The PSAT is a standardized test that prepares college-bound high school students for the SAT. Read on to learn about the structure, timing, and content of this exam. The PSAT takes a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. It comprises three timed sections that measure a student's knowledge in key subject areas.
Take as many online live and on-demand courses as you need to! Con – Live Courses: While Kaplan does offer self-paced PSAT prep classes, be sure to contact them regarding their live online course schedules to ensure this option will work for you.
The Writing and Language section contains 44 questions and is timed for 35 minutes. The Mathematics section of the PSAT will test you on math that you will rely on in different sorts of situations such as in college, your job, and in your personal life. The type of math questions that you’ll be given include:
Summary: Use a free PSAT practice test below to prepare for your upcoming exam. Practice tests are one of the best ways to prepare for the PSAT. Students will be able to learn what they need to work on and focus on that when they study. These tests all include answer explanations.
If you have studied for and taken the SAT or PSAT before, it's quite possible you may only need two hours per week to study. One week you could study Writing and Math with Calculator for an hour each, and the next week you could prioritize Reading and Math No Calculator.
Not only does this test help prepare you to take the full SAT, but it can also serve to qualify a student for the National Merit Scholarship Program. That's why prep courses and study guides for the PSAT can be every bit as important as those for the SAT.
Take the PSAT as a sophomore to gauge your starting point. If you seriously struggle – get any score below a 1000 – start doing some prep sophomore year so you can get at least an above-average SAT score. Otherwise, you can wait until after sophomore year is over and prep during the summer.
Studying and Practicing for the PSAT/NMSQTMake a study plan. Know when you're taking the PSAT/NMSQT and build a study plan to make the most of your time before the test. ... Discover your strengths and weaknesses. ... Set concrete goals to level up your skills. ... Take full-length practice tests.
221National Merit Semifinalists Selection Index ScoresStateSelection IndexCalifornia221Colorado217Connecticut220Delaware22048 more rows•Dec 30, 2021
If you're gearing up for a high PSAT score your junior year, then you might choose to take the PSAT as a freshman for practice. Taking the PSAT in 9th grade will help you identify your current scoring level and figure out how you can improve for the future.
While the tests follow the same structure and cover the same content, the SAT is more difficult than the PSAT. They do cover the same subjects, but the SAT's material is a bit more advanced, reflecting the expectation that students will have learned more by the time they take the test.
If your child is in 10th grade, they can benefit from taking the PSAT 10 in several ways. It identifies their academic strengths and weaknesses early in high school, when there's plenty of time to improve before college. It lets them know which Advanced Placement (AP) courses they're most likely to do well in.
8th and 9th graders should take the PSAT/NMSQT exam in October this coming Fall for practice, in their 9th and 10th grade year. Do NOT let high school counselors or anyone tell you 9th or 10th graders take the 'PSAT-10' or 'PSAT-8/9' and not the real PSAT/NMSQT.
In contrast, an excellent score is one that's higher than the 90th percentile, or 90% of test takers. Based on that reasoning, a good PSAT score for a sophomore is a composite score higher than 1060, an OK score is one higher than 920, and an excellent score is anything higher than 1180.
Varsity Tutors' Learning Tools site provides free PSAT/NMSQT prep resources, including Practice Tests, Diagnostic Tests, Flashcards, and Questions of the Day.
On average, PSAT test takers in 2021 will most likely need a Selection Index of at least 215 to qualify for National Merit Semifinalist status.
The PSAT/NMSQT stands for the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It is designed to help you practice for the SAT, qualify...
Taking the PSAT gives you a chance to qualify for several scholarship programs, including the National Merit Scholarship Program. The top 50,000 sc...
The test is predictable, so you should learn the structure and content and use that information to raise your score. Once you know the setup of the...
The PSAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes long and is made up mostly of multiple-choice questions that test two subject areas: Math and Evidence-Based Rea...
PSAT score reports include a lot of information. You will receive a score ranging from 8 to 38 on each of the three tests (Reading, Writing & Langu...
You will be able to access your PSAT scores online in December. Schools receive paper score reports in early December and may share these with stud...
The 11th grade PSAT/NMSQT ® test is the qualifying test for the National Merit ® Scholarship Program. Many colleges reward National Merit Semifinalists and other recognized students with scholarship money, which is a great way to help pay for college.
A perfect score on the PSAT test is a 1520. You don’t have to earn a perfect score to earn National Merit recognition, but you will need to score in the top ½ percent of 11th graders in your state.
KD College Prep offers several options for students looking to prepare for the PSAT test: test prep courses, one-on-one tutoring, or a combination of the two. To find the best fit for your teen, sign up for a free consultation with our college prep advisors.
The PSAT is a 3-hour test that measures critical reading, mathematics and writing skills. Juniors in high school take the PSAT to help prepare for the SAT. The test covers basic skills students learn in ninth and tenth grades.
There are two main reasons test takers may have longer completion times, but they’ve never caused a “standard ” three-hour time frame. Some people experience an emergency and need to take additional time to finish the test.
More than 3 million students take the PSAT exam each year. The PSAT exam has been redesigned to assess better the new test-taking skills that students will use both in school and on future standardized tests.
The PSAT takes a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. It comprises three timed sections that measure a student's knowledge in key subject areas.
The PSAT is a standardized test that prepares college-bound high school students for the SAT. Read on to learn about the structure, timing, and content of this exam.
Because the PSAT section tests are individually timed, it is important for students studying for the exam to not only fully understand the test's content, but also practice time management when preparing for the PSAT. To master self-pacing for the test, students may utilize free practice tests provided by the College Board, which administers the PSAT. Students are advised to take practice tests within PSAT section time restrictions in order to become familiar with how quickly they will have to work to complete each section on test day.
PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT scores will also be available to schools, and may be sent to school districts or states. Among other scholarship and recognition programs, The National Merit Scholarship Corporation will review PSAT/NMSQT scores for available academic scholarships.
The exam is administered as both the PSAT 10, which is entirely preparatory for high school sophomores, and the PSAT/NMSQT, which both prepares sophomores and juniors for the SAT and is used by college scholarship programs to determine eligible students. Both exams will be administered at the students' schools, in the spring and the fall respectively. On test day, students should remember to bring two No. 2 pencils and an approved calculator that can be used during the math section.
The PSAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes long and is made up mostly of multiple-choice questions that test two subject areas: Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. The latter is broken into a Reading Test, which is 60 minutes long, and a Writing & Language test, which is 35 minutes long. The No-Calculator section of the Math Test is 25 minutes ...
The PSAT/NMSQT stands for the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It is designed to help you practice for the SAT, qualify for scholarships, and stand out to colleges. The PSAT is offered every year in mid-October at your high school.
PSAT score reports include a lot of information. You will receive a score ranging from 8 to 38 on each of the three tests (Reading, Writing & Language, and Math) and a score ranging from 160 to 760 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and for Math.
The test is predictable, so you should learn the structure and content and use that information to raise your score. Once you know the setup of the PSAT, you can develop a system for attacking the questions. Whether you use a book, a self-paced or teacher-guided class, or a private tutor, you should put in the work ahead of time so you can be confident and relaxed on test day.
Kaplan's test experts know how to engage a classroom and teach key strategies that boost scores.
According to most students, it takes approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete the PSAT.
The PSAT is an officially sanctioned practice exam that mimics the style and format of the actual exam. The best part? It’s held directly by the College Board and also sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. There are a handful of PSAT study guides and prep books floating around out there, and the College Board actually provides some PSAT practice materials on their website. However, there are some excellent additional resources for hands-on help. We highly recommend taking an online PSAT prep course; it’ll help you understand the structure and demands of both the PSAT and SAT.
As the actual SAT can have a large bearing on where you are admitted to college, taking the PSAT is a crucial step in preparing for the exam and helping to ensure acceptance to the school of your dreams. In some cases, a high PSAT score can even lead to financial aid opportunities!
Kaplan stands out thanks to their live and on-demand course options. WIth more than 13 hours of instruction, as well as practice PSAT exams, Kaplan always has up to date content that makes them a surefire way to boost your score on test day.
For under $400, you’ll get unlimited access to PrepScholar’s Complete PSAT Online Prep for one year. This includes customizable study plans, over 200 hours of content, two practice tests, and so much more.
Finally, you’ll get an excellent library of practice tests and questions to work with— including 240 exercises and more than 2,000 multiple-choice questions. You can access additional features within the Princeton Review mobile app.
Con – Live Courses: While Kaplan does offer self-paced PSAT prep classes, be sure to contact them regarding their live online course schedules to ensure this option will work for you. Scheduling for these can be limited, which is a disappointing contrast to the convenience most of their content provides.
A 16-hour course that features live instruction, small class sizes, and is tailored to your needs. You will work through at least 2 full-length PSAT practice tests and have the chance to meet with an Educational Director who ensures that you’re on the right track.
Their Live Online courses are taught by PSAT experts and feature 15 hours of live online instruction and 2 practice tests and scoring.
The Kaplan PSAT live online class meets online either once a week for 5 weeks or twice a week for 2.5 weeks. These class schedules are in the evenings or weekends, depending on your availability and are an opportunity for students to enjoy instruction from experts in real-time. The difference between a live online course and an on-demand course with teacher support is that you can actually ask questions directly to your teacher in real-time versus emailing a teacher and waiting for him/her to get back to you. For about ~$200 more, I think it’s worth it to have access to 15 hours with an instructor to help solve questions or problems immediately.
Their Live Online courses are taught by PSAT experts and feature 15 hours of live online instruction and 2 practice tests and scoring. All courses also come with their on-demand video lessons that cover every topic.
Each live online class meets for 2 hours either once or twice a week for 5-8 weeks. With 16 hours of live online instruction, students can use this time to ask questions while working through problems together.
Kaplan has the most expensive PSAT course on the market. If you hope to take the SAT in the future, you may consider lumping in SAT prep, too, with their PSAT/SAT Unlimited Course.
This course is loaded with 210+ hours of content, 7000+ practice questions, and customizable practice sets. They receive a 5 out of 5 for their study plan.
Our Complete prep program has a baseline time of 40 hours total. This is the minimum recommended amount of time to get the most from our program. For example, if you plan to take the test in two months (60 days) then the student is encouraged to spend about an hour a day on the program.
The program is 100% all online. You do NOT need to drive anywhere or meet in any prep centers.
You can use our program just like you use the rest of the Internet: you do NOT need to schedule anything beforehand. Everything is accessible whenever you like, whether it’s 6AM, 4PM, or 11PM. Work as many hours per week as you’d like, or as few as you’d like. Pause the program whenever you’d like, even in the middle of a lesson or test.
Yes. In each lesson we go over baseline content, but we also go over common ways the PSAT and SAT trick students, and how to strategize around those tricks.
Our program has a full history of lessons completed. For any given skill and lesson, you can see whether the student mastered that lesson, was assigned to retake it, or was downgraded. You further can see a line graph of your student's skill over time.
Our program is very flexible: you can pause it at any time and pick it up anytime later. This outline is a common usage pattern for our program:
Our program has been proven to increase student scores by points. The best way to make sure the online format and our powerful method of improving your PSAT score is to really try it yourself. No amount of description can match the understanding you gain from actually trying out PrepScholar.
It generally takes about 6 weeks from the test date to receive your PSAT scores, and the average national score is 920.
PSAT Reading Test. The Reading Test is comprised of passages taken from literature, historical documents, and other similar sources. Each passage is followed by multiple-choice questions that test your ability to extract meaning, understand complex wording, find the main idea, and interpret the author’s intention.
While the PSAT and SAT are very similar, they do have a few important differences. As stated above, the two tests are scored differently. With the exception of the optional essay section, both exams cover the same test subjects and include the same types of questions.
The PSAT is scored a little differently than the SAT. On the SAT, the Reading and Writing Tests are scored on a scale from 200 to 800, and the Math Test is scored on its own using the same scale. So, the SAT scores can range anywhere between 400-1600, with the optional essay graded separately.
In both sections, you can expect to see problems involving Algebra I and II, Geometry, and Trigonometry. Additionally, the Math Test is the only part of the PSAT that includes questions that are not multiple-choice.
Just like the SAT, the PSAT is broken down into 3 sections: the Reading Test, the Writing and Language Test, and the Math Test.
If your school does not offer registration for the PSAT, you may need to register and pay for the test through a nearby school. In any case, the fee for registration is generally around $16. You can register online at this link. The deadline for test registration is usually about one month prior to the test dates, though the exact deadline varies each year.
Adhering to a study timeline can prepare you mentally in the crucial days before the PSAT. Remember, you can adapt this timeline to suit your needs. Be consistent, dedicated and – most importantly – stay calm.
Doing so teaches you to trust your instincts and can boost your score by preventing you from falling for trap answer choices.
Simulate testing conditions as closely as possible so you can become more comfortable with the PSAT exam experience. Set a timer, put away your cellphone, go to a quiet area and get working. Familiarizing yourself with the timing and sequence of the PSAT can lower your stress levels to ensure superior performance.
For high school sophomores and juniors, sitting for the PSAT is a vital opportunity to practice for the all-important SAT – and for juniors, to also possibly earn scholarship funds.
To avoid feeling overwhelmed, however, focus on three or four problematic areas. Limit your practice to questions that involve only these topics, but be sure to choose areas or concepts that you encounter most often on PSAT practice tests.
The main goal at this point is to get yourself into the right head space for the PSAT. Alleviate anxiety by doing some light exercise, watching comedy or speaking on the phone with an encouraging friend.
True comprehension requires longer than 24 hours, and last-minute studying may induce panic. Instead, use your last 24 hours to figure out the logistics of test day. Take care of practical matters like preparing your calculator and ID and choosing a comfortable outfit.