What CPS actually says
From the official 2025-2026 GoCPS HSAT one-pager: 'The CPS High School Admissions Test or HSAT is a computer-based exam.' Both Reading (30 minutes) and Math (30 minutes) are taken on a computer or Chromebook at the testing site. There is a tutorial session at the start of the test where students get used to the interface — but it is short, and a student seeing the format for the first time on test day will spend their first few questions adjusting rather than answering.
A student who has only practiced on paper has rehearsed roughly 70 percent of the actual test experience. They have rehearsed the content. They have not rehearsed the interface, the navigation, the timer, the way text scrolls, the highlighter tool, or the click-and-drag mechanics for math diagrams. Those are real, score-affecting variables.
Where paper still wins
Paper practice is faster to set up and review. A printed worksheet takes 10 seconds to start; a digital practice tool takes a minute. For quick drills — vocabulary, mental math, single-passage reading — paper is more efficient.
Paper practice is better for parental review. You can sit next to your kid and circle errors. You can mark up a passage and explain why option C is closer to the author's claim than option A. The on-screen experience makes that harder.
Paper practice protects against screen fatigue. A student who has done four mocks on a screen will be visually exhausted before the test even starts. Mixing in 30-40 percent paper-based content keeps fresh eyes for test day.
Where computer-based practice wins
Pacing. The HSAT gives 30 minutes per section with no built-in pacing cues — no proctor calling 'half time,' no analog clock on the wall. The on-screen timer is the only signal. A student who has rehearsed exclusively on paper will misjudge the timer for the first 5-10 questions of the real test, costing valuable seconds at exactly the moment when settling in matters most.
Reading endurance on screen. Reading 30 minutes of literary and informational passages on a screen feels different than on paper — even adults find it more taxing. The only way to build that specific endurance is to do it. Practice mocks should look and feel exactly like the real test interface.
Mechanic familiarity. Math problems with diagrams require clicking on figures. Reading questions sometimes ask students to highlight evidence in a passage. Skipping and flagging questions has its own UX. Students who have used the simulator on this site are not surprised on test day.
How to mix the two
Use paper for skill-building. Vocabulary lists, mental-math drills, single-passage reading exercises, math problem types you keep missing — these are all best done on paper because they are fast and easy to review.
Use computer-based for full-length mocks and timed sections. Every two weeks during the prep window, do a full computer-based mock under test-day conditions. Same time of day, same length, same lack of phone. After each mock, do the review on paper.
Aim for roughly 60 percent screen-based and 40 percent paper-based time during the final 6 weeks before the test. Earlier in prep, paper-based skill work can dominate.
Common mistake: only computer, no review
The opposite mistake exists too. Some students do nothing but computer-based mocks, never review their wrong answers carefully, and plateau quickly. The best practice is computer-based mocks for pacing, paper-based review of mistakes for learning.
If your child has done four full-length mocks but cannot explain why a particular answer was wrong on each one, the prep is not working. Switch the ratio toward paper-based review until they can articulate the reasoning behind every answer.
Bottom line
Paper practice alone is suboptimal for the HSAT — the test is on a computer, and the interface is part of the test. Pure computer practice with no review is also suboptimal. The right mix uses computer-based mocks for pacing rehearsal and paper-based review for skill-building, with a heavy lean toward computer in the last month before the test.
Free, computer-based mocks are available on this site. Use them.