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PSAT 8/9 for homeschoolers....can't find location


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I'd love to have my daughter take the PSAT 8/9. As a homeschooler, according to the College Board website, you need to find a local school that's offering the test, then contact them and humbly beg that they'll let you register. 

There are only 4 locations within 2 hours that are offering the PSAT 8/9. And unfortunately, none of the schools I've called are willing to let a homeschooler register. I'm very concerned that DD will miss out on critical testing opportunities moving forward (the ones that count -- like the PSAT, etc.) if this is the game that's being played. Has anyone found any creative solutions to this problem? If you must take these tests at a testing location, and no one will take you, what do you do?

I did have DD take the CLT 8 this past year which thankfully can be taken online. Go CLT!!! I'm definitely a fan after being shut out of other testing options.

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I don't think the PSAT 8/9 matters for anything that you can't do on your own with a home-administered test of some sort. I think some of the talent searches use it for middle grade out of level testing, but I honestly would not bother jumping through those hoops.

 

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If there are no locations near you, and you're not able to drive and stay overnight to test at the location 4 hours away, and if none of the regular PSAT/NMSQT test locations have room for an 8th grader to test with their high school students... then you can do practice tests at home.

Quite honestly, I wouldn't worry about it if you can't test in 8th grade. As long as you can test in 9th and 10th, or at least in 10th grade as practice, you'll do fine. It's more useful to do practice/prep at home with the available test prep materials available. 😉

Edited by Lori D.
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Thank you for the suggestions everyone. DD is a rising 9th grader. I was unable to find locations that were offering the PSAT 8/9 at all during her 8th grade year, so I'm trying again to have her take it during 9th grade. My primary goal is to get her accustomed to taking these tests - to get familiar with the format as well as the experience of taking it in a room full of others before it "counts" in later years. I realize it's not mission-critical, but I feel strongly that it sure would be useful. 

Thank you gstharr for the pointer to CTY, CTD, and TIP. I will investigate those possibilities. 

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Could she just take the regular PSAT? She could take one at home to set expectations if she has not completed all the assumed math, and then take one live and see if she improves (or whatever minor goal makes sense).

Obviously there are many personal situations where that might not work.

 

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1 hour ago, frankincense said:

 

Thank you gstharr for the pointer to CTY, CTD, and TIP. I will investigate those possibilities. 

Sorry, did not catch your daughter is a 9th grader.  CTD will only allow PSAT 8/9 testing through 6th grade. &th and up take SAT or ACT.  CTY seems to be the same.  Duke is phasing out TIP.  Have you considered just taking the SAT or ACT.  My new 11th grader did SAT a few years ago after he had completed Alg 1 & 2, and some informal geometry he picked up in his math circle.  His math score was excellent, reading far better than I expected.  You can baseline at home to see if it doable.  Just tear a couple of tests out of  a practice book, and score it yourself.. The projected scores in the Princeton materials were very accurate. 

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Some other tests might give her more experience with the general flow of testing in a room with others. 

My kids did AMC math tests, National Mythology Exam, and National Latin Exam. Some were in small groups with homeschoolers. Some were at testing centers. 

In some cases, I had to be the driving force. I got my homeschool group to offer the AMC by coordinating the test and finding a proctor. 

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