jenn- Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I know it is many months away, but I'm already thinking ahead for an end of the year test for my sophomore. I know the PSAT is given for national merit in Oct of their junior year (right?), is the actual SAT a good practice test for it? Should I find a way to get the PSAT done in the spring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in NY Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 The PSAT is offered only once a year, in October, so there is no way to do it in the Spring. This year is a little weird, because the PSAT has been redesigned, but I believe the SAT redesign won't be offered until next year. :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 I know it is many months away, but I'm already thinking ahead for an end of the year test for my sophomore. I know the PSAT is given for national merit in Oct of their junior year (right?), is the actual SAT a good practice test for it? Should I find a way to get the PSAT done in the spring? The PSAT should be taken in October of the junior year; that's the year it "counts" for National Merit awards. You have to arrange a testing place yourself, by calling local schools, who may or may not let you test with them. The schools order the tests as early as the previous June, so it's wise to call around early to be sure you can find someone who will take you. Many students take the PSAT in their sophomore year for practice, and some even as freshmen. It's relatively inexpensive, as standardized tests go. If your student does really well, it could result in significant merit scholarships for college, so it's worth taking seriously. As to an end of the year test, different states accept different tests. If you let us know what tests are allowed in your state, we might be able to advise you as to which might be the best choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 We have no testing requirements here. I am really just looking to expose her to the SAT as she has already taken the ACT. Are you saying that I need to call now to find someone to get her a seat now for the Oct 2016 test, or that I need to find her a seat before school lets out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 In our state, the ACT is acceptable as a yearly test for homeschoolers, but the PSAT/SAT are not because they are aptitude tests rather than achievement tests, so definitely check your state regs. Doesn't mean the PSAT/SAT may not be useful or desirable on their own merits, just that they won't satisfy that partiular requirement for us. My sophomore will be taking the PSAT this fall for practice, but the ACT in the spring for yearly testing. I'd considered the SATas well, but will wait until next year due to the redesign. The College Board has released practice materials for the new PSAT, which I plan to have her do prior to the test in October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 When do the new SATs kick in? I thought it was this coming spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Breaking my board-break for just a moment… ;) I know it is many months away, but I'm already thinking ahead for an end of the year test for my sophomore. I know the PSAT is given for national merit in Oct of their junior year (right?), is the actual SAT a good practice test for it? Yes, PSAT scores from 11th grade are what are used to qualify for possible National Merit scholarship $$. The PSAT is only given in mid-October each year. The PSAT is designed to be practice for the SAT, rather than the other way around, so a better practice/prep option for the new PSAT would be the new practice books coming out (esp. the one from College Board, since College Board sponsors both the PSAT and the SAT). Also consider using the PSAT practice questions available on the College Board website. Also, a new PSAT-10 test is coming out, specifically designed as prep/practice for 10th grade students. (And a new PSAT-8/9 for 8th and 9th graders.) You might look into taking the PSAT-10 as practice instead -- schools may start moving away from letting 10th graders take the actual PSAT with the 11th graders, now that the 2 prep test options specifically designed for the lower grades will be an option. Test dates for the PSAT-10 will run in spring 2016. More options for prep/practice: once the new PSAT has been administered once, and the new PSAT-10 and new PSAT-8/9 tests have been up and running, there will be a lot more video tutorials, practice materials, and real sample test questions available as prep. (I know, that doesn't help for prepping for this October, but it will help for future years. ;) ) Should I find a way to get the PSAT done in the spring? The actual PSAT is only offered in October. But starting this school year, there will be the PSAT-10 offered in the spring, which is specifically designed to be a practice-run PSAT for 10th graders, taken just 6 months before the real PSAT is offered to them as 11th graders. We have no testing requirements here. I am really just looking to expose her to the SAT as she has already taken the ACT. If you don't want to do the the PSAT as prep for the SAT, then you may need to wait until after the first new SAT test happens (Mar. 5, 2016), in order for there to be time for new practice/prep materials to come out to help ready a student for the new SAT. Or, go ahead and have DD take the "old" SAT now (Nov., Dec., Jan.), as there are loads of prep material and practice tests available for that version of the SAT: Khan Academy video tutorials The "blue College Board" SAT book has several practice tests, plus tips on taking the current ("old") SAT Are you saying that I need to call now to find someone to get her a seat now for the Oct 2016 test, or that I need to find her a seat before school lets out? For the SAT, just like the ACT, you register/pay online and select a location. For the PSAT you must directly approach a local high school and ask to be included. Not all schools have seat availability. You pay the school directly; the PSAT test is only about $15, but many schools charge a small fee on top of that to cover costs incurred by being a testing center. So… YES, if you want your student to take the new PSAT in October 2015, as a 10th grader, for practice, you want to start calling around NOW to find a school that has room, as the schools order their tests along about the 2nd-3rd week of September, and there will be no test for your student if you are not on their list. But… NO, if you want your student to take the PSAT in October 2016 as an 11th grader, for when the scores "count" towards possible NMS $$, then you do NOT need to make arrangements until NEXT August/September with a school. When do the new SATs kick in? I thought it was this coming spring. The new SAT starts March 5, 2016. The new PSAT (designed as a practice for the new SAT) starts Oct. 2015. The new PSAT-10 (designed as a special PSAT practice for 10th grade students) starts spring 2016. The new PSAT-8/9 (designed as special prep for 8th and 9th graders), has fall test dates between Sept. 28-Jan. 29, and spring dates between Feb. 22-Mar. 4. BEST of luck in your testing options! Warmest regards, Lori D. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Breaking my board-break for just a moment… ;) Yes, PSAT scores from 11th grade are what are used to qualify for possible National Merit scholarship $$. The PSAT is only given in mid-October each year. The PSAT is designed to be practice for the SAT, rather than the other way around, so a better practice/prep option for the new PSAT would be the new practice books coming out (esp. the one from College Board, since College Board sponsors both the PSAT and the SAT). Also consider using the PSAT practice questions available on the College Board website. Also, a new PSAT-10 test is coming out, specifically designed as prep/practice for 10th grade students. (And a new PSAT-8/9 for 8th and 9th graders.) You might look into taking the PSAT-10 as practice instead -- schools may start moving away from letting 10th graders take the actual PSAT with the 11th graders, now that the 2 prep test options specifically designed for the lower grades will be an option. Test dates for the PSAT-10 will run in spring 2016. More options for prep/practice: once the new PSAT has been administered once, and the new PSAT-10 and new PSAT-8/9 tests have been up and running, there will be a lot more video tutorials, practice materials, and real sample test questions available as prep. (I know, that doesn't help for prepping for this October, but it will help for future years. ;) ) The actual PSAT is only offered in October. But starting this school year, there will be the PSAT-10 offered in the spring, which is specifically designed to be a practice-run PSAT for 10th graders, taken just 6 months before the real PSAT is offered to them as 11th graders. If you don't want to do the the PSAT as prep for the SAT, then you may need to wait until after the first new SAT test happens (Mar. 5, 2016), in order for there to be time for new practice/prep materials to come out to help ready a student for the new SAT. Or, go ahead and have DD take the "old" SAT now (Nov., Dec., Jan.), as there are loads of prep material and practice tests available for that version of the SAT: Khan Academy video tutorials The "blue College Board" SAT book has several practice tests, plus tips on taking the current ("old") SAT For the SAT, just like the ACT, you register/pay online and select a location. For the PSAT you must directly approach a local high school and ask to be included. Not all schools have seat availability. You pay the school directly; the PSAT test is only about $15, but many schools charge a small fee on top of that to cover costs incurred by being a testing center. So… YES, if you want your student to take the new PSAT in October 2015, as a 10th grader, for practice, you want to start calling around NOW to find a school that has room, as the schools order their tests along about the 2nd-3rd week of September, and there will be no test for your student if you are not on their list. But… NO, if you want your student to take the PSAT in October 2016 as an 11th grader, for when the scores "count" towards possible NMS $$, then you do NOT need to make arrangements until NEXT August/September with a school. The new SAT starts March 5, 2016. The new PSAT (designed as a practice for the new SAT) starts Oct. 2015. The new PSAT-10 (designed as a special PSAT practice for 10th grade students) starts spring 2016. The new PSAT-8/9 (designed as special prep for 8th and 9th graders), has fall test dates between Sept. 28-Jan. 29, and spring dates between Feb. 22-Mar. 4. BEST of luck in your testing options! Warmest regards, Lori D. Thank you for coming off of your break and answering my questions. I think she will kill me if I tell her that she is taking another standardized test in October. She took the ACT in April and again in June. I don't see anyone around registering for the PSAT-10, but I see some offering the 8/9. I might still call around though. Do you think the PSAT really is a good indicator for SAT scores? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Thank you for coming off of your break and answering my questions. I think she will kill me if I tell her that she is taking another standardized test in October. She took the ACT in April and again in June. I don't see anyone around registering for the PSAT-10, but I see some offering the 8/9. I might still call around though. Do you think the PSAT really is a good indicator for SAT scores? I'm probably not the best person to ask, as I only required DSs to take one each of the the PSAT, SAT, and ACT, and they were spread out over 12 months -- fall of 11th grade through fall of 12 grade. ;) But then, DSs were average/a bit above average, and were never going to be in the running for big scholarship $$ from high test scores... How did DD do on the ACT? That's usually a good indication of how she'd do on the SAT -- while some students score significantly higher on either the ACT or SAT, a majority score pretty similarly on both. As far as taking the PSAT this year as prep -- I'd probably only do that if you think that would give her a needed practice to giver her a slight boost for next year to ensure hitting the National Merit Finalist score range. Otherwise, I would probably take this year off from testing, and work hard on academics -- maybe focus on prep for an AP test at the end of this school year, if she is taking any AP classes this year. And then next year, in 11th, take the PSAT in Oct. 2016, and an SAT in spring 2017 (end of 11th grade), or fall of 2017 (start of 12th grade). That would allow plenty of time for loads of new practice helps to become available for the new SAT. More scholarship $$ gets awarded directly from the college your student ends up applying to as a result of high ACT/SAT scores than from the PSAT NM scholarships, so unless my student was a strong candidate for NM $$, I'd focus more on the things that would ensure college admissions and scholarships: - solid high school academics - showing above average work (things like: AP tests, dual enrollment, CLEP tests) - extracurriculars and community service (to show the student is well-rounded and "interesting") BEST of luck in your college prep homeschool high school! :) Warmest regards, Lori D. (now reverting to board-break mode ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 I'm probably not the best person to ask, as I only required DSs to take one each of the the PSAT, SAT, and ACT, and they were spread out over 12 months -- fall of 11th grade through fall of 12 grade. ;) But then, DSs were average/a bit above average, and were never going to be in the running for big scholarship $$ from high test scores... How did DD do on the ACT? That's usually a good indication of how she'd do on the SAT -- while some students score significantly higher on either the ACT or SAT, a majority score pretty similarly on both. As far as taking the PSAT this year as prep -- I'd probably only do that if you think that would give her a needed practice to giver her a slight boost for next year to ensure hitting the National Merit Finalist score range. Otherwise, I would probably take this year off from testing, and work hard on academics -- maybe focus on prep for an AP test at the end of this school year, if she is taking any AP classes this year. And then next year, in 11th, take the PSAT in Oct. 2016, and an SAT in spring 2017 (end of 11th grade), or fall of 2017 (start of 12th grade). That would allow plenty of time for loads of new practice helps to become available for the new SAT. More scholarship $$ gets awarded directly from the college your student ends up applying to as a result of high ACT/SAT scores than from the PSAT NM scholarships, so unless my student was a strong candidate for NM $$, I'd focus more on the things that would ensure college admissions and scholarships: - solid high school academics - showing above average work (things like: AP tests, dual enrollment, CLEP tests) - extracurriculars and community service (to show the student is well-rounded and "interesting") BEST of luck in your college prep homeschool high school! :) Warmest regards, Lori D. (now reverting to board-break mode ;) ) Thank you once again. She is most likely not going to be NM scores, but I figure giving it a shot will be worth it. She scored a 20 on her ACT in June with only having Algebra 1 (which she struggled with) under her belt. It was high enough for her to get into a dual enrollment program that is usually reserved for seniors around here though. I'm fairly confident a couple more years of school will make that number climb quite a bit. I only took each test once, and I always thought that was a huge mistake on my parents part. I was 1 point shy of automatic scholarship money to the college I ended up going to (SAT translated to ACT scores was exactly the same as the ACT). I should have been told to take it again by someone, but in a gigantic high school (graduated in a class of 550) the guidance counselors were a joke and my parents didn't know any better. I think I will give her the majority of the year off from testing and shoot for the SAT at the end of the year. That will give her a feeling as to what that particular type of test will feel like compared to the ACT. It may or may not help her on the PSAT, but it will definitely help her for understanding why and what she needs to study for prep work before the end of her junior year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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