PSAT/NMSQT (10th or 11th Grade)
The PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is the “pre-SAT.”
Students in 11th grade take it to qualify for scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the National Hispanic Recognition Program, and the Telluride Association.
The PSAT/NMSQT is administered on only two dates each year:
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
This test is administered by high schools, not through test centers, so your child must register for the test through the high school. Each high school chooses only one October test date. Contact the high school counselor or principal for all the details.
Test Fee: $13
Fee waivers are available for 11th grade students from low-income families. Ask your child’s counselor about fee waivers. (Note: Schools sometimes charge an additional fee to cover administrative costs.)
The PSAT/NMSQT consists of five sections:
Critical Reading: Two sections, 25 minutes each
Sentence Completion: 13 questions
Critical Reading: 35 questionsMath: Two sections, 25 minutes each (Calculators ARE allowed.)
Multiple Choice: 28 questions
Student-produced responses or “grid-ins”: 10 questionsWriting: One section, 30 minutes
Identify Sentence Errors: 14 questions
Improve Sentences: 20 questions
Improve Paragraphs: 5 questions
Scores in each test area range from 20-80. The average scores for 11th graders range from 46-49. Students will also receive a Selection Index, which is the sum of the scores in each test area. The Selection Index ranges from 60-240. The average index for 11th graders is 147.
Learn more: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html