Kinspired Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Are you bothering to have him take the test this year, knowing it will change next year? Just curious. I suppose it could be good test-taking practice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anne1456 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I don't think my 10th grade son is going to take the PSAT, since it will be different next year. We are thinking he will concentrate on the ACT this year, take it in the spring, and by then hopefully there will be test prep stuff for the new PSAT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Yes, my sophomore will take the test this year and again next year, even though there is a scheduled change. The change could always be pushed back again or end up being less substantial than advertised. My philosophy of test prep is to expose them to high quality reading and make sure they learn lots of math. I do make sure that they understand how the test is formatted, how to approach the test and when guessing is a benefit. But we don't do much specific test prep. I'm actually dubious that the change will result in a substantial difference in score distributions. (IOW, while the actual score numbers might change, I think that students who are well read, well studied in math and who test well will still test well.) Testing this year will give him a good idea of the layout of the local highschool and the testing conditions. This may be of benefit not only for the PSAT, but also for AP exams this spring. Going through the process this year helps me to establish a relationship with the office staff that does registration. It keeps them familiar with the idea and practicalities of having an outside student test. And his older brother is a junior this year anyway, so I have to go through the registration process in any event. I will likely have a similar philosophy towards the SAT. I may have ds#2 go ahead and sit for it too when his older brother takes it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 DS will be taking it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 My DS will be taking it. I consider it a good practice opportunity. He will be taking the SAT this winter anyway. The only thing that will change about the PSAT is the precise format - they'll still test English and math. Our main prep for those are high quality literature and a thorough math education, so the change will only affect the targeted test prep in the two weeks before. Not a big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samba Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 My sophomore will be taking it. She's not a comfortable test-taker so the more exposure the better. I will probably have her take the SAT this year as well. For test prep, she is looking at the question of the day. Other than that, we're just focusing on strong math skills and reading carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 My sophomore and 8th grader will be taking it. The PSAT satisfies my state's annual testing option which is another reason my kids take it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest2 Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 My sophomore will take it. I'm hoping that she will see if this is a good testing site for her. Things she will look for are : clock on the wall, classroom/ large auditorium, temperature, ect. Yes, some of these things are supposed to be in every SAT room,but that hasn't been our experience. If the school is a good testing site for her, hopefully she will be a bit relaxed going into a familiar enviornment for her junior year of testing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted August 23, 2014 Share Posted August 23, 2014 Adding to Silver Brook ... It's also good experience finding a test site and navigating the school procedures for signing up. Some schools are simple and efficient. Others are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 My sophomore will be taking it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 I plan on having my freshman take it. I think there is much benefit to sitting a standardized test for the experience. As others have pointed out getting used to the setting, timing, procedures etc. has much benefit that carries over to other standardized tests such as ACT, SAT, SAT Subject tests, AP, etc. if you think you will be taking that route. I can't replicate a room full of teens with bubble sheets and #2 pencils-sometimes for a homeschooler even that is intimidating and sometimes more intimidating than the test content. Establishing a good relationship with a local school is useful as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinspired Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 I just had to share my excitement that after having called 3 area schools multiple times, I finally got a call back. The school is happy to register dd to take the PSAT on 10/15. I was getting discouraged last week so I thought maybe she would just skip it this year. Thankfully, a nice counselor called me back. Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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