It’s the second year of College Board’s digital, adaptive PSAT/NMSQT! This article answers your frequently asked questions about the test.
What is the PSAT/NMSQT?
The PSAT is intended to serve two purposes: give students exposure to the SAT and serve as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test for 11th graders. Click here for more on the National Merit Scholarship and cut off scores.
The PSAT/NMSQT is a digital adaptive test, which means you will take the test on a computer, and parts of the test will adapt to your performance (see more on this below).
The PSAT is the exact same length and format as the SAT. (Click here for a deep dive of the digital adaptive SAT.) If you are taking the test with regular time, you’ll receive a Reading & Writing section followed by a Math section.
- Reading & Writing contains two stages, each of 27 questions in 32 minutes
- Math contains two stages, each of 22 questions in 35 minutes
If you take a practice PSAT with Compass, you may also receive a 20-minute section at the end that can be either subject. This section helps ensure you receive an accurate score.
When is the test?
Schools can administer the PSAT/NMSQT on any school day in the month of October or on Saturday October 12th or 26th. Check with your school’s counseling office to find out when you’ll be taking the test.
What material is covered on the test?
There are two sections: Reading & Writing and Math.
Reading questions ask you to read a short passage and answer comprehension questions. Writing questions ask you to make edits to short passages based on meaning, clarity, or standard written English rules. The following questions are examples:
The math section covers the following four areas:
- Algebra: linear equations, linear functions, and linear equations with one or two variables
- Advanced Math: equivalent expressions, nonlinear equations, and nonlinear functions
- Problem-Solving and Data Analysis: ratios, rates, proportions, percentages, 2-variable data, probability and statistics
- Geometry and Trigonometry: area, volume, angles, lines, triangles, trigonometry, and circles
Why is the test adaptive and how does it work?
College Board wanted to shorten the testing experience, and the most efficient way to arrive at a score is to design the questions to adapt to the student’s performance.
When a student connects the app to the internet and starts a test, the app downloads three sets of questions (modules) per section to the testing device. The student will take module 1 and based on performance will either take module 2A (slightly easier) or 2B (slightly harder).
The PSAT/NMSQT breaks each section into two stages:
- Stage 1: Contains a mix of question difficulty, followed by a brief pause to calculate performance
- Stage 2: Contains either on-average easier or harder questions based on how the student performed on stage 1.
The result is a test that sends students down an easier or harder path for each section:
It’s important not to focus on trying to figure out which module you’ve received. The important thing is to get as many questions correct as you can.
How is the PSAT/NMSQT scored?
Because the PSAT/NMSQT is slightly easier than the SAT, its range of scores are also slightly lower than the SAT’s. Where each section of the SAT is on a 200–800 scale, the PSAT’s sections are on a 160–760 scale. The top score on the PSAT/NMSQT is a 1520.
How much is each right answer worth on the scale?
Gone are the days when we could say that a correct answer was about 10 points. College Board now uses a scoring system called Item Response Theory. This means that not every question is worth the same on every test for every student.
How does the National Merit Selection Index Work?
The Selection Index is listed on a student’s PSAT score report. It can be calculated by doubling the Reading and Writing score, adding the Math score, and then dividing the sum by 10. For example, a 720 RW | 730 M would have a Selection Index of (720 x 2 + 730)/10 = 217.
How do students take the test?
You’ll be asked to bring your own laptop or tablet or your school will provide you with a device. Unless you have been approved for a testing accommodation that requires a paper test, you’ll take the test on a computer.
If you’re taking the test on your own computer, make sure you create a College Board account and download the Bluebook App. This is the app that will be used to take the PSAT/NMSQT, the SAT, and most AP exams.
What kind of computer can I use?
Most PC and Mac laptops will work. iPads and school-managed Chromebooks are also acceptable.
For details on the minimum device requirements, see College Board’s Approved Testing Devices page.
Note that College Board advises students not to update their Mac OS in the fall and turn off any automatic updates until after their test date. For Bluebook technical updates, click here.
What should I bring to the test?
- If your school is not providing you with a device, be sure to bring yours fully charged with a power cord as backup.
- You will be provided with scratch paper, but bring a pencil or pen.
- There’s a graphing calculator in the test, but we recommend having your own as a backup.
- An external mouse and keyboard are optional if you are using a tablet.
- If you are homeschooled or testing at a school you don’t attend, bring a photo ID.
When do scores come back?
College Board will release scores in three batches: October 24, November 6, and November 14, 2024. When your scores are released will depend on when you took your test and submitted your answers. Check with your school’s counseling office to find out when to expect your scores.
Compass co-founder Adam Ingersoll is hosting PSAT Score Review Sessions to help students interpret their scores on October 25th and November 14th.
What material comes with the scores?
Students receive a score report that offers:
- Total scores
- Section scores
- Percentiles
- Knowledge and skills performance, broken into categories like Standard English Conventions and advanced math
- Careers insights snapshot
- National Merit Selection Index
- Score comparisons, including comparisons to your school, district, state, and country, as well as all testers
Students no longer get access to the test they took, so there is no way to review the exact questions you missed. We recommend taking a practice test with Compass. Our score reports include advanced analytics like time-per-question, how your performance on each question compares to that of similarly scoring students, and which questions contain attractor (trap) wrong answers.
What should I do with my scores? What’s next?
To determine whether you should prepare for the SAT or ACT (we don’t recommend trying to prepare for both), take a practice ACT. Our resources and directors can help you determine which test is right for you. Once you’ve selected a test, look at upcoming test dates to figure out the ideal testing timeline. If you’re interested in customized one-on-one tutoring, speak with an expert Compass director. If you’d prefer a class, check out our small group offerings.
