- Hot Text - click words or sentences in a passage
- Inline Choice - pick answers from drop-down menus embedded in text
- Table Grid - mark answers in the cells of a table
- Point Graph - plot points on a coordinate grid
- Shape Transformation - manipulate a shape on screen
- Solution Set - Grade 9 test only
None of these require new academic knowledge; they test the same standards. But each has its own click-and-drag mechanics, and the first time you meet them should not be on test day. For a deeper walkthrough of each format, see our digital question types explained guide.
DOE computers only, and free official practice
Students take the SHSAT on DOE-provided computers - personal laptops and tablets are prohibited. The test is given at the student's own school on a school day or at weekend test sites, with paper testing reserved for the extremely limited number of students whose IEP or 504 plan requires it. So there's no need to optimize your home setup; there is a need to be comfortable on an unfamiliar machine, which makes tool fluency even more important.
The good news: the official practice environment is free and excellent. The NYC SHSAT Portal at nycshsat.myassessmentsupport.com offers, browser-based with no login required:
- the Student Readiness Tool (SRT) - a tutorial that walks through every tool and item type on Pearson's testing platform
- four fully functional online practice tests with the real interface
Between the SRT and four full tests, every student can rehearse the exact toolkit before test day. Our roundup of free SHSAT practice tests covers how to sequence them.
The takeaway: make the interface invisible
Test day should spend zero minutes on the interface. To get there:
- Run the SRT tutorial early - a single pass teaches where every tool lives.
- Take all four official practice tests in the real interface, using the highlighter, eliminator, and Pencil tool deliberately until they're reflexes.
- Drill the Equation Editor until entering a fill-in answer is automatic.
- Practice the two-surface workflow - screen for reading and marking, paper for computation - since there's no calculator.
- Decide your clock policy in advance - visible or hidden - as part of your broader time management strategy.
Every tool above is learnable in a few practice sessions, and every session you invest returns real minutes on test day. SHSprep's practice tests mirror the digital format's tools and question types, so the interface you rehearse is the one you'll see in November.
