Exam Schools
Boston has three “examination schools” for grades 7–12 that admit students on a competitive basis: Boston Latin Academy, Boston Latin School and the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science.
All three schools accept new students for grades 7 and 9. The O’Bryant School also accepts a few new students for grade 10. Students are admitted to the exam schools based on results of an entrance test, called the Independent Schools Entrance Exam (ISEE), and grade point average (GPA).
New residency policy
On June 30, 2010 the Boston School Committee voted to approve the Superintendent's recommended change in the residency date for application to exam schools. Effective immediately, students must both reside in Boston and prove residency by the first Friday in November of a given year. This means that students taking the test in November 2010 for admission to one of the district's three exam schools in September 2011 must demonstrate Boston residency in person at a Family Resource Center beginning October 1st, but no later than Friday, November 5, 2010.
The residency requirement for the exam schools applies to students currently attending private, parochial, METCO, charter schools, and schools outside the City of Boston. To learn more about acceptable residcency documents, please visit the Residency Policy page.
Residency verification schedule
Test registration
The test registration materials for students applying for the 2011-2012 school year will be available in mid-September 2010 through the city’s middle and high schools. If you do not receive these materials from your school, you may also pick them up from any of the Boston Public Library’s 27 branches. The next time the test will be given through the BPS will be Saturday, November 6, 2010, and the deadline to register is September 29, 2010. Please note that walk-in registration will not be available on November 6th.
BPS will offer a make-up administration of the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE) on Saturday, November 20, 2010 at Boston Latin School for students who were not able to take the test on November 6. This administration of the test is free and open to Boston residents only. Registration will be on a first-come, first-serve basis after preregistered candidates have been accommodated.
If this date does not meet your needs, you can register online with the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) for a different test date and location; however, all exam school applicants must take the test before December 31 of the school year in which they apply. Please note that ERB charges a test fee for this process. For more information visit: http://www.erbtest.org/schools/admissions/isee.
GPA
The grade point average is based on final marks in English and math from the previous school year (grade 5 or 7) and from the first two marking periods of the current year. In January of each year, all applicants are sent Grade Point Average forms. The applicant's current school must complete the form and return it to the BPS Office of Enrollment Services by the first Friday in February.
Special accomodations for students with disabilities
For students with disabilities, arrangements may be requested to take the test with special accommodations. Requests must include a completed Principal/Headmaster statement form and supporting documentation (IEP, 504 Plan, physician’s letter, or evaluation). The Principal/Headmaster statement must be completed by the head of the school or specialist responsible for assessing the students’ academic needs and signed by the Parent/Guardian. The deadline to request a special accommodation for the November test administration is October 8, 2010.
Request form for testing accomodations
For more information
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Read the BPS Press Release
Contact the Office of Enrollment Services, 617-635-9512.
