The NEW Digital PSAT

Your teenager is taking the PSAT this month and you’re thinking… “What are the most important things I need to know?”

This quick overview gives you all of the basic information you want and what has changed now that the PSAT is digital.

What is the PSAT/NMQST?

PSAT = Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test

NMQST - National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

The PSAT/NMQST is given to all 11th graders, some 10th graders, and a few 9th graders (this varies by school district). It is a digital test (this is new for October of 2023) that students will take on their computers.

What Subjects are on the PSAT? How are the sections broken down?

There are 2 sections on the PSAT. The Reading / Writing section and the Math section.

  • Reading & Writing Section 

    • 2 modules, each module has 27 questions

    • 32 minutes per module

    • 1 question per reading passage

  • Math Section

    • 2 modules, each module has 22 questions

    • 35 minutes per module

    • 75% of questions are multiple-choice / 25% require a student-produced response

    • Can use a calculator on the entire math section.  If you don’t have a calculator, there is a desmos calculator built into the test

    • Algebra (~35%), Advanced Math (~35%), Problem-solving & Data Analysis (~15%), Geometry and Trigonometry (~15%)

The PSAT is now digital! 

There are several changes to the PSAT now that it has gone digital.

  1. The test will be taken on a computer via the College Board’s “Bluebook” app.

  2. It is shorter (it used to take 3 hours and now is complete in a little over 2 hours).

  3. It is adaptive. Each section contains 2 modules. The first module of each section will include standard questions. Performance in the first module will determine the difficulty level of questions in the second module.

  4. The Reading & Writing section has shorter reading passages. Instead of longer reading passages tied to several questions, each short reading passage will be used to answer only one question.

  5. A calculator can be used on the entire Math section.

  6. There is a new mobile app for score reporting. Students can choose to opt-in to the BigFuture School Mobile app.

Does my teenager need to prepare for the PSAT?

While they don’t necessarily need to prepare for the PSAT, there are a lot of free resources available if they’d like to practice. And, if they are 11th graders, any prep work they do for the PSAT will help them as they look to take the SAT a few months later!

Bluebook App

Inside the Bluebook App they will be using on their computer to take the PSAT, the College Board has provided a full-length practice test that they can work on prior to their PSAT test date.  

Khan Academy

Khan Academy provides free SAT practice for students. If you are using Khan Academy to prepare for the PSAT, be sure to select the Digital SAT practice.

What do the scores mean?

PSAT scores range from 320 to 1520 and are on the same scale as the SAT. This means that a score of 1120 on the PSAT is equivalent to a score of 1120 on the SAT. The only difference is that SAT scores range from 400 to 1600, because the difficulty level of the questions is higher than on the PSAT. Student scores are scheduled to be released on November 6th (released to schools 11/2).

Historically, the average PSAT score is around 920 and the top 10% usually fall between 1210-1520.

This year, the College Board is rolling out the BigFuture School Mobile app as an option for score reporting. In order to opt-in, students must provide their cell phone number on the test day. Talk to your teenager before their test about what you’d like them to do.

PSAT scores can be used to get a sense of how students may perform on the SAT. By linking their College Board account to Khan Academy, students can access free, targeted practice to help them prepare for the SAT.

What about the scholarship competition?

As a part of the score report, students will be provided with their Selection Index. The Selection Index is calculated by taking the reading/writing section (x2), adding it to the math section, and removing the “0” at the end. This means that the reading/writing section counts for ⅔ of a student’s selection index. The selection index will be used to determine competition eligibility. The specific selection index required for eligibility varies from year to year and is different for each state.  

Here is an approximate timeline of the competition notification process:

  • October of Junior Year | 11th-grade students from around the world will take the PSAT

  • May of Junior Year | Top 50,000 (~3% of 11th graders) are recognized as Commended Scholars (~34,000) or Semifinalists (~16,000) 

  • September of Senior Year | 16,000 Semifinalists continue in the competition through an application process

  • February of Senior Year | 95% of Semifinalists are eventually named Finalists (must meet certain academic requirements, attain qualifying SAT or ACT score, and complete an application)

  • March of Senior Year | From the pool of finalists, about half will be awarded scholarships

What does all of this mean?

The PSAT is a great opportunity to practice for the SAT and to understand areas of strength and weakness to be able to take part in targeted test prep. So, encourage your teenagers to take it seriously but not to the point where it becomes stressful. Remember, the number one factor in college admissions is the high school transcript so don’t let preparing for the PSAT/SAT get in the way of their high school courses.

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