As of October 2026. Every number below is sourced; the list is at the end.
Most Orange County families only need to learn one of these exams. As of October 2026, our entrance-exam bank covers 7 private and Catholic high schools in Orange County. 5 of them use the HSPT. One, Sage Hill School, takes the ISEE or the SSAT. One, Orange Lutheran, needs no entrance exam to get in. We checked the bank in September 2026 for the Fall 2027 cycle. Dates move every year. The school's own page is the one that counts.
The Orange County table
| School | City | Exam | Deadline as stated | Test dates as stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JSerra Catholic | San Juan Capistrano | HSPT | Nov. 1 early decision | Jan. 9 or Feb. 6, 2027; portal sign-up, limited seats |
| Mater Dei | Santa Ana | HSPT | Not stated on the exam page | Jan. 16, Jan. 21 and Jan. 30, 2027 |
| Orange Lutheran | Orange | None | Jan. 15 regular decision | Placement test only, late January |
| Rosary Academy | Fullerton | HSPT | Not stated on the HSPT page | Jan. 16, 2027; make-up Jan. 23 |
| Sage Hill | Newport Coast | ISEE or SSAT | Jan. 31 | You pick the date; scores due by Jan. 31 |
| Santa Margarita Catholic | Rancho Santa Margarita | HSPT | Not stated on the test page | Jan. 16, Jan. 20 and Jan. 30, 2027 |
| Servite | Anaheim | HSPT | Dec. 4, 2026 early; Feb. 5, 2027 regular | Jan. 23 and Feb. 6, 2027 |
Two notes. Mater Dei says its $80 application fee covers the entrance exam. You pay it up front. Rosary signs up ninth-grade applicants for the HSPT itself. Three schools print test dates but no deadline. The column says so rather than guess.
Read the row, then read the page.
These are three different exams
The HSPT is a Catholic high school placement exam. The schools above give it on their own campus on a set Saturday. Your student sits it once. The ISEE and the SSAT work the other way. You sign up with the testing group. You pick your own date. You have the score sent with a school code. Sage Hill lists 054282 for the ISEE and 7039 for the SSAT. The two paths run on different calendars.
Sitting the wrong one is wasted work.
If you are also looking at Pasadena or Claremont
Flintridge Preparatory in La Canada Flintridge takes the ISEE or the SSAT. It held a paper ISEE on Saturday, December 5, 2026. Scores were due January 20, 2027. Polytechnic School in Pasadena gives its own Upper School test. You book it through its admission portal. The Webb Schools in Claremont need no entrance exam. Applications are due January 15, 2027.
Three nearby schools, three different answers.
How much prep this takes
We use the same rule here as for the SAT or ACT. Plan on 6 to 12 weeks. A seventh or eighth grader has homework and a sport. Spread the work out. Find the test date first. Then count backward. We prep the HSPT and the ISEE one-on-one across Orange County, in your home, or online.
Two weeks is not a plan.
The move
This month, open the admissions page for each school on your list. Write down two things: which exam, and the date. Check them against the full table at highschoolreach.com/entrance-exams. If a date there disagrees with ours, the school's page wins. Then call us and we will build the weeks backward. Every program starts with two free diagnostic tests, one ACT and one SAT. An older student knows which exam fits before you spend anything: prepgurus.com/frequently-asked-questions or 949.229.5359.
Questions parents ask
Does my child have to take both the HSPT and the ISEE?
Only if your list mixes the two kinds of school. Of the 7 Orange County schools we track, 5 use the HSPT and only Sage Hill takes the ISEE or SSAT, so most families prepare for one exam.
Which Orange County private high school has no entrance exam?
Orange Lutheran in Orange requires no entrance exam to be admitted. Its page lists a placement test in late January, not an entrance exam.
How early should we start preparing for the HSPT?
Plan on 6 to 12 weeks, counted backward from the test date on the school's page. Several Orange County schools test on January 16, 2027, which puts the start in the fall.
Written by Nick Standlea, founder of Test Prep Gurus. Updated October 2026.
Sources
- High School Reach, entrance-exam tracker (verified September 2026) — https://highschoolreach.com/entrance-exams
- JSerra Catholic High School, admissions process — https://www.jserra.org/admissions/admissions-process
- Mater Dei High School, entrance exam — https://www.materdei.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=70022&type=d&pREC_ID=107031&hideMenu=0
- Orange Lutheran High School, freshmen admissions checklist — https://www.lhsoc.org/freshmen-admissions-checklist
- Rosary Academy, HSPT — https://www.rosaryacademy.org/admissions/hspt
- Sage Hill School, how to apply — https://www.sagehillschool.org/admission/how-to-apply
- Santa Margarita Catholic High School, placement test review course — https://www.smhs.org/admissions/placement-test-review-course
- Servite High School, freshmen application checklist — https://www.servitehs.org/admissions/apply/freshmen-application-checklist
- Flintridge Preparatory School, how to apply — https://www.flintridgeprep.org/admissions/how-to-apply
- Polytechnic School, how to apply — https://www.polytechnic.org/admission/how-to-apply
- The Webb Schools, how to apply — https://www.webb.org/admission/how-to-apply
- Test Prep Gurus, frequently asked questions — https://www.prepgurus.com/frequently-asked-questions