PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10, PSAT/NMSQT, oh my!!!!! part 1

Remember back in the old days when there was just the PSAT a year before the SAT’s? You know, just a pre-test to get you ready for that all-important college entry exam? Well, no more!! Welcome to the 21st century and we have a pre pre pre-test, and a pre pre-test, and then a pre-test to the SAT. Got that?

Let’s go over the PSAT 8/9 first.

First of all, no colleges see the results of this test.

The PSAT 8/9 is a test designed for 8th and 9th graders. It is shorter than the real PSAT and has content designed for 8th and 9th graders, but is intended to be an indicator for how a student is doing and how he or she can improve for that all important SAT in 11th grade. It allows a student (or really, their parents) to see which areas need improvement and gives them PLENTY of time to work on those areas.

The PSAT 8/9 has only 38 Math questions, 42 Reading questions, and 40 Writing and Language questions, all of which are shorter than the other PSAT tests. The reading is considered straight-forward, and the passages are relatively short. The math covers the beginnings of probability and statistics, but ratios, proportions and other algebraic topics are fully tested. The time of the test is 20 minutes shorter than the other PSAT’s.

The Reading section typically has 5 reading passages, mostly nonfiction, and some might have charts to interpret. The Writing and Language section has the student edit, find mistakes or weaknesses in sentences, improve word choices, and select proper sentence structure and punctuation. It is all multiple choice.

Most of the Math section is multiple choice, but some is “grid in” where the student writes in the actual answer; there is also a portion of the Math section that allows a calculator.

The scoring is different than the SAT; the score goes from 240 to 1440 combined, and subsection scores are also given in History and Science (from 6 to 36, which help with content questions and therefore can give direction of subject areas that might need focusing on).

What’s nice these days is that after the PSAT 8/9 is graded a scoring report is sent home so your son or daughter (or really, the parents) can look at the details of which questions were correct and which were incorrect on the test.

What do you do with this scoring report?

First, look to see which Math problems were missed. Were they on topics your child has learned yet? If the answer is no, then do nothing. If the answer is yes, then some relearning is in order. These are topics that will be on subsequent PSATs and SATs so your child has to know these Math concepts!! Now go to the English questions and see which questions were missed. Were they at the beginning or the end of the section? Did your child feel rushed? Was your child tired? If that was not the issue then look further. Was it reading comprehension issues? Does your child know grammar? Or punctuation? The SAT is famous (infamous?) for these types of questions and if they seem to be problematic for your son or daughter there are many online and offline (ie tutoring) ways to improve in this area.

A basic question question that I haven’t breached, however is whether this test should even be taken at all.

It’s important to understand that the content on the PSAT 8/9 is not identical to the SAT; it is a pre pre pre-test. But in the arms race of getting into college today, preparation is the name of the game, and sitting for pre pre pre tests (even if it makes $$ for the College Board) is one way of ensuring that your son or daughter is better prepared for those SATs…….IF you take the results of the PSAT 8/9 and use them to focus your child on improving their reading comprehension, or math, or language skills. (as an FYI there IS a pre-ACT, but not a pre pre or pre pre pre.)

It’s a very personal choice as to whether your 8th or 9th grader should be sitting for a standardized test that funds the educational industrial complex. And please don’t misunderstand - there can be benefits, and those kids whose parents envision Ivy League schools (or the like) are doing their kids a favor by helping them with a head start with these tests. But don’t forget the stress that many kids also feel when it comes to standardized testing, and the shame they feel if they don’t meet expectations.

If your family is gung-ho about using the results of the test to help your child prepare for the PSAT 10 and beyond, and if you also believe your child will be eligible for a top college (or is aiming for scholarship opportunities that are reliant on SAT scores), then the PSAT 8/9 can certainly be a helpful start. The point is to know your family situation and your child and their reaction to testing, and their (and your) commitment to actively responding to the results of the test.