Methuen · MA
Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School: HSPT & admissions
Catholic high school in Methuen, MA with an admissions process that explicitly uses the HSPT.
The short answer
- Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School uses the HSPT, but the current exam date still needs confirmation.
- Admissions events start Ambassadors support key admissions events throughout the year, including Open House, Shadow Days, school visits, orientations, and major celebrations., which usually means the fall timeline is already moving.
- Beyond the test, Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School also lists interview, and visit or event.
- Financial aid is a separate step, so families using it should ask for timing early.
Key dates and details
| Exam requirement | Register for and take the HSPT Exam 4. |
| Application fee | A completed and submitted application online A non-refundable application fee of $40 Copies of your most recent tax forms including all supporting tax schedules; of the parent claiming the student as dependent. |
| Open house | Ambassadors support key admissions events throughout the year, including Open House, Shadow Days, school visits, orientations, and major celebrations. |
As listed on the school’s website when we last checked (2026-07-07). Dates change every admissions cycle — confirm with Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School’s admissions office before planning around them. See how HSPT Prep reviews school information.
Admissions checklist
| HSPT required | Register for and take the HSPT Exam 4. |
| Application | Application required as part of admissions. |
| Interview | Admissions Interview 1. |
| Visit or event | Ambassadors support key admissions events throughout the year, including Open House, Shadow Days, school visits, orientations, and major celebrations. |
| Financial aid option | Tuition assistance information is available for qualifying families. |
Checklist items are based on the school’s admissions pages when we last checked. Verify the current cycle requirements with Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School’s admissions office.
Accommodations and testing setup at Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School
If your child has an IEP, 504 plan, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, or another documented need, ask Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School’s admissions office how HSPT accommodations are approved before registration closes. Start with the HSPT accommodations guide, then confirm whether the school handles extended time, separate room or small group testing, ADHD accommodations, dyslexia accommodations, and documentation through the school or the diocese.
How to prepare for the Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School entrance exam
Like most Catholic high schools, Notre Dame Cristo Rey 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.
Parent guides for families applying to Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School
HSPT timing: when to start prep
How far ahead to start, based on your test date, school list, and how much prep your child can realistically sustain.
6-week HSPT study plan
The middle-ground schedule: enough time to cover every section without turning fall into one long cram.
HSPT study schedule for busy 8th graders
How to fit HSPT prep around homework, sports, and the real-life schedule most families are actually managing.
How Catholic high schools use HSPT scores
Admissions, placement, scholarships, and why the same percentile can carry different weight at different schools.
What is a good HSPT score?
A cleaner admissions-focused read on what different percentile bands actually mean to a family.
How to help a child with HSPT test anxiety
How parents can lower stress without turning prep into a second source of pressure.
HSPT accommodations for IEP and 504 students
What families should ask for, when to ask, and how documentation usually fits into the process.
Common questions
What entrance exam does Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School require?
Notre Dame Cristo Rey 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.
When is the Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School entrance exam?
The school publishes each cycle's exam dates on its admissions site, typically in the fall; most Catholic high schools test between November and January of 8th grade. Confirm the current date with the admissions office.
How should my child prepare for the Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School entrance exam?
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.
How do I register for the HSPT at Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School?
HSPT registration is generally handled through Notre Dame Cristo Rey 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.
How long is the Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School HSPT?
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 Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School for its test-day arrival and dismissal window because local administration details can differ.
Can students use a calculator on the HSPT at Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School?
The standard HSPT mathematics and quantitative sections are designed to be completed without a calculator. Families should still read Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School's current test-day instructions so the student brings only permitted materials.
Can Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School share HSPT scores with other Catholic high schools?
Score-sharing rules vary by school and diocese. Ask Notre Dame Cristo Rey 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.
Does Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School offer HSPT accommodations?
Students with an IEP, 504 plan, ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, or another documented need should contact Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School before registration closes. Ask what documentation is required and whether extended time, small-group, separate-room, or other arrangements are available.
What else does Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School require besides the HSPT?
Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School also lists interview, and visit or event 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.
Applying to other schools too? See the full Catholic high school application guide and other Methuen schools.
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