PSAT/NMSQT 2008
• Get ideas from the score report on how to improve your academic skills
• Use MyRoad to access free resources and information about college majors and careers that interest you
The next PSAT test will be offered in October, 2009
Web Resources:
Collegeboard.com/psat for sample questions
PSAT/NMSQT Guide and Next Steps After Taking the Test
Helping Your Child Use Score Report Plus
Be sure to look beyond the scores when you read your student's PSAT/NMSQT
Score Report Plus. You'll find a thorough review of her performance and
suggestions for improvement in school and out, as well as advice and
tools for college and career preparation.
Scores
Your student's PSAT/NMSQT scores are printed right at the top of the
report. Each score—for critical reading, math, and writing skills—is
based on a scale of 20–80. But the score is just the beginning. Other
important data available on the report include score ranges and
percentiles.
Score ranges show how much scores might vary if your student were to take
the PSAT/NMSQT repeatedly without learning additional skills. In other
words, the scores within this range are considered "equal,"
statistically.
Percentiles compare your student's performance to that of other students.
If she's in eleventh grade, her score is compared to the scores of all
eleventh graders who took the test. If she's in tenth grade or earlier,
her score is compared to the scores of all tenth graders who took the
test.
Review Your Answers
Here you’ll find the correct answer, your child's response, and the
difficulty level of each question. For math questions, the general area
of math covered is also indicated. Your child should receive her
original test book along with her Score Report Plus. Reviewing
questions she got wrong is an excellent way for your child to prepare
for the SAT®. Encourage her to look into the reasons she got them wrong:
Send your child to:collegeboard.com/quickstart for complete answer explanations.
- Did she not know the answer? Or was there another reason she responded incorrectly?
- Did she make a careless error?
- Did she guess instead of leaving the question blank?
Reviewing answers and going over difficult questions with a teacher will help your child improve her skills and performance.
Improve Your Skills
This section lists some specific skills that your student needs to
improve. These suggestions are based upon her pattern of responses
across test questions. You'll find personalized feedback on up to three
critical reading and math skills and up to two writing skills. While
other areas may also need improvement, the skills listed here are the
ones that can be best improved through additional attention and
learning. Share this information with your student's teachers because
these skills affect classroom performance and are important for success
in college.
National Merit Scholarship Corporation Programs
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) cosponsors the
Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
(PSAT/NMSQT). The scholarship competitions are for eleventh graders
only.
Eleventh graders are automatically entered into the NMSC scholarship competition.
Qualification is based on the selection index—the sum of critical
reading, math, and writing skills scores. In September, NMSC will
notify principals of students who have been commended or are eligible
for continuing in NMSC scholarship competitions.
If your student's selection index has an asterisk, it means that she is
in some way ineligible to enter the competition. This is not because of
her scores, but most likely because she is not yet in eleventh grade.
Educational Plans
This section offers college major information. Before the test, your
child provided her grade average and the college major she's
considering. Here you’ll find a description of the major she chose and
recommended high school courses that will help her prepare for
college-level work.
My College QuickStart™
If your student is in high school, she'll receive My College QuickStart,
a free personalized planning kit that complements her score report. She
can find it online at www.collegeboard.com/quickstart. With the unique
access code printed on her score report, your student will have access to
the following features:
Your student can plan for the future with MyRoad.
- Complete answer explanations for every question on the PSAT/NMSQT. The online score report also includes state percentiles and projected SAT score ranges.
- A personalized SAT study plan, based on her PSAT/NMSQT performance. My SAT Study Plan™ provides practice SAT questions, including those that test higher-level math, as well as sample SAT essays, written by actual test-takers.
- Interactive and in-depth college and career planning with MyRoad™. Your student can take a validated personality assessment, learn about her personality type, and receive and explore major and career suggestions. Your student will have access to MyRoad throughout high school.
Next Steps
With the help of teachers and counselors, students should use the
information provided on the PSAT/NMSQT Score Report Plus and My College
QuickStart to improve their academic skills and plan for college or a
career. Your student can take the following next steps:
- Review her high school transcripts with her counselor and select strong courses for next year that will help her reach her education and career goals.
- Consider taking AP® and honors courses in high school.
- Take the PSAT/NMSQT again in the fall of the eleventh grade, if she’s in tenth grade.
- Register for the SAT in the spring, if she’s in eleventh grade. Register online for SAT tests.
- Get involved in extracurricular and community activities.
College admissions officials weigh the contributions students will make
to the college community.
Visit collegeboard.com for Action Plans for all four grades in high school.