Oakland · Diocese of Oakland
Bishop O'Dowd High School: HSPT & admissions
Co-ed Catholic college prep in the Oakland hills, serving the East Bay since 1951.
Key dates and details
| Open house | November 8, 2026 (11:30am–2pm) |
| Exam requirement | HSPT required for all incoming 9th grade applicants; may be taken at any of the nine Oakland Diocese Catholic secondary schools applied to |
As listed on the school’s website when we last checked (2026-06-10). Dates change every admissions cycle — confirm with Bishop O'Dowd High School’s admissions office before planning around them.
How to prepare for the Bishop O'Dowd High School entrance exam
Like most Catholic high schools, Bishop O'Dowd High School uses the HSPT — a five-section, ~300-question exam covering verbal skills, quantitative skills, reading, math, and language (see What is the HSPT?). Three things matter most:
- Start 8–12 weeks before the exam date.Short daily practice builds the speed the HSPT’s pacing demands.
- Practice the unfamiliar question types first. Analogies, number series, and logic items aren’t taught in most middle schools — they’re the fastest points to gain.
- Treat the first sitting as the only sitting. Most schools accept one attempt, and at many schools the score also drives merit scholarships.
Applying to other schools too? See the full Catholic high school application guide and other Oakland schools.
Get ready for Bishop O'Dowd High School's entrance exam with free daily practice.
Free daily HSPT practice from 1,500 real-format questions, with a weekly progress report for parents.