Everyone has questions about PSAT scores when they come out each December, and I am here with answers for you.
What Is the PSAT? When and Why Do Students Take It?
Most high schools offer the PSAT to juniors as part of the National Merit Scholar (NMS) search process. Some high schools also offer the PACT (common in the West and Mountain West). Finally, some schools offer the PSAT to sophomores and even freshmen for early practice. Those early tests are not part of the NMS search process.
How Is the PSAT Scored?
Unlike the SAT, scored on a scale of 1600, the PSAT is scaled to a maximum score of 1520-- 760 verbal and 760 math. The test is very similar to the SAT but is slightly shorter in each section, e.g. 48 Reading questions rather than 52 on the SAT.
How Do I Find my PSAT Scores?
Log into https://studentscores.collegeboard.org with the student’s email and password and then navigate to the PSAT page. Ideally your student has NOT used a school email account for this, as firewalls can get in the way.
Do Colleges See My PSAT Scores?
All of these tests are intended to help students prepare for college entrance exams, and they have no effect on getting into college. Bottom line: Colleges don’t see these scores unless a test taker has chosen to share them. It’s the same with the SAT and ACT-- unless and until you choose to send your scores to colleges, they don’t see them.
If Colleges Don’t See My PSAT Scores, Why am I Getting all this Mail?
Testing agencies do sell lists of students within score ranges, so you may end up with mailings when you score high. You probably already knew that.
What is the National Merit Scholar Competition/Test (NMSQT) and How Does it Relate to the PSAT?
Read my blog post about National Merit
Does the PSAT Predict How Well I Will Do on the SAT?
It depends. The test gives you a snapshot of what you knew and how well you could demonstrate it on that particular day. If you studied quite a bit for the test and you didn’t have interfering issues-- anxiety, sickness, timing issues-- then the test could be predictive. If, however, you went in cold, it’s likely you can raise your score quite a bit with preparation.
What Is a “Good” PSAT Score?
A score doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and its value doesn’t either, so the definition of “good” depends on your goals. Remember that a PSAT score will usually translate to a SAT score about 60-80 points higher.
Estimated PSAT Score Ranges
1420+ - Students who wish to attend highly selective schools, including schools like MIT, Stanford, and those in the Ivy League would want to score in the 99th percentile of the PSAT, which starts in the low 1400s.
1300s - Students who wish to attend selective schools with acceptance rates in the 30% range
1200s - Students who wish to attend selective schools with acceptance rates around 40-50%
900s-1100s - Students who wish to attend schools with acceptance rates around 60-75%
If I Took the PSAT, What Are Some Things I Should Do Right Now?
Set up a personal email account designated only for college communications. Use it to register for the PSAT, SAT, and for communications with colleges.
Use your scores to determine if and when you want to prepare for the SAT or ACT. Some students will perform better on the ACT than the SAT, so I always encourage a practice ACT as a comparison point before moving forward with either test.
Assess your readiness— most students will want to have completed Algebra 2 before beginning test prep, but students who are already juniors may want to start right away, as testing options are only periodic through summer, and Fall of senior year, when tests are offered again, is close to application deadlines.
Link your PSAT scores to Khan Academy and use the free resources there to focus on your areas that need improvement. www.KhanAcademy.org.
Planning ahead: When should you take the SAT?
If you have questions about when to take the SAT, check out my previous blog post: https://www.ctkcollegecoach.com/college-admissions-blog/when-to-take-act-sat. And
if you are taking the SAT soon, remember to review my test-day checklist: https://www.ctkcollegecoach.com/college-admissions-blog/sat-checklist.
