PSAT

[leeannpal]

My daughter will be starting high school next year as a home school student.. If she were going to a public or private school, I know she would take the PSAT. So how did your students take the PSAT as a home schooled student? Did your child take a class or study for the PSAT?

[EKS]

You have to ask a high school that is administering it if they will let her take it there.  Apparently some people have better luck with this than others.

[maize]

Contact a local school and ask to sign her up for the test. I doubt they are doing sign ups yet but you can get the contact information for whoever handles registration in the fall and find out what you need to do (and when) to get her registered.

[Ann.without.an.e]

We usually contact a school in early to mid August.  We have always had more luck with private schools vs public schools.  I guess it depends on your local school.  Some students begin taking it in 9th.  I wouldn't prep.  Just let her take it and see where she naturally lands.  Prep some before 10th grade and see where she falls then.  If she is anywhere near the cut offs for NMS, let her prep significantly before 11th.  That is how we do it anyway. 

[charlotteb]

For my daughter, I contacted all the local high schools.  Not just one- but all that were in my area.  The school closest to us never returned my call, but one that was 20 minutes away did.  We got her signed up there with no problem.  Months before the test, we worked through Khan Academy's free SAT prep course.  I also bought her a few SAT prep books.  She worked on it about 30 minutes a day.  We got her test results online in early December, and they were mailed to us as well soon after 

[fourisenough]

At our PS, all juniors take the PSAT; Sophomores may take it on a space-available basis. All sophomores take the PSAT 10 in the spring. Freshmen may only take the PSAT 8/9. The schools around you may or may not be similarly rigid about it.

[RanchGirl]

My oldest son took the PSAT in October of 10th grade at our local public high school without studying.  He studied with Khan Academy's free SAT prep materials during September of his 11th grade year.  Then he took the PSAT in mid-October and the SAT on Nov 5.  My youngest son will follow the same plan.

 

Every public school seems to vary in how easy they make this process for homeschoolers (if they allow it at all.)  Ours is not exactly easy to work with, but once you know the right people and timeframes and have a student id to sign up for stuff online, it's pretty easy.  There isn't any hand holding or (even phone call returning), but online registration is smooth.  They allow homeschooled students who are residents in this district to take PSAT and AP tests there, I think because the state (Minnesota) requires it. They do not allow private school or students outside the district to test with them.

[SebastianCat]

Don't call schools to ask about the PSAT until the new school year has begun in the fall.   The guidance counselors are busy with end-of-year stuff, graduation, college applications, etc. now, and they won't even order tests for their own students until they know their enrollment for the fall.   Sometime in August, start calling schools near you.   I recommend calling your zoned public high school and several private schools, and see what kind of reception you receive.   The PSAT is given in October, and there are only 2 test dates.   All registration is handled through schools, unlike the regular SAT.

 

My DS is currently a freshman and he took the PSAT last fall.   When I emailed my local PS, the guidance counselor's response was very curt and not very helpful.   I then emailed a small private Christian school nearby and got an immediate and very welcoming reply, so I signed my DS up to take it with them.   About a week or two before the test date, I received a phone call from the guidance counselor at the PS, offering him a spot to test there, but I let them know he was already signed up elsewhere.   

 

Since the PSAT only "counts" for juniors, you might not get a welcome response when you call asking if your freshman can take it.   Be prepared for that.   Also be prepared to let the school know which test version you'd like to take, if they are testing multiple versions.    I had DS take the regular PSAT (same version used for 11th graders) but had the option for him to take the PSAT10.   I think (not 100% sure) the PSAT 8/9 is given in the spring.

 

I gave my DS one quick practice test that we got online, just so he'd be familiar with the types of questions and whether or not points would be deducted for incorrect answers (they are not, if I remember correctly).   We did no class or any other prep.   I did discuss with him (per his math teacher's feedback) that the new SAT and PSAT are testing higher level math concepts, and that he may find math on the test that he's never seen before (which was the case).   We will do a prep class when he takes the actual SAT, but since taking the PSAT as a freshman counts for absolutely nothing, I told him not to worry about scores.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

We contacted schools in May to get on a list to take the test in the fall. A local private school lets homeschooled students take it with their students. The local public schools gave us the run around and never answered.

[GoodGrief]

I actually think it is worthwhile to make some initial calls to local public and private schools in the spring. They may tell you to call back in August, but it gives you an initial idea as to which places hold the most promise as a testing location.

 

You will want to look up the code for homeschoolers, and make sure she takes that in when she goes to test.

 

If you can have her do the 9th and 10th grade tests, that is nice. Gives her an intro to the testing scenario.

 

My daughter prepped for the junior year PSAT and the SAT at the same time, and took the exams within a week of each other (the SAT actually came first.) It was an efficient use of prep time.

 

That said, if it seems your student does not test well, I wouldn't put a lot of emphasis on the PSAT. It's important for inclusion into the National Merit program, but otherwise not worth all the stress that can occur finding locations. My oldest did not take the PSAT at all, though her younger sister did.

[RootAnn]

I called in the spring so I would know if there was a possibility. (Local school was a no. Next district over is much more homeschool-friendly.) Best to get on the list in the spring and then confirm in the fall.

 

Just FYI - The PSAT forms were changed this past year and the kids did not need the homeschool code anymore. I sent mine with it anyway, but she didn't need it.

[Kassia]

I recently contacted our local ps to ask about my dd taking the PSAT there in the fall (she'll be in 10th grade).  No response.  It bothers me because, even though she's not a student there, we are taxpayers.