# PSAT Preparation

The PSAT is an opportunity to gain confidence with a standardized test, so that you're ready for all the others coming down the road.

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## Process

It might surprise you to learn that studying for the PSAT is one of the single smartest things you can do for your college application process. Why? Because it’s the one aspect of the process with virtually no downside.

1

### Prepare for the PSAT

The PSAT is an opportunity to practice test-taking foundations. For students who already feel comfortable with tests, the PSAT/NMSQT offers a chance to practice more advanced methods in preparation for the SAT (and to qualify for a National Merit scholarship!). Since the PSAT is typically administered in October of students’ junior years, we recommend starting preparation the prior spring or summer. Some school districts offer the PSAT 8/9 and PSAT 10, which are essentially practice versions of the PSAT/NMSQT. These tests occur during the school day and can be helpful diagnostic tools for the PSAT/NMSQT, but they don't count towards scholarship opportunities. Students can take the PSAT/NMSQT up to three times total, and some students opt to take the test as sophomores, but scholarship programs only look at the eleventh-grade score for scholarship opportunities.

2

### Determine when you need to take the test

The PSAT is typically administered in October of students’ junior years. Although some sophomores opt to take the PSAT/NMSQT, and students can take the exam up to three times in their high school careers, scholarship programs will only look at the test score administered in the eleventh grade. We advise our clients to start studying in the summer before their junior year.

3

### Familiarize yourself with the format of the exam and official resources

The PSAT/NMSQT is structured just like the SAT. The test is administered in-person at official test centers and consists of 4 sections: Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and the Essay (optional). Total testing time clocks in at 180 minutes, not including breaks or the 50-minute optional Essay section. The PSAT 8/9 and PSAT 10 are administered during the school day. The PSAT 8/9 is slightly shorter than the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT, with ten fewer questions.

4

### Establish a baseline on a previously administered test

We highly recommend taking a full-length official practice exam as your diagnostic: Test 1 out of the College Board’s Official SAT Study Guide is a great place to start. Logging your wrong answers from this diagnostic is helpful in beginning to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
5

### Create a preparation plan

The PSAT is highly coachable, patterned, and predictable. It is a well-known fact that familiarity through repetition leads to dramatically superior outcomes on the PSAT. We recommend a minimum of 16 one-on-one tutoring sessions to cover the entirety of the test. Most of our students space these sessions out over the course of two to four months in our Comprehensive Package.
6

### Start tutoring, and later practice testing

You’ll meet with your tutor regularly (ideally, at least once/week), complete homework in between sessions, and take practice tests. Practice tests are the best way to measure how well you’re applying the methods you’re learning in tutoring sessions, and to gauge the progress of your score.

## Tutor spotlight

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## FAQs

• ### What is the PSAT?

The PSAT comes in three flavors, but only one – the PSAT/NMSQT – connects students to scholarship opportunities. The PSAT 8/9 is geared toward eighth and ninth-grade students, and scores don't qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Similarly, the PSAT 10 is geared toward tenth-grade students, and scores don't qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. The PSAT/NMSQT, which students typically take in eleventh grade, is the test that counts for scholarship opportunities. Because it's the only test that precisely simulates the SAT test day atmosphere, the PSAT/NSMQT is by far the best gauge of your comfort level with standardized tests, and the SAT in particular.

Since the PSAT is designed as a practice for the SAT, PSAT scores never get sent to colleges. Not all school districts administer all exams, especially not the PSAT 8/9 and PSAT 10, so check with your local school for test availability.

Not only does the PSAT help prepare your child for the SAT, but your child’s scores on the PSAT will connect them to scholarship opportunities, including the National Merit Scholarship Program. Over $235 million in scholarships use PSAT scores to distribute their funding. • ### How is the PSAT scored? The PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT are scored on the same scale as the SAT. The only difference is that the PSAT maximum score is 1520, whereas the SAT maximum score is 1600; this is due to the fact that the SAT has more questions of a higher difficulty level. The PSAT 8/9 is scored on a scale from 240-1440. In addition, all three PSAT score reports include an AP Potential section that recommends what AP topics students might be ready to study based on their test results. • ### How do I register my child for the PSAT? Unlike the SAT where registration is done online via College Board, PSAT registration is done through your child’s high school. Every high school has a slightly different process for signing up, so be sure to contact your child’s school or guidance counselor for more information. • ### Who receives my child’s PSAT scores? PSAT scores are sent to your child’s school, school district, state, and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Additionally, the scores will be sent to specific scholarship and recognition programs unless you choose to opt out of that process. PSAT scores are never sent to colleges. • ### When does registration open for the PSAT? Registration occurs about 5 weeks before the selected test date. Register online or find out more here. • ### How has COVID impacted the PSAT? For COVID updates and the PSAT, please visit this link. ## Plans We’ve created a structured yet flexible pricing plan that offers everything you need to succeed on test day. ### Choose a Tutor Tier ### Hourly Rate 1 Hour All of our tutoring is available on an hourly basis. If you're not sure how much tutoring you'll need or when you plan to test, you can enroll in our "pay as you go" option.$ 120

$160$ 240

$290 ### First Time Package 4.5 Hours The three session package is a good way to get a student's feet wet, evaluate the amount of tutoring they’ll ultimately need, and see if they feel comfortable with a tutor. Most students use this package to gauge their preliminary strengths and weaknesses so that the tutor can chart a longer term plan.$ 540

$720$ 1080

• #### Senior

150-200 hours

350+- hours
\$290/hour