PSAT: Your Gateway to Academic Success

The PSAT, or Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test, is a standardized test administered by the CollegeBoard. It serves as a valuable tool for high school students, offering insights into academic strengths, weaknesses, and future career paths.

Why Take PSAT?

• Official Practice for the SAT: Also a digital test of College Board, the PSAT is a shorter version of the SAT, designed to familiarize you with the test format, question types, and pacing. This practice can help reduce test anxiety and improve your performance on the actual SAT.
• Comprehensive Score Report: The PSAT provides a detailed score report that includes your overall score, scores for each section, and your percentile among all test-takers worldwide. This information can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and focus your study efforts accordingly.
• See Your Progress: It is most common to take the PSAT during Grade 10 or 11, but it'd be as early as 8th grade. If you've already taken the PSAT before Grade 11, or PSAT 8/9 or PSAT 10,  you'll be able to track your improvement.
• Set a Target: With insights about your knowledge and skills, set your own target SAT score.
• Get Your AP Potential: Access personalized recommendations about AP courses that are a good fit.
• Scholarship Opportunities: For U.S. citizens, the PSAT in October is also known as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT), used to determine eligibility for National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). A strong performance on the PSAT can open doors to prestigious scholarships and college admissions opportunities.

What's on the Test?

​The PSAT is a standardized test consisting of two sections: Reading & Writing, and Math, which takes 2 hours and 14 minutes in total, with a break in between, usually.
It's allowed to use a calculator on all questions in the Math section. The digital test platform, Bluebook, has a built-in graphing calculator, Desmos Graphing Calculator,  that you can use if you wish, or you can use your own approved calculator; scratch paper is also provided. List of acceptable calculators for PSAT. 

Minutes	Section	Number of Questions	Content
64	Reading & Writing	54	Questions evenly divided between 2 modules, 32 minutes for each. In this section, you'll answer multiple-choice questions requiring you to read, comprehend, and use information and ideas in texts; analyze the craft and structure of texts; revise texts to improve the rhetorical expression of ideas; and edit texts to follow core conventions of Standard English.
70	Math	44	Questions, arranged from easiest to hardest, evenly divided between 2 modules, 35 minutes for each.  It focuses on key elements of algebra, advanced math, problem-solving and data analysis, and geometry and trigonometry, with multiple-choice and student-produced response questions. More details about PSAT 10 Math.

Different PSATs for Different Purposes

PSAT is a versatile tool for students of at different grades. While it is most common to take the PSAT during Grade 10 or 11, it'd be as early as 8th grade. 

• PSAT/NMSQT: Primarily used for high school juniors to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) program.
• PSAT 10:  Often used as a practice test for the SAT, and intended for 10th-grade students to get a preview of the SAT and assess academic readiness.
• PSAT 8/9: Designed for 8th and 9th-grade students to get an early exposure to college-level material and identify areas for improvement.

Test Dates

• PSAT/NMSQT: October 
• PSAT 10: March to April
• PSAT 8/9: October and March to April

As with AP Exams in Taiwan, students attending international or bilingual high schools can likely register and take the PSATs at their own schools. However, it's uncommon for schools that don't offer PSATs to accept community students (students not from the test center schools).

If your school doesn't offer PSATs, Trinity Scholar can help you register as a community student at a test center in Taiwan. Please contact us by August for the October PSATs or by February for the April PSATs.

At the beginning of the semester, inquire with your school counselor about PSAT availability and registration procedures.

Scoring

PSAT/NMSQT scores are typically available online 4–6 weeks after the test administration. on October 24, November 7, and November 14, 2024. Which release you'll fall in depends on what day you tested and when your answers were submitted.

• ​Raw Score: Each correct answer receives 1 point, while incorrect answers receive 0 points.
• Scaled Score: Raw scores are converted to a scaled score, PSAT/NMSQT & PSAT 10 ranging from 160 to 760 for each section scores and 320-1520 for total scores, while PSAT 8/9 ranging from 120-720 & 240-1440, respectively
• Percentile: Your scaled score is compared to the scores of other test-takers worldwide to determine your percentile ranking.

What's a good score? 
For PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10, the average score is around 920. A score between 1210 and 1520 places you in the top 10% of test takers.

On the Test Date

There are only a few things you really need to bring on test day, and a lot of things you'll be better off leaving at home. Be sure to bring:

• Your fully charged device, either Mac and Windows devices, or iPads, with Bluebook™  installed and exam setup complete before test day if you're testing with a personal device.
• A power cord and/or a portable charger. We cannot guarantee you’ll have access to an outlet during testing. Your device should be able to hold a charge for 3–4 hours.
• A pencil or pen.
• An approved calculator. There’s a graphing calculator built into the app, but you can bring your own if you like.
• An external mouse if you use one.
• An external keyboard if you use one (you can only use external keyboards with tablets—NOT laptops.)
• An approved photo ID if you’re homeschooled or if you’ll be testing at a school that is different from the one you usually attend.

Nice to Have

• A watch (WITHOUT an audible alarm).
• Extra batteries for your calculator and backup equipment—you'll have to ask for permission to access them. They can’t be on your desk during the test.
• A bag or backpack.
• A drink or snacks (for your break).
• Epinephrine auto-injectors (for example, EpiPens) are permitted without the need for accommodations. They must be placed in a clear bag and stored under your desk during testing. For policies on other medications and medical devices, contact the Services for Students with Disabilities office.

Do NOT Bring

• Scratch paper will be provided—DO NOT bring your own.
• Phones smartwatches, fitness trackers, or other wearable technology (simple digital non-smartwatches or analog watches are acceptable)
• Audio players, Bluetooth devices (like wireless earbuds/headphones), or any other electronic devices (except your testing device)
  
• Detachable privacy screens
  
• External keyboards for use with laptops or Chromebooks (keyboards for iPads are allowed)
  
• Stylus for iPad
  
• Any cameras, recording device, or timer
  
• Notes, books, or any other reference materials (except as approved as an English language learner support for in-school administrations)
  Compasses, rulers, protractors, or cutting devices
  
• Headphones, earbuds, or earplugs
  
• Unacceptable calculators that have computer-style (QWERTY) keyboards, use paper tape, make noise, or use a power cord
  
• Weapons or firearms
  
• Any electronic device makes noise, unless with a College Board-approved accommodation, in your possession or you are seen with it at any time, including during breaks, you may be dismissed immediately, your scores may be canceled, and the device may be confiscated and its contents inspected.