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PSAT? What's with that?
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“Kate, what’s with the PSAT? Should I get my kid to start prepping for this?” These questions came up the other day from a friend who has a son in 10th grade. So what exactly is the PSAT? The PSAT is an SAT that does not count! I repeat: it does not count. It will not be sent to colleges. It will not be factored into admissions decisions. But what is it? And what does the PSAT do? It mimics the SAT. The questions are about the same in difficulty. It is administered in the same “Bluebook” testing app, and the score can be a decent predictor of one’s first practice SAT score. For some unknown reason, the scoring of the PSAT is different from the SAT. The SAT is scored out of 1600, with a maximum of 800 points per section. The PSAT is scored out of 1520, with 760 points in each section. But Kate, if the PSAT doesn’t count, why do some schools ask every 11th grader, and some 10th graders, to take it? Honestly, the reason some schools require the PSAT is vague and likely reflects the power of this private company called The College Board. That said, I can tell you that the PSAT is a good SAT “first step”. There is a lot to be gained from going through the testing experience in a low pressure setting. It can be intimidating to sit in a strange classroom, listen to the proctor read out official sounding rules and directions, and then jump into a fast paced, digital test. The PSAT does not count, so I like how it offers that testing experience without the high stakes. What about National Merit Scholarships? My neighbor’s sister’s kid got some sort of PSAT National Merit mention? Yes, the top 1% of PSAT takers can be awarded a really cool honor: the National Merit Scholarship. Qualifying scores change by state. While National Merit is a nice acknowledgement, it is rare and not worth worrying about! To be clear, do not stress about National Merit. If it happens, it’s nice, but there are much better places to focus your energy when it comes to building a compelling college application. So, what should I do regarding the PSAT? What's the plan? Don't prepare for the PSAT. Take the PSAT when your school offers it and then ignore it. Make an SAT plan and just focus on that. (Previously, I emailed about SAT dates in 2025 and 2026.) Look at it this way: the PSAT is an optional step in the SAT process (either a first step or an “along the way step), nothing more. In short, here's my two cents: the PSAT is worth taking because any opportunity to gain testing experience is valuable. That said, the actual score is not something to stress about. I hope this helps! Please reach out with any questions! Your friendly neighborhood SAT coach, - Kate |
SAT Vocab Vault
SAT vocabulary is a slow build! Let's start right now. Join 200+ parents and high school students as we gain fancy vocabulary words and useful tips to CRUSH the SAT.
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