TACHS Exam Prep FAQs

Important Note

Kweller Prep does NOT register students for the TACHS exam. Parents must independently register and pay for their child’s TACHS exam through the website www.tachsinfo.com.

Students requesting an extended time accommodation must complete and submit this Eligibility Form by October 7, 2022.

The registration is the easy part; the TACHS exam is the hard part!

Q1. What Is The TACHS Exam?

A. The TACHS (Test for Admission into Catholic High Schools) is the exam required for your child to take in order to be qualified to attend a Catholic High School. The HSPT is another, much longer test. The TACHS and COOPE exams are similar in length and in what areas are tested.

Doing well on the TACHS exam not only helps you to get into a Catholic High School, but also helps you obtain numerous high school scholarships, usually from funds set aside by alumni.

Q2. How Do I Register My Child For The TACHS Exam?

A. Registering for the TACHS Exam is simple. Visit: www.tachsinfo.com and register. Registration for the exam is open until October 27, 2022, 11:59 PM.

Also if the need arises to ask any questions, dial 1-866-61TACHS (1-866-618-2247).

The registration fee for the TACHS Exam is $65 per student. This cost includes online remote testing and the reporting of scores to the three high schools of your choice. There are two ways to register: on the Internet or by telephone. Paper registration is NOT offered. Internet registration is the preferred method of registration and requires a credit card payment. When registering by telephone, a credit card payment also is required.

Q3. What Should I Expect From The TACHS Exam?

A. The TACHS Exam has four sections which include Critical Reading, Math, Language Arts and Ability.

Reading: The reading section of the TACHS Exam requires that your child demonstrate his or her ability to understand what he or she reads. Students will be given many types of reading passages, both informational and literary texts. This section targets reading comprehension and critical reading skills. This is similar to most standardized tests that students take. Here, your child is given a passage to read and is then given questions that refer to what was just read.

The questions asked will measure the student’s ability to answer factual, interpretive, and evaluative questions based on the passages. They will be given questions about main idea, author’s purpose, the meaning of a word in a given context, and other types of reading comprehension questions.

The passages are not designed to be tricky in any way. The student must read carefully and focus on identifying the answers to the questions being asked of them (main idea, author’s attitude, tone and so on and so forth).

Written Expression: In this section, students will be given questions about writing and writing conventions for Standard English. Your child is tested on basic skills such as spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and usage. This part also asks about noun, verb and modifier usage. They may receive questions that focus on how to appropriately address ideas in writing. Questions may ask about organization, sentence structure, clarity, and effective or appropriateness of expression. Other questions may ask students to identify the line of the text that has an error.

Math: The mathematics section of the TACHS specifically contains sections with general questioning, deductive reasoning, estimates, and word problems. Questions from the math section will ask about number sense and operations, algebraic patterns and connections, data analysis, probability, statistics, geometry, and measurement.

It is your child’s best interest to memorize common mathematic formulas (perimeter of a rectangle, area of a triangle etc.) which gives the student an advantage amongst other students. Subjects include integers, probability, sequences, analogies, fractions and more.

Ability: In the ability section of the exam, your child is tested for their overall reasoning ability. Your child must develop general principles for information presented and then apply these general principles to specific situations. These questions will assess a student’s ability to reason with abstract questions that use spatial and figural content. These questions are to show how well students can use reasoning skills to solve problems they may or may not have been taught.

Q4. How Long Is The TACHS Exam?

A. The TACHS Exam approximately contains about 200 multiple choice questions. Each student will be randomly assigned to a test session at either 8:30 AM or 10:00 AM. All Extended Time students will test at 8: 30 AM on their day of scheduled testing. The exam is approximately two hours with time for directions and pauses between the subsets. There are no official breaks. However, your child should be at least 30 minutes early and ready to go.

Q5. Where Can My Child Take The TACHS Exam?

A. The TACHS exam will be administered as an online, at home, remote test this year. There are several steps students must take to prepare their device for online testing several days before the exam. Please follow this guide posted by TACHS.

https://tachsinfo.com/pdf/PreTest.pdf?1664130160736

Q6. What Items Should Your Child Bring On The Day Of The Exam?

A. On the day of the exam, your child should bring two Number 2 sharpened pencils with erasers, their Admit Card, and Identification. Students TACHS ID number and email used for registration will also be required to access the exam. Students should have access to a computer or laptop with charger and wiFi during the exam in a quiet work environment at home. Students need to take their exam in a solo environment.

Q7. How Do I Set Up My Child’s Computer For Test Day?

A. First make sure your device’s data system is up to date. Please follow this guide

https://tachsinfo.com/pdf/DataSystemRequirements.pdf?1664130723095

Next, set up Proctorio software. This will act as a virtual proctor for your child to ensure that the exam is being taken fairly at home. Please follow this guide on how to install Proctorio.

https://tachsinfo.com/pdf/ProctorioSetup.pdf?1664130801627 Lastly, read through the parent guide on the TACHS website with further tips and instructions for test day. The guide can be found here: https://tachsinfo.com/pdf/ParentGuide.pdf?1664130896128

Q8. Can My Child Be Awarded A Scholarship Because Of His/Her Score On The TACHS Exam?

A. Your child’s results on the TACHS Exam may make them eligible for scholarship money based on his or her overall score or depending on how well he or she did in a specific section.

Q9. Where Do I Find A Registration Form, Student Handbook, Applicant Record, And/Or Return Envelope?

A: All registration materials may be obtained from www.tachsinfo.com. The student handbook is also only available online at www.tachsinfo.com as well. Download the student handbook here: https://tachsinfo.com/pdf/HandBook.pdf?1664131156580

Q10. What Address Should I Put On My Student’s Registration Form If We Are In The Middle Of Or Planning On Moving?

A: Please list the address you will be living at two weeks prior to the exam date. Home score reports will NOT be mailed to student home addresses this year. Home scored reports for both Public and Catholic school students will be available online beginning on January 20, 2023, 5:00 PM EST.

Q11. What Is Students Want To Test Outside Their Own Diocese?

A. It is required that students test on the same day as their own diocese. Students will need to indicate their appropriate borough/county diocese (where they attend elementary/middle school at the time of the exam) when registering.

Q12. How Will I Know If The Registration Has Been Accepted?

A: INTERNET: A 7-digit confirmation number, also known as the TACHS ID, will be provided once payment has been confirmed. It is recommended that you print the confirmation screen displayed at the end of the online registration process. If an email address is provided, a confirmation email will also be sent.

TELEPHONE: A 7-digit confirmation number, also known as the TACHS ID, will be provided by the operator once payment has been confirmed. If an email address is provided, a confirmation email will also be sent.

Q13. What School Number Should I Use While Registering?

A. School code numbers are listed in the Student Handbook. If your school is not listed in the handbook, please list the school code as 999.

Q14. What are the test dates?

A. The Archdiocese of New York is November 4, 2022.

The Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens is November 5, 2022.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre (Long Island) is November 5, 2022.

Don’t forget that you can register online or by telephone!

IMPORTANT NOTE

This year, the TACHS exam will be administered as an online, at-home, remote test.

Therefore, it is extremely important that you prepare your testing device several days before the day of testing.

Please do not wait until the day of testing, or it may negatively affect your testing experience.

Data System Requirements

Windows 8.1 or 10

Mac OX 10.13 or higher

Current version of Chrome with Proctorio Chrome extension 250 MB of free disk space

4 GB Ram or more for optimal performance.

High-speed internet Microphone, internal or external Webcam

Install Proctorio and Setup Guide

This guide will walk you through all the steps necessary to prepare your device for testing.

• Internet connection
• Webcam and microphone
• Sound
• Installing the Google Chrome browser
• Download the Proctorio Extension PARENT GUIDE
• Checklist of needed items
• Helpful tips for parents at home
• Important login information
• Required installation before testing
• Important System Pre-check and Navigational Tool Overview
• Day of testing sign-in process
• Technical support links and phone numbers

Test Session Information

After 1:00 PM on November 2, 2022, you will receive an email from tachs@tachs.riverside-insights.com with your test session information.

Check your spam or junk folder if you do not receive your email. You may also access your test session code by going to the top navigational “Prepare for Testing” tab and click 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, you may call our help desk at 1-866-618-2247 for further assistance.

• Students within the Archdiocese of New York will test on Friday, November 4, 2022.
• Students within the Diocese of Brooklyn/Queens or Rockville Centre will test on Saturday, November 5, 2022.
• 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 pre-approved for an extended time will test at 8:30 AM.
• We cannot accept requests for a specific time or date.
• Please plan to ensure your availability.

Helpful Tips for Parents

• Ensure that the student testing device is fully charged and plugged into a power source.
• If possible, hard-wire testing devices to limit Wi-Fi issues.
• Check audio sound, headphones, earbuds, and speakers.
• If preferred, have headphones/earbuds for student testing devices.
• Confirm the use of approved devices and system requirements for student testing. Data System Requirements
• Students may not use phones, mini tablets, or Android tablets (Samsung, Asus, Amazon Fire) for testing.
• Access to scratch paper as needed for Reading, Written Expression, and Mathematics.
• Turn off other devices using the internet, including video games and movies, to ensure minimal activity on the home network.
• Ensure the student has a working microphone and camera for visual monitoring of student testing.
• Run through the System Pre-Check and Navigation Tool Overview