PSAT/NMSQT Tests
Frequently asked questions about the PSAT/NMSQT:
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What is the PSAT/NMSQT exactly and why should I take it?
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How many times can I take the PSAT and how much does it cost?
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Will colleges use my PSAT scores in determining whether or not I am admitted?
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When can I expect my scores back from the PSAT and what do they tell me?
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What about scholarship opportunities and student search services and the PSAT?
- Test dates and deadlines
What is the PSAT/NMSQT exactly and why should
I take it?
PSAT.-The Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test.
NMSQT-.National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
The PSAT/NMSQT is basically a verbal and math practice
test to prepare for the SAT I test generally taken in the spring
of your junior year. The nice thing about the PSAT is that you
can take it twice, once the fall of your sophomore year and again
in the fall of your junior year.
Test Format
The PSAT is structured into five different sections
as below
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Slightly more than 2 hours
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Two 25 minute Verbal
Section consisting of sentence completion, analogies, and critical
reading  just like the SAT.
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Two 25 minute Math Section
consisting of regular math, quantitative comparisons, and grid-insâ€â€ÂÂÂjust
like the SAT.
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One 30 minute Writing Skill
Section includes 39 multiple choice questions, dealing with
identifying and correcting grammatical errors.
This "practice" test will provide you, your parents
and your counselor with some base line verbal and math scores
that will indicate how you can expect to do on the SAT I. The PSAT contains the same types of questions and produces
basically the same kind of scores found on the SAT I. This test
is great for determining what academic areas you may want to focus
on to improve your scores by the time you have to take the SAT
I. Think of the PSAT as a "preview" and use that
preview to plan ahead for the spring of your junior year. REMEMBER,
the better you do on those SAT's, the more you MAXIMIZE your
chances of attending the schools of your choice.
The PSAT will give you valuable experience in learning how to
deal with the pressure of taking a timed test. It will also allow
you to get more comfortable with the way standardized tests are
set up. (The types of questions used, how they are phrased, etc.)
How many times can I take the PSAT and how much does it cost?
You generally will want to take the PSAT twice, in the
fall of your sophomore year and again in the fall of your junior
year. The PSAT test fee is $9, though schools generally charge an additional
fee for administering this test. For more information, contact the College
Board (1-888-477-PSAT).
Will colleges use my PSAT scores in determining whether or
not I am admitted?
No, Colleges rarely, if ever, see your PSAT scores and even if
they do, they don't "count" them for you or against
you. Don't panic about the PSAT. Use it as a tool
to help you improve future SAT I scores. Most students score higher
on standardized tests as they get further through school due to
more "learning" (of course) and by just getting more
comfortable with the testing format.
When can I expect my scores back from the PSAT and what do
they tell me?
Usually scores will be sent to your school in early December.
The scores will be distributed to you along with an explanation
booklet. You will receive 2 scores, a verbal evaluation and a
mathematics evaluation. The scores range from 20 to 80. (These
scores are meant to line up with the SAT I scoring system of 200
to 800; just add a zero to your PSAT score and you see the potential
SAT I score).
In 1995 the Educational Testing Service re-centered
both the PSAT and SAT I scores. This re-centering of scores is
a technical change made by the ETS to move the average scores
on PSAT and SAT I tests back to the center of the scoring scale,
for example; with the PSAT range of 20-80 re-centering scores would
make the average score about 50, and for the SAT I, within the
range of 200-800, 500 would be the average score. A more detailed
explanation of this change and a Equivalence Table comparing the
re-centered scores to the old method will be available in the PSAT
or SAT I Bulletin announcement available in your counseling center.
The PSAT scores give you a general idea of what you can expect
your SAT I scores to be. If you fall below the average scores
of college bound students (this information is provided along
with your test scores), you should begin to plan strategies to
improve your performance.
What about scholarship opportunities and student search services
and the PSAT?
The National Merit Scholarship Program uses the PSAT/NMSQT scores
from your JUNIOR year as a way to determine if you are eligible
for specific scholarship opportunities. Other organizations may
use that junior year test as a qualifying score also. Check with
your counselor for more specific information.
If you check the designated box on your PSAT score sheet, your
scores will be sent to a group called the Student Search Service.
They provide your scores to schools participating in their service.
These colleges ask this service to provide them with the names
of eligible students with scores in certain ranges, from certain
geographic areas and other criteria. If you fall within one of
these ranges set up by a college, you may be contacted with information
about that school. Be aware that this in no way means you will
be admitted to the school. Basically, it is a way for colleges
to get information about you so they can advertise their school
to you. If you don't want a bunch of stuff coming in the mail,
you probably don't want to check mark that little box!
Test Dates and Deadlines
Exam Date
Register By Registration
Deadline 10/12/2011
9/9/2011
9/14/2011
12/01/2011 11/11/2011
11/23/2011
6/30/2011
6/15/2011 6/15/2011
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