What Your PSAT Scores Mean

What Your PSAT Scores Mean

�Why the PSAT/NMSQT matters

Know the impact PSAT scores have on admissions

�Your Scores

Understand what your scores mean and how to improve your

scores.

�SAT and ACT

What is on the SAT and ACT?

�Resources

Free and other resourses!

Agenda

Why the PSAT/NMSQT

Matters

Why the PSAT/NMSQT Matters

National Merit Scholarships and more

Connect students to schools & scholarships

Excellent practice for the New SAT

The Essentials

Category Features

PSAT/NMSQT Overview

2 hours, 45 minutesTiming

Structure

No guessing penaltyNow scored on a scale of 320 - 1520Scoring

Evidence-Based Reading – 60 minWriting & Language – 35 minMath No Calculator – 25 minMath With Calculator – 45 min

Making Sense of the Numbers

PSAT/NMSQT: 320-1520PSAT/NMSQT: 320-1520

New SAT: 400-1600New SAT: 400-1600

300 600 900 1200

1500Composite Score Range

PSAT Score Report

PSAT Score Report

Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 SAT/12

390 410 430 460 480 ERW

430 450 480 510 530 MATH

PSAT Score Report

Test Changes

PSAT Score Report

STANDARDIZED TESTS

National Merit

How to calculate Selection Index:� Find your three test scores: (Range of 8-38)

Reading, Writing & Language, Math

� Add together

� Double your total- Favors ELA over Math

Example-

18 - Reading

20 –Writing and Language

24 - Math

62 x 2 = 124 Selection Index

222

Massachusetts

New Jersey

DC

221

California

Maryland

Virginia

220

Connecticut

Texas

Washington

219

Arizona

Georgia

Illinois

Minnesota

New York

Oregon

218

Colorado

Delaware

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

Tennessee217

Florida

Hawaii

Indiana

Kansas

Ohio

Rhode Island

216

Michigan

Missouri

New Hampshire

215

Alabama

Iowa

Kentucky

Nebraska

South Carolina

Utah

Vermont

Wisconsin

214

Idaho

Louisiana

Maine

Nevada

213

Alaska

Arkansas

New Mexico

Oklahoma

212

Mississippi

210

Montana

209

North Dakota

South Dakota

West Virginia

Wyoming

STANDARDIZED TESTS

SAT

SAT VS ACT

SAT Overview

Category Features

• Scored on a scale of 400 - 1600� Evidence-Based Reading & Writing� Math

� Optional Essay scored separately• No guessing penalty• 4 answer choices• Approx. 65 seconds/question

Scoring

3 hours plus 50 minutes optional Essay at end of testTiming

SAT VS ACT

SAT Overview

Category Features

• Reading and Writing combined and scored on a scale of 200 - 800.

• Reading details:� No sentence completions

� Passage topics include US and World Literature,

History/Social Studies, and Sciences (500 - 750

words)

� 65 minutes

• Writing and Language details:� Focus on extended prose (400 - 500 words)

� 35 minutes

Evidence-based Reading &

Writing Section

SAT VS ACT

SAT Overview

Category Features

MathSection

• Scored on a scale of 200 - 800• Three areas of concentrated focus:� Problem solving and data analysis

� “The Heart of Algebra”

� “Passport to Advanced Math”

• Math fluency emphasized � 25 minutes without a Calculator

� 55 minutes with a Calculator

• Questions with student produced answers and Multi-part question

SAT VS ACT

SAT Overview

Category Features

Essay

• Essay is optional• 50 minutes• Requires students to analyze a 650-750 word document

and explain how the author builds an argument• 3 Scores (2-8)

� Reading

� Analysis

� Writing

SAT VS ACT

13%* of Colleges Will Require the SAT Essay

STANDARDIZED TESTS

ACT

SAT VS ACT

ACT Overview

Category Features

• Scored on a scale of 1-36� English� Math� Reading� Science

� Optional Essay scored separately• No guessing penalty• 4 answer choices except 5 for math• Approx. 55 seconds/question

Scoring

2 hours 55 minutes plus 40 minute optional Essay at end of testTiming

SAT VS ACT

ACT Overview

Category Features

• Each section scored on a scale of 1 – 36

• Reading:� 4 sections (1 long passage or 2 shorter)

� Passage topics social studies, natural sciences,

literary narrative, and humanities

� 35 minutes

• English:� Usage/Mechanics (punctuation, sentence

structure)

� Rhetorical Skills (strategy and organization)

� 45 minutes / 5 passages

English and Reading Sections

SAT VS ACT

ACT Overview

Category Features

MathSection

• Scored on a scale of 1-36

• Includes math through early 12th grade level (some trig)

• 60 minutes

• Calculator use allowed for whole section

SAT VS ACT

ACT Overview

Category Features

ScienceSection

• Scored on a scale of 1-36

• Not testing science knowledge, but interpretation of graphs, charts, and experiments

• 35 minutes

SAT VS ACT

ACT Overview

Category Features

Essay

• Essay is optional• 40 minutes at the end of test• Requires students to analyze 3 different perspectives• Score is average of 4 domain scores (2-12)

• Ideas & Analysis• Development and Support• Organization • Language Use

SAT VS ACT

SAT ACT

Reading Passage Topics

SAT VS ACT

Math Skills Tested

SAT ACT

SAT VS ACT

SAT and ACT: Top 5 Key Differences

1. The SAT has a greater focus on History & Social

Studies passages, while the ACT requires more

Science reading.

2. Both focus on Algebra, but the SAT has a greater

emphasis on Data Analysis & Problem Solving.

3. Both essays are optional, but the SAT essay requires

additional text analysis.

4. The New SAT has a No Calculator Math section.

5. Pacing: On the SAT, students have ~65 seconds per

question, while on the ACT, students have ~55

seconds.

What’s the

Difference?

What’s the

Difference?

SAT?SAT?

ACT?ACT?

STANDARDIZED TESTS

NEXT STEPS

RESOURCES

Practice with a PurposeTake a free quiz or practice test & help a student in need.

www.kaptest.com/purpose

STANDARDIZED TESTS

QUESTION of the day …..

Sign up at

SAT www.kaptest.com/satquestion

ACT www.kaptest.com/actquestion

Questions reviewed in detail so next time that question type come up, you’ll be ready.

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978-595-1042

For more information, visit kaptest.com or call

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