New York, NY — As close to 30,000 NYC eighth graders prepare for the Specialized High School Admissions Test’s (SHSAT) first computer-adaptive format, Ivy Tutors Network today announced the launch of MockExamApp.com along with Free SHSAT Day, a free public mock exam open to any NYC eighth grader.
Beginning this fall, the SHSAT transitions to a computer-adaptive format, adjusting question difficulty in real time based on student performance. MockExamApp is built on a large-scale question bank and applies Item Response Theory (IRT), the same psychometric approach used in exams like the GMAT and GRE. It was developed using the NYC Department of Education’s published specifications and Ivy Tutors Network’s 23 years of experience preparing students for the exam.
“A student can know the content and still be caught off guard by an adaptive test or unfamiliar question formats,” said Lisa Speransky, Founder & CEO of Ivy Tutors Network. “We built MockExamApp so students can practice those skills before test day, and wanted every family, not just our own students, to have that chance.”
Free SHSAT Day
On October 10, any NYC eighth grader can take a full-length, computer-adaptive SHSAT mock exam at no cost. Students who register by October 8 receive a test link by email and complete the exam any time that day, with no live session or prior enrollment required.
“Great preparation shouldn’t begin with fear. It should begin with familiarity, practice, and confidence,” Speransky said. More than 90 NYC families have already registered for Free SHSAT Day as of September 28, with registration open through October 8 at freeshsatday.eventbrite.com.
Built for the New Format
MockExamApp adjusts question difficulty in real time to reflect the DOE’s new exam design, rather than labeling questions easy, medium, or hard. The platform includes computer-adaptive testing across ELA and Math (50 items each), Technology-Enhanced Items such as interactive Math and multi-response questions, one-directional navigation and locked answers mirroring the new exam’s rules, and standard and extended-time formats with scaled scores and detailed reporting.
All content is human-written and reviewed by three educators; no AI is used to generate questions. Ivy Tutors Network is an approved NYC DOE vendor operating in more than 45 public schools, and MockExamApp was built to meet DOE security requirements.
MockExamApp is a practice tool based on the DOE’s published specifications and is not an official SHSAT exam or a replica of the DOE’s operational item bank or scoring model.
Free SHSAT Day: October 10 | Register by October 8 | Free | freeshsatday.eventbrite.com
About Ivy Tutors Network
Ivy Tutors Network is a NYC-based education company providing personalized tutoring, test preparation, and educational guidance to students and families. For more than 23 years, it has helped NYC students prepare for the SHSAT and other academic milestones. It was recently named #22 on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing education companies in America.
Media Contact: Charlotte Pinelli, Marketing Associate, Ivy Tutors Network
PR@ivytutorsnetwork.com or charlotte@ivytutorsnetwork.com | 212-519-1981 | ivytutorsnetwork.com