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
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STANDARDIZED TESTS
QUESTION of the day …..
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SAT www.kaptest.com/satquestion
ACT www.kaptest.com/actquestion
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