Loyola High School (Los Angeles, CA) HSPT: Dates & Prep

Loyola High School admits through the High School Placement Test (HSPT), a five-section exam covering verbal skills, quantitative skills, reading, mathematics, and language, taken in the fall or winter of 8th grade.

The school's website listed Saturday, January 9, 16, or 23, 2027 (choose one date at registration) when we last checked (2026-08-21). Dates change every admissions cycle, so confirm with the admissions office before planning around them.

Start 8–12 weeks before the exam date with short daily practice, and focus first on question types middle schools don't teach — analogies, number series, and logic problems. Most schools accept one sitting, so the first attempt counts.

HSPT registration is generally handled through Loyola High School's admissions process rather than through a national family registration site. Use the school's current checklist and confirm the test location, arrival time, fee, and required identification directly.

The standard HSPT has about 298 questions across five sections and usually takes about two and a half hours, not including check-in or breaks. Ask Loyola High School for its test-day arrival and dismissal window because local administration details can differ.

The standard HSPT mathematics and quantitative sections are designed to be completed without a calculator. Families should still read Loyola High School's current test-day instructions so the student brings only permitted materials.

Score-sharing rules vary by school and diocese. Ask Loyola High School whether one sitting can be sent to the other schools on your list, whether additional codes or forms are required, and which school should be selected as the testing site.

Students with an IEP, 504 plan, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, or another documented need should contact Loyola High School before registration closes. Ask what documentation is required and whether extended time, small-group, separate-room, or other arrangements are available.

The school's website listed January 15, 2027 (firm); suggested target December 15, 2026 when we last checked (2026-08-21). Deadlines can shift each admissions cycle, so confirm the current application cutoff with the admissions office.

For the 2027-28 freshman cycle, applications open October 21, 2026. December 15, 2026 is a suggested target (not a deadline) for the portal account, application fee, transcripts, and HSPT date selection. The firm deadline is January 15, 2027 for the parent personal statement, activities form, student essay, videos, and letters of recommendation; 8th-grade first-semester grades are due by February 7, 2027. Decisions are emailed by May 1, 2027.

Yes. Loyola offers the HSPT on Saturday, January 9, 16, or 23, 2027, and applicants may test at Loyola once. If those dates conflict — or the student is already registered elsewhere — Loyola says you do not need to sit at Loyola; have the scores forwarded to complete the application. Confirm the current forwarding process with admissions.

Loyola does not publish a minimum HSPT score or GPA — the school states there is no such policy. The admissions committee weighs academic achievement, spiritual formation, and extracurricular involvement, so treat the HSPT as one part of a holistic review rather than a cutoff to clear.

No. This page is for Loyola High School of Los Angeles at 1901 Venice Blvd. Loyola Academy is a separate Jesuit school in the Chicago area, and Loyola Blakefield is a separate school in Maryland. Each school runs its own HSPT date and registration.

Work backward from the sitting you choose in the parent portal. A five-section diagnostic first shows whether verbal, quantitative, reading, math, or language needs the most work. Then use a steady study plan — eight weeks if you start in the fall, or a four-week sprint if you are closer to January. Loyola accepts one sitting at its campus, so treat that attempt as the one that counts.

Loyola does not publish tuition on its public admissions pages; see the official Tuition and Financial Aid page or call admissions at (213) 381-5121. Need-based aid is available through the FACTS Grant & Aid Assessment — about $5,555,780 was awarded to roughly 370 students in 2025-26. Our Loyola scholarships page tracks published deadlines and programs.

Yes — the annual Open House is Sunday, November 8, 2026, from 1:00-4:00 p.m., and fall Shadow Days for 8th graders begin October 12, 2026. Small group tours are offered throughout the year through the admissions inquiry form.

Loyola High School also lists recommendations as part of the admissions process. Use the school's checklist early, because these steps often move on the same compressed fall timeline as testing.