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PSAT / NMSQT

PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

  • PSAT (or the Preliminary SAT) Digital 
    • Dates: Oct. 23 and Oct. 29, 2024
    • Deadline to register: Sept 25, 2024 (or until spots are available)
    • Length of Test: 8:00AM-12:00pm (approximate)
    • Where: Wilson High School
    • Cost:  $18
    • How:   Sign ups in the Upper House Counseling Office *SIGN UPS WILL BEGIN TBD
    • Payment: Cash, Check, or Money Order made payable to: “Wilson School District”    
    • What: The PSAT provides the best practice and the most useful tools in preparation for the SAT, which is a standardized test used in the college admissions process. Some of the benefits include a detailed online score report, individualized Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy, and scholarship opportunities for 11th grade students.

PSAT/NMSQT Date

Registration Deadline

October 23, 2024 (Wed.)

September 25, 2024

October 29, 2024 (Tues.)

September 25, 2024

 

Important Notes:

  • Registration will close once capacity for each test date has been reached. There will be no exceptions. We may not be able to accommodate late registrations since information must be uploaded to the CollegeBoard system in the weeks prior to the exam.

  • Students may not take the PSAT/NMSQT more than once per school year.  Please do not register for more than one test.

  • Khan Academy offers free online practice tests that are available to all students.

  • All registered students will be emailed their testing location closer to the test date.

  • If you have any questions, please contact the UH Counseling Office

The PSAT was redesigned as digital test in Fall 2023. Click here for more information on how the PSAT is structured.

Below is analysis of the restructured PSAT by the Kaplan Content and Curriculum Team:

  1. There is lots of reading on this exam, across both the Evidence-Based Reading & Writing and Math sections.
  2. The 60 minute Evidence-Based Reading Test, comprised of 4 long passages and 1 paired passage with 47 questions, will challenge students’ stamina and focus.
  3. 80% of the Evidence-Based Reading Test is made up of passages from Science and Social Studies/History, and will require a substantial amount of returning to the passage to locate specific details and textual evidence.
  4. Math questions appear, generally, in order of difficulty from Easy to Medium to Hard.
  5. Math questions involve a lot of reading and focus on real-world contexts, such as identifying the function that represents the cost of an online gaming service, and analyzing a chart displaying data on summer employment of teenagers.
  6. Although the College Board indicated that trig would only be on the SAT, a very basic trigonometry question was introduced on the Math section of the PSAT Practice Test.

PSAT Study Resources

PSAT/NMSQT Resources

Why should you take the PSAT

  • Get ready for the SAT* Enter National Merit Scholarship Corporation competitions for recognition and scholarship
  • Access personalized college and career planning resources in My College QuickStart
  • Request information from colleges and universities
  • Assess your critical reading, mathematical reasoning and writing skills
  • Get suggestions on how to improve your academic skills

Information

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It’s a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT®. It also gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools.

The PSAT/NMSQT measures:

  • Critical reading skills
  • Math problem-solving skills
  • Writing skills

You have developed these skills over many years, both in and out of school. This test doesn’t require you to recall specific facts from your classes.

The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to:

  • Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice.
  • See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college.
  • Enter the competition for scholarships from NMSC (grade 11).
  • Help prepare for the SAT. You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT.
  • Receive information from colleges when you check “yes” to Student Search Service.
  • http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html

What’s on the Test

The PSAT/NMSQT includes five sections:

  • Two 25-minute critical reading sections
  • Two 25-minute math sections
  • One 30-minute writing skills section

The whole test requires two hours and 10 minutes.

Students are advised to bring a calculator with which they are comfortable. Students should have basic knowledge of 4 math categories:

  • Numbers and Operation
  • Algebra and Functions (but not 3rd year level math that may appear on the new SAT)
  • Geometry and Measurement
  • Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability

Writing Skills

One 30-minute writing section = 39 questions

These multiple-choice questions on writing skills measure a student’s ability to express ideas effectively in standard-written English, to recognize faults in usage and structure, and to use language with sensitivity to meaning.

Scholarships & Recognition

By taking the PSAT/NMSQT, you may qualify to enter the competitions for prestigious scholarships and participate in recognition programs. As cosponsor of the PSAT/NMSQT, (NMSC) receives all students’ scores. If you do not want your scores released to other recognition programs, contact us.

National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC)

Students in the eleventh grade of high school enter NMSC competitions by taking the PSAT/NMSQT, which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year, and by meeting published program entry and/or participation requirements. NMSC uses the Selection Index score (the sum of the critical reading, mathematics, and writing skills scores) on the PSAT/NMSQT as an initial screen of program entrants and to designate groups of students to be honored in the competitions it conducts.

For more information about NMSC, visit www.nationalmerit.org.

National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP)

Our National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) was initiated in 1983 to identify outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school students and to share information about you with interested colleges and universities. In order to be eligible, you must be at least one-quarter Hispanic/Latino as defined by the NHRP, meet the minimum PSAT/NMSQT cutoff score for your state, and achieve a minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement.

National Scholarship Service (NSSFNS)

The NSSFNS offers a free college advisory and referral service for students who plan to attend two-year or four-year colleges. Scores are sent for students in eleventh grade who indicate that they are African American. (Note: This program is not conducted by NMSC.)

For more information, write to:

National Scholarship Service
980 Martin Luther King Drive, SW, PO Box 11409
Atlanta, GA 30310

The Telluride Association

The Telluride Association offers scholarships to gifted juniors for summer seminars in the humanities and social sciences. (This program is not conducted by NMSC.)

For more information, visit www.tellurideassociation.org or write to:

Telluride Association 
217 West Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14850

Calculator Use

You may use a calculator on the math sections.

Students are strongly encouraged to take a calculator to the PSAT/NMSQT, whether or not they plan to use it.

  • Take a calculator you are comfortable using. Don’t buy a new one just for the test.
  • Don’t try to use the calculator on every question. No question requires one.
  • Decide how to solve each problem before deciding whether to use a calculator.
  • Practice sample questions with a calculator on hand.
  • Students will not be allowed to share calculators with other students.

Approved calculators:

  • four-function calculator
  • scientific calculator
  • graphing calculator

Calculators NOT permitted:

  • pocket organizer
  • hand-held or laptop computer
  • electronic writing pad or pen input device
  • calculator with a QWERTY (typewriter-like) keypad
  • calculator with paper tape
  • calculator that makes noises or “talks”
  • calculator that requires an outlet

Official Student Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT

If you plan to take the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall, pick up the Official Student Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT from your guidance office in September.

The Student Guide has three main sections:

  1. Test taking help
  2. Information about National Merit Scholarship Corporation scholarship competitions
  3. A full-length practice test

Use the Student Guide to Do Your Best

  • Review the section about scholarships with your parents.
  • Practice now with sample critical reading, math, and writing skills questions.
  • Get familiar with the instructions for each type of test question.
  • Take the practice test like it’s the real thing! You can go online to review complete answer explanations for all the questions on the practice test—to help you prepare before test day.

Go online for additional information http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/prep.html

PSAT/NMSQT Resources