2017 PSAT Scores

[RegGuheert]

Now that SOME of you have gotten your PSAT scores :glare: , I guess it's time for a 2017 PSAT "How did it go?" thread.

[RootAnn]

We are all happy with dd#1's PSAT scores. She improved (a lot) on her August SAT score.  :thumbup1:  

[emzhengjiu]

We aren't expected my daughter's score for a couple of weeks.

[JoJosMom]

Now that SOME of you have gotten your PSAT scores :glare: , I guess it's time for a 2017 PSAT "How did it go?" thread.

 

 

What?  :confused:

[bethben]

It says we don’t get them until December 11th.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RootAnn]

Y'all missed the bug that allowed us to download scores three weeks early. Sorry!  :crying:

 

ETA:  One of those perks to being on the WTM boards on a Sunday . . . (It was really crazy.)

Edited November 27, 2017 by RootAnn

[JoJosMom]

Y'all missed the bug that allowed us to download scores three weeks early. Sorry!  :crying:

 

ETA:  One of those perks to being on the WTM boards on a Sunday . . . (It was really crazy.)

 

 

I can't believe y'all had the party and didn't invite ME!   :svengo:

[wapiti]

It was a funny day.  At first dd didn't want to even know (and refused to sign in) but then I posited that CB was likely to shut it down by Monday and indeed, shortly after we got it, they did so.

Interestingly, the score number is reasonably close to the Nov SAT number (as CB apparently intended) but the percentiles are quite different (PSAT composite percentile much higher even though the composite number is a smitch lower).  I'm guessing there'll be one more SAT in her future if she can stand it - if she can get a composite SAT percentile that's the same as the PSAT percentile, I think she (and I) will be satisfied that the score is sufficiently representative of her, or close enough.

Edited November 27, 2017 by wapiti

[yvonne]

We're very happy with dd's R/W score.  I'm relieved about and happy with her math score, especially given her non-mathy background.

 

It would be great to raise her math score, though, to try to bump her 11th grade PSAT into the NMSQT commended range. That may not be possible given that she's only taking Geometry this year in 10th. 

Any suggestions for the most effective, most efficient way to prep for math on the PSAT if the student is only taking geometry in 10th?  Would Khan be the way to go?  Or would we have to bite the bullet and start working through an Alg 2 text this year and through the summer to really make much of a difference? (Don't think she's likely to be on board with that idea! )

[catz]

Darnit, I missed the party too!  Boo!

[RegGuheert]

Interestingly, the score number is reasonably close to the Nov SAT number (as CB apparently intended) but the percentiles are quite different (PSAT composite percentile much higher even though the composite number is a smitch lower).

I believe this HAS to be the case, mainly because there is less "headroom" on the PSAT to achieve the same score.  For instance, DS18 scored a 1490 on the SAT this month.  But he missed 13 questions overall (either by not knowing how to do them or by making a mistake) to achieve that score.  If he achieved a similar score on the PSAT, he cannot have missed nearly as many questions.

 

It would be great to raise her math score, though, to try to bump her 11th grade PSAT into the NMSQT commended range. That may not be possible given that she's only taking Geometry this year in 10th.

Note that R&W account for 2/3 of the selection index which is used to determine NM status, so raising the overall R/W score has more impact on commended status than raising the math score by the same amount.

 

Any suggestions for the most effective, most efficient way to prep for math on the PSAT if the student is only taking geometry in 10th?  Would Khan be the way to go?  Or would we have to bite the bullet and start working through an Alg 2 text this year and through the summer to really make much of a difference? (Don't think she's likely to be on board with that idea! )

I will say that there is very little Algebra 2 content on these tests, but your daughter MUST know Algebra 1 through-and-through to get a high score on the math section.  Of course there are other areas of math that are important, as well.  Khan Academy is great for finding areas of weakness and working on improving those areas.  Taking practice tests on paper is also important to train for the actual test.

[RootAnn]

I will say that there is very little Algebra 2 content on these tests, but your daughter MUST know Algebra 1 through-and-through to get a high score on the math section.  Of course there are other areas of math that are important, as well.  Khan Academy is great for finding areas of weakness and working on improving those areas.  Taking practice tests on paper is also important to train for the actual test.

 

Hmm. Interesting. I would have said there is very little geometry on the SAT (and PSAT), but in order to get a high(er) score on the math section, she'd have to get through several key Alg 2 concepts. I wonder, however, if my perspective is skewed because dd#1 worked through an Alg 1 program (Abeka) that, in retrospect, wasn't very rigorous. The beginning of Alg 2 (Foerster), instead of being a review, was new material from page 1. DD's math score from her Sophomore (just starting Alg 2) year to Junior (just starting PreCalc) year was by far the bigger jump. (Her R/W score went up, but not nearly as much.) The Algebra 2 content she encountered w/Foerster was an important part of her score bump.

 

yvonne - Working through Khan's math would be helpful (once she links her score report in December). When she encounters a problem she doesn't have the fundamentals for, you can explain & teach the concept. Khan will give her more practice on them, too. [i did this for the equation of a circle back before dd had seen it in math.]

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I'm way too much of a rule follower!! I had visions of those who accessed scores early having the scores disqualified or something, so I couldn't bring myself to check. Clearly some of you live on the edge... 

 

;)

[RootAnn]

I'm way too much of a rule follower!! I had visions of those who accessed scores early having the scores disqualified or something, so I couldn't bring myself to check. Clearly some of you live on the edge... 

 

;)

 

DD was afraid of this very thing. But, it wasn't like she was accessing the answers before taking the test. Also, do you remember seeing all the PSAT memes right after the test? That was rule-breaking! To my knowledge, there is no written rule that you can't work-around the system to get your report early.  :coolgleamA:

I also had visions of the reports all having the exact same scores (like they were dummy reports - placeholders for the real thing), too. Guess we'll see in three weeks! 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

 

I also had visions of the reports all having the exact same scores (like they were dummy reports - placeholders for the real thing), too. Guess we'll see in three weeks! 

 

I worried about that too! Or that scores weren't actually finalized.

[4ofus]

DS14 (9th) took the PSAT this year - we're wondering if he might possibly be in the running for NMSF for his official 11th grade test. Those of you seasoned, what do you think is a reasonable anticipated amount of score improvement between 9th-11th grade? How many questions - approximately - would a student be able to miss? We're in TN - this year's SI cutoff was 218. We're just getting familiar with PSAT/SAT test-taking & scoring so any info would be helpful. So, would it be un/reasonable to anticipate an improvement of 5 SI points? 10? 15? 20? more? over the course of 2 years? 

 

I know this can vary according to what needs work/test taking strategies/etc. Let's say if there are decent, but room-for-improvement test-taking strategies in place, no problem completing the exam, no outside prep, with just honors/AP curriculum choices. What might be an anticipated score change? We're trying to determine just how much energy needs to be devoted to test prep vs how much will come with his studies, & we're trying to determine if NMSF is even something to gun for. Thoughts?

[OnMyOwn]

I'm way too much of a rule follower!! I had visions of those who accessed scores early having the scores disqualified or something, so I couldn't bring myself to check. Clearly some of you live on the edge... 

 

;)

 

I had similar thoughts!  I think if my dd had been in 11th grade this year, I wouldn't have accessed her score because then I'd just worry about it.

[snowbeltmom]

I'm way too much of a rule follower!! I had visions of those who accessed scores early having the scores disqualified or something, so I couldn't bring myself to check. Clearly some of you live on the edge... 

 

;)

 

If it makes you feel any better...you're not the only one.

 

[OnMyOwn]

Note that R&W account for 2/3 of the selection index which is used to determine NM status, so raising the overall R/W score has more impact on commended status than raising the math score by the same amount.

 

 

 

Thanks for pointing this out.  We were very happy with dd's score.  Her subscores were all about the same, but I thought the area we would put more effort into was getting the math as perfect as possible, because I think she's stronger in language arts subjects. Now you've got me thinking I'll need to look more carefully at that.

 

I'm also grateful to Yvonne and others who said they did not prep for the 10th grade PSAT.  It's nice to have a baseline and, honestly, if she had studied a ton, I think it just would have made her anxious on the day of the test.

[GoodGrief]

DS14 (9th) took the PSAT this year - we're wondering if he might possibly be in the running for NMSF for his official 11th grade test. Those of you seasoned, what do you think is a reasonable anticipated amount of score improvement between 9th-11th grade? How many questions - approximately - would a student be able to miss? We're in TN - this year's SI cutoff was 218. We're just getting familiar with PSAT/SAT test-taking & scoring so any info would be helpful. So, would it be un/reasonable to anticipate an improvement of 5 SI points? 10? 15? 20? more? over the course of 2 years? 

 

I know this can vary according to what needs work/test taking strategies/etc. Let's say if there are decent, but room-for-improvement test-taking strategies in place, no problem completing the exam, no outside prep, with just honors/AP curriculum choices. What might be an anticipated score change? We're trying to determine just how much energy needs to be devoted to test prep vs how much will come with his studies, & we're trying to determine if NMSF is even something to gun for. Thoughts?

 

If he is a decent test-taker, and might be interested in the scholarships offered in the NM program, it's certainly worth taking the exam. If he's serious about achieving NM Finalist status, I would not have him take it without some prep.

 

My daughter's score in ninth grade (no prep) was high enough to achieve NMSF in our state. She was an advanced math student, and had just completed Alg 2 the previous year, so those concepts were fresh. Her score in tenth grade (again, no prep) would not have qualified, and there was, indeed, a drop in math score after a year of precalc. She did prep for the junior year exam (took that and the SAT in the same time frame, so prep was dual-purpose), and qualified easily. I do believe review of earlier math concepts is important if the algebra is not fresh. Curricula in math and language arts can vary widely in emphasis, and I wouldn't rely on general education, no matter how solid, if preparation for the PSAT/SAT if a spot in the top 1% is the goal (disclaimer, that does not have to be the goal! But since you were asking about that particular achievement... :-) )

 

Edited November 27, 2017 by GoodGrief

[RegGuheert]

DS14 (9th) took the PSAT this year - we're wondering if he might possibly be in the running for NMSF for his official 11th grade test. Those of you seasoned, what do you think is a reasonable anticipated amount of score improvement between 9th-11th grade? How many questions - approximately - would a student be able to miss? We're in TN - this year's SI cutoff was 218. We're just getting familiar with PSAT/SAT test-taking & scoring so any info would be helpful. So, would it be un/reasonable to anticipate an improvement of 5 SI points? 10? 15? 20? more? over the course of 2 years?

 

Here is some selection index data for you from our DC:

 

DS19: 9th: 191, 10th: 215, 11th: 237 (Old PSAT)

DS18: 8th: 173, 9th: 200, 10th: 212, 11th: ?? (I don't know yet because I was out enjoying the sunshine on Sunday afternoon.)

DD15: 8th: 188, 9th: 197 (Almost no prep due to age.), 10th: ??

DS15: 8th: 199, 9th: 204 (Almost no prep due to age.), 10th: ??

DS13: 7th: 184, 8th: ??

 

Average step size for our DC: 16.5

 

Some notes:

- DS19 is an exceptional test-taker who did significant prep between his 10th- and 11th-grade tests.

- The new PSAT selection index stops at 228, so there is less room for mistakes than when DS19 took the test.

- DS18 is a very good student who has struggled with speed.  He has done very significant preparation following 9th grade.

- DD15 and DS15 did quite a bit of prep this year, but not nearly as much as DS18, so it will be interesting to see their scores this year.

- DS13 has done almost no prep.

[RegGuheert]

 

 

Hmm. Interesting. I would have said there is very little geometry on the SAT (and PSAT), but in order to get a high(er) score on the math section, she'd have to get through several key Alg 2 concepts. I wonder, however, if my perspective is skewed because dd#1 worked through an Alg 1 program (Abeka) that, in retrospect, wasn't very rigorous. The beginning of Alg 2 (Foerster), instead of being a review, was new material from page 1. DD's math score from her Sophomore (just starting Alg 2) year to Junior (just starting PreCalc) year was by far the bigger jump. (Her R/W score went up, but not nearly as much.) The Algebra 2 content she encountered w/Foerster was an important part of her score bump.

 

yvonne - Working through Khan's math would be helpful (once she links her score report in December). When she encounters a problem she doesn't have the fundamentals for, you can explain & teach the concept. Khan will give her more practice on them, too. [i did this for the equation of a circle back before dd had seen it in math.]

Here is the scope and sequence for 9th-grade Abeka.  Algebra 1 is included on pages 5 and 6.  I think you will be hard pressed to find an algebra problem on the PSAT which is not covered by that list.

 

But you will note in a previous post that none of our children have achieved NM Finalist status in 10th grade, even though they took Algebra I in eight grade.  The reason is not that Algebra I did not cover all of the concepts needed for the test.  Rather, I believe the reason is because they had not yet achieve a high-enough skill level at solving algebra problems.  That takes practice.  I've always felt there was something unnatural about algebra.  I still do. :tongue_smilie:

[RootAnn]

Here is the scope and sequence for 9th-grade Abeka.  Algebra 1 is included on pages 5 and 6.  I think you will be hard pressed to find an algebra problem on the PSAT which is not covered by that list.

 

But you will note in a previous post that none of our children have achieved NM Finalist status in 10th grade, even though they took Algebra I in eight grade.  The reason is not that Algebra I did not cover all of the concepts needed for the test.  Rather, I believe the reason is because they had not yet achieve a high-enough skill level at solving algebra problems.  That takes practice.  I've always felt there was something unnatural about algebra.  I still do. :tongue_smilie:

I think that scope/sequence is for the new edition of Alg 1. That edition came out last school year. My dd used the previous edition. It didn't cover slope intercept formula at all. They didn't cover how to find the distance between two points (distance formula). The stats/probability section looks significantly expanded. I don't plan on using their Alg again, so I won't be able to speak about the new content. 

[RootAnn]

DS14 (9th) took the PSAT this year - we're wondering if he might possibly be in the running for NMSF for his official 11th grade test. Those of you seasoned, what do you think is a reasonable anticipated amount of score improvement between 9th-11th grade? How many questions - approximately - would a student be able to miss? We're in TN - this year's SI cutoff was 218. We're just getting familiar with PSAT/SAT test-taking & scoring so any info would be helpful. So, would it be un/reasonable to anticipate an improvement of 5 SI points? 10? 15? 20? more? over the course of 2 years? 

 

Some reading for you:

PSAT between Sophomore & Junior Year Scores (old PSAT WTM thread)

New PSAT vs. old PSAT differences between Soph & Jnr year scores (Compass Prep blog post - interesting read about how using older comparisons might not work for the new test)

What's a good PSAT score for a sophomore? (not a National Merit discussion; PrepScholar blog post, has some old & some new PSAT info)

How much does your SAT score rise between Sophomore and Junior year? (Quora question from 2016 - mostly old SAT data)

HOw much did your PSAT score rise between Sophomore & Junior year? (Reddit thread)

PSAT score increase Soph->Junior (college confidential thread, all old PSAT data)

 

IMO, it depends on how high your English section is compared to Math. Math is easier to raise if you start out low through just taking more math between Freshman & Junior years. If you start out with a higher math and have already taken Alg 2, it is harder to get a big increase.However, every increase in the English part is doubled for the selection index. So, really hard to say...

 

DD started out looking like a stronger English student than Math. This was the opposite of real life back then, although I can't say that now. Her scores this year show she's a stronger math student than English student and the difference between the two scores has gotten closer. 

[4ofus]

DS, during his middle grade years, presented as a stronger math-than-language student. This test seems to reflect the opposite. It's probably meaningful that all of his math errors came in the math-calculator portion,  just one in the no-calculator portion. We've been a calculator-free homeschool up until now. He has elected to attend a public magnet IB school-I guess he'll get calculator skills there (I still have a homeschooled 8th grader who says he's staying homeschooled). It'll be interesting to see what those math problems were.

Edited November 27, 2017 by 4ofus

[historymatters]

Is the math on the PSAT mostly Alg 1, Alg. II, or Geometry?

 

What about the SAT and ACT?

 

Thanks

Edited November 28, 2017 by historymatters

[RegGuheert]

Is the math on the PSAT mostly Alg 1, Alg. II, or Geometry?

Mostly Algebra 1.  And the questions that use geometry sometimes (often) require Algebra 1 skills to solve.

 

What about the SAT and ACT?

I don't know about the ACT, but the SAT is a lot like the PSAT: mostly Algebra 1.

 

But I will add that the PSAT and the SAT both employ quite a bit of tricky.

Edited November 28, 2017 by RegGuheert

[RootAnn]

Is the math on the PSAT mostly Alg 1, Alg. II, or Geometry?

 

What about the SAT and ACT?

 

Thanks

 

Here is the official page from the College Board with their explanation of math topics & areas. On pages 137-138 of this CB PDF (document pages 133-134) are a few more line items under their big topic list. If you keep reading, there is more information on the next 10 or so pages. I saw a breakdown once of PSAT vs SAT math topics, but I don't know where it was. 

 

ACT's math tests some pre-algebra through trig. (ACT's page of math content - less than helpful, IMO. This PDF is more helpful.) IMO, time is the biggest factor on the ACT. They don't give you nearly as much time as the SAT does.

[Crimson Wife]

Oh, is THAT why I haven't been able to log on to the ETS site today to get my GRE scores. :cursing:

 

ETS, I swear I'm not trying to access anybody's PSAT scores early, just my own GRE ones!

[Arcadia]

I saw a breakdown once of PSAT vs SAT math topics, but I don't know where it was.

This is the Collegeboard link I use for the quick comparison.

PSAT/NMSQT and SAT Math Test Comparison

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/about/alignment/math/psat-nmsqt-sat

[historymatters]

Thank you everyone. Due to family troubles (mental illness issues), my son got "behind" in math. He's in 10th and has is in Alg. 1.

 

I saw an advert for Geometry in a semester that intrigued me, though I would consider it for fall of 2018. It's not absolutely necessary, but a consideration.

 

He took the PSAT this year. I know his math section will be low. But, I wanted to know what he needed to do to be prepared for it in 11th, in 2018. We really need the scholarship.

Also, the SAT in spring 2019.

 

I will read through these resources.

Edited November 28, 2017 by historymatters

[LisaKinVA]

We were traveling -- so the bug wouldn't have helped us anyway.  I expect DD did much better than she thinks she did.  But, it was a horrible morning for her.

 

We arrived 45 minutes early -- which is what she wanted.  She wanted time to make sure there were no problems, figure out where she was supposed to be, etc.

 

The guidance counselor had incorrectly assigned her to an 8/9 test room.  She went down to the GC office and waited politely for 40 minutes until the GC could "deal" with her situation.

She had to run to her new room, but there were no seats.

She had to run to a couple other nearby classrooms to hunt for an empty desk/chair she could carry to her assigned classroom.

She was seated as they handed out the exams.

 

Thankfully, she's just a 10th grader -- but she was still pretty frustrated.

 

Next year, this will not happen.  And, she should be in really good position for NMSQT next year.  But -- we'll see her scores in a couple of weeks. 

[RegGuheert]

Due to family troubles (mental illness issues), my son got "behind" in math. He's in 10th and has is in Alg. 1.

There is a *lot* of Algebra I on the PSAT, including many of the concepts at the back of the book. As such, your son will have just been exposed to the concepts covered when he takes his 11th-grade test next year. If you are interested in scholarships for your son, he will need to practice his algebra skills extensively before next October. As mentioned up-thread, Khan Academy has an SAT mission which will drill (and provide some training) on targeted skills for the SAT, which will apply directly to the PSAT.

I saw an advert for Geometry in a semester that intrigued me, though I would consider it for fall of 2018. It's not absolutely necessary, but a consideration.

There is certainly geometry on the PSAT, but without good algebra skills, many of them will be difficult to answer. As such, I would recommend that you consider focusing on the algebra and supplement with Khan Academy for focused drill and the opportunity to pick up some tips and tricks on geometry. He may be spread too thin if he tries to tackle bot algebra and geometry in a single school year. IMO, both the PSAT and SAT require mastery in algebra to achieve a high score.

 

Finally, don't just focus on math in his PSAT prep. The reading and writing sections are both tricky and require focused prep to help the student learn about the unique style of the questions found there. Those two sections together account for 2/3 of the score used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation when determining who is awarded commended and above status.

[historymatters]

There is a *lot* of Algebra I on the PSAT, including many of the concepts at the back of the book. As such, your son will have just been exposed to the concepts covered when he takes his 11th-grade test next year.

 

 

**I wasn't clear. It was this year when he took it that he had barely been exposed to Alg. I. By next PSAT, he'll be in 11th and will have finished Alg. I. So, next year, he should show much improvement.

 

 

If you are interested in scholarships for your son, he will need to practice his algebra skills extensively before next October. As mentioned up-thread, Khan Academy has an SAT mission which will drill (and provide some training) on targeted skills for the SAT, which will apply directly to the PSAT.There is certainly geometry on the PSAT, but without good algebra skills, many of them will be difficult to answer. As such, I would recommend that you consider focusing on the algebra and supplement with Khan Academy for focused drill and the opportunity to pick up some tips and tricks on geometry. He may be spread too thin if he tries to tackle bot algebra and geometry in a single school year. IMO, both the PSAT and SAT require mastery in algebra to achieve a high score.

 

 

**I will have him do this preparation to secure what he will have learned in Alg. I, prior to the test.

And yes, you're right, it would be overwhelming to do both and actually hurt his chances of understanding and doing well.

 

 

Finally, don't just focus on math in his PSAT prep. The reading and writing sections are both tricky and require focused prep to help the student learn about the unique style of the questions found there. Those two sections together account for 2/3 of the score used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation when determining who is awarded commended and above status.

 

 

**This is good to hear, as he's much stronger in this area.

 

Thanks so much.☺

Oops, I think I hijacked the thread from it's original purpose. 😒 I'll back away slowly now...

 

(Sorry about the strange formatting. It didn't quote correctly. Hopefully, the distinctions are clear. My answers have a double asterisk)

Edited November 28, 2017 by historymatters

[mirabillis]

DS14 (9th) took the PSAT this year - we're wondering if he might possibly be in the running for NMSF for his official 11th grade test. Those of you seasoned, what do you think is a reasonable anticipated amount of score improvement between 9th-11th grade? How many questions - approximately - would a student be able to miss? We're in TN - this year's SI cutoff was 218. We're just getting familiar with PSAT/SAT test-taking & scoring so any info would be helpful. So, would it be un/reasonable to anticipate an improvement of 5 SI points? 10? 15? 20? more? over the course of 2 years? 

 

I know this can vary according to what needs work/test taking strategies/etc. Let's say if there are decent, but room-for-improvement test-taking strategies in place, no problem completing the exam, no outside prep, with just honors/AP curriculum choices. What might be an anticipated score change? We're trying to determine just how much energy needs to be devoted to test prep vs how much will come with his studies, & we're trying to determine if NMSF is even something to gun for. Thoughts?

 

no idea on averages. but for us, my ds went up 140 points from 9th to 10th grade and is now in the 99th %. our cutoff in CA is crazy high, like 222 or 223 but i am hopeful with actual SAT prep ahead of 11th grade PSAT, he is maybe in the running. :-)) He went up 20 SI points from 9th to 10th, if I recall his 9th grade SI correctly.

[4ofus]

no idea on averages. but for us, my ds went up 140 points from 9th to 10th grade and is now in the 99th %. our cutoff in CA is crazy high, like 222 or 223 but i am hopeful with actual SAT prep ahead of 11th grade PSAT, he is maybe in the running. :-)) He went up 20 SI points from 9th to 10th, if I recall his 9th grade SI correctly.

 

 

This is encouraging. This tells me he's in the race if he wants to be. Thanks!

[Jazzy]

I'm way too much of a rule follower!! I had visions of those who accessed scores early having the scores disqualified or something, so I couldn't bring myself to check. Clearly some of you live on the edge...

 

;)

I felt the same! Too chicken!!!

[wapiti]

If any of you have a junior in a B&M school that has Naviance, check it for PSAT scores.  Our school's Naviance has them.  Schools received them today.

[madteaparty]

We are all happy with dd#1's PSAT scores. She improved (a lot) on her August SAT score. :thumbup1:

That's not a long time, well done your DD. I have a very light hand with test prep (doing none basically) because I think maturity and you know, doing school might take care of it. But what do you think made the difference for your DD in such a small timeframe?

[madteaparty]

Note that R&W account for 2/3 of the selection index which is used to determine NM status, so raising the overall R/W score has more impact on commended status than raising the math score by the same amount.

 

I don't understand, I thought NM was based solely on total score, cut-off by state. Or are you saying the SAT score itself is 2/3 Reading and Writing? (Sorry if I'm daft. DS an 8th grader and I haven't thought much past 9th grade!)

[RootAnn]

Selection Index is what the National Merit cutoffs are based on. The SI is the R/W (I call it the English score) times two, added to the Math score (then divide by ten to get a score in the hundreds) So, you might see a 1270 SAT split 610 660, but the SI is either 188 or 193 depending on which score is the math one. (Forgive me if I messed up the math. Still early for me.) So, a 30 pt jump in the R/W score doubles the jump (+6) in the SI but a 30 pts increase only gets you +3.

 

SI cutoff might be 211 or 223, or somewhere in the middle, depending on your state. Each year's cutoff for each state is / may be different.

 

ETA: I'll ask dd what she thinks led to the increase when she gets up later. It could have just been a good (testing) day or that she was familiar with the surroundings for the PSAT from the year before but the SAT was in an unfamiliar building/town. (But, I don't think she ever scored that high except maybe on one Khan test??)

Edited December 5, 2017 by RootAnn

[madteaparty]

Selection Index is what the National Merit cutoffs are based on. The SI is the R/W (I call it the English score) times two, added to the Math score (then divide by ten to get a score in the hundreds) So, you might see a 1270 SAT split 610 660, but the SI is either 188 or 193 depending on which score is the math one. (Forgive me if I messed up the math. Still early for me.) So, a 30 pt jump in the R/W score doubles the jump (+6) in the SI but a 30 pts increase only gets you +3.

 

SI cutoff might be 211 or 223, or somewhere in the middle, depending on your state. Each year's cutoff for each state is / may be different.

 

ETA: I'll ask dd what she thinks led to the increase when she gets up later. It could have just been a good (testing) day or that she was familiar with the surroundings for the PSAT from the year before but the SAT was in an unfamiliar building/town. (But, I don't think she ever scored that high except maybe on one Khan test??)

Thanks so much for explaining! It all makes sense now.

I see you used Forester for Alg 2. I wanted to, as well, after using Forester for Alg 1 but I want to be able to outsource so we are going another way. It is my completely unfounded hunch that the wordy math problems on SAT are very forester-like.

[RootAnn]

Kolbe and Homeschool Connections both have classes using Foerster for Alg 2. (I wouldn't recommend the HC one, though! I don't know how the Kolbe class is.)

Thanks so much for explaining! It all makes sense now.
I see you used Forester for Alg 2. I wanted to, as well, after using Forester for Alg 1 but I want to be able to outsource so we are going another way. It is my completely unfounded hunch that the wordy math problems on SAT are very forester-like.

DD said she was comfortable in the PSAT place (different than SAT), her math class this year is awesome (and that somehow made her do better on the math portion?), and somehow thinking about what memes people would post on twitter made her improve her score on the English portion. So, not very helpful, sorry!

[madteaparty]

Kolbe and Homeschool Connections both have classes using Foerster for Alg 2. (I wouldn't recommend the HC one, though! I don't know how the Kolbe class is.)

DD said she was comfortable in the PSAT place (different than SAT), her math class this year is awesome (and that somehow made her do better on the math portion?), and somehow thinking about what memes people would post on twitter made her improve her score on the English portion. So, not very helpful, sorry!

ðŸ˜

We are going with a tutor for Alg 2 for now

Edited December 6, 2017 by madteaparty

[RootAnn]

Bumping for this week's action. Also, I see that Compass Prep has a new blog post on PSAT scores & (guessed) National Merit cutoffs for the class of 2019 based on the information provided to school counselors last week. They report the average score went down a little bit (still above the first revised PSAT test two years ago), but the number & percentage of kids with scores above 1400 went up, along with the total number of students taking the PSAT.

 

He guesses that the Commended cut-off will go up by 1 (from 211 to 212) based on what he saw in the school info.

[wapiti]

They report the average score went down a little bit (still above the first revised PSAT test two years ago), but the number & percentage of kids with scores above 1400 went up, along with the total number of students taking the PSAT.

 

The percentiles and average scores shown on the PSAT/NMSQT score report and in the Understanding Scores publication do not actually pertain to the class of 2019. All of the normative data are from previous class years. Instead of using these sources, Compass has turned to the score information made available to schools.

 

Anyone know how Compass got score information available to schools?  The schools just give Compass the data?

 

ETA, they are right not to rely on the percentiles, which are once again fake, coming only from the 2015 and 2016 tests and not from the actual 2017 test.

Edited December 11, 2017 by wapiti

[snowbeltmom]

According to the CB map, D should be able to see her scores today.  I just logged in to her account and she has a message stating that she will be able to view her scores tomorrow.  I wonder if the CB's map is incorrect or my D bubbled something incorrectly?  Did anyone else who is supposed to be able to view scores today, get this message?

 

I guess I could use that internet proctor thing to get them today anyway, but I don't want to put that much effort into it.

[RootAnn]

I wondered about this, but the guy who writes the blog has many contacts. This fall, someone with access to the booklet they give the schools with the cutoffs for every state gave the information to him before the official release date for NMSF. 

Anyone know how Compass got score information available to schools?  The schools just give Compass the data?

 

Snowbeltmom - DD's scores are supposed to be accessable today & they are. Maybe try again now? Maybe they hadn't switched the message when you tried earlier? 

 

ETA:  For those of you who were wondering - the score report looks identical to the one she was able to access early via the loophole. The only thing different is that the printable/downloadable report doesn't have that the website info has is the "Your PSAT/NMSQT User Percentile" (based on the 2015-2016, 2016-2017 years, not this year's testers) , only the "Nationally Representative Sample Percentile" (which is a higher percentage). Well, and the ability to see the actual questions they got wrong. That's a cool feature.

Edited December 11, 2017 by RootAnn

[RegGuheert]

I'm connected to the internet through a cell tower in Bunker Hill, WV, but when I go to https://studentscores.collegeboard.org/home, I instead get a page which reads:

Score Release

This page is unavailable until Tuesday, December 12.

- SAT or Subject Tests: View total scores or send scores on My SAT. To view your detailed score report and score sends history, come back on December 12.

- PSAT/NMSQT: Your score report will be available on December 12. Learn more.

- PSAT 10 or PSAT 8/9: To view your scores, come back on December 12.

- For additional support, call 866-756-7346 or find other ways to contact us.

This doesn't make sense since the learn more link above clearly says West Virginia is supposed to receive their scores today.  Is anyone else in the "December 11 zone" having difficulty getting their scores today?

 

Waaa!!  :crying:

[JoJosMom]

We're in today's zone. I'd check DD's scores, but I promised to let her look first. WHAT was I thinking? :glare:

 

Edit:  They're here! They're here! And there is much joy!

Edited December 11, 2017 by JoJosMom