PSAT/NMSQT for Juniors, Sophomores & Freshmen

What

PSAT/NMSQT for Juniors, Sophomores & Freshmen

When

10/16/2019

JUNIORS & SOPHS:
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School will offer the PSAT during school on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 beginning at 8:00am to all 10th-11th grade students free of charge (no sign-ups are required). The purpose of the PSAT (Preliminary SAT) is to give all students an opportunity to experience taking a college readiness test and to identify students who might benefit from advanced coursework. Even if your child has not yet decided to attend college, the PSAT will be a valuable experience in helping decide his/her future plans.

To help our students prepare, all 10th and 11th grade students were provided with the PSAT Practice Test Booklet. We strongly advise students to review and take the practice test in preparation for the exam on October 16. 

By taking the PSAT your child will have access to resources that will help prepare him/her for the future. Two resources that will be of benefit to all students are: 

A list of personalized careers and potential college majors based on the preferences indicated on the PSAT; and
Access to MyRoad™, the College Board's interactive college and career planning website.

Other resources that will be provided to all students who participate in the test include the following:

An online score report, including projected SAT® score ranges, state percentiles, and the ability to sort answer explanations by difficulty and question type;
A customized SAT® study plan including a review of results, SAT® practice questions, and personalized skill improvement ideas.

A wonderful feature of the SAT suite is the electronic reporting and free SAT test prep through Khan Academy, which is available to all students who take the PSAT. Below you will find helpful links in utilizing these features to their fullest. 

▶ Video: Understanding your PSAT/NMSQT Results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzCSIilL3WQ 
▶ Video: Linking College Board and Khan Academy Accounts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlveV0131Cw 

By taking the PSAT in 11th grade, all students will have the opportunity to qualify for participation in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. PSAT/NMSQT scores are used as an initial screen of entrants to the National Merit Scholarship Program, which recognizes outstanding academic achievement by U.S. high school students. OLSH students have received commendation from National Merit because of their excellent performance on this test. It also provides Minority Scholarship Opportunities. 

PSAT Score Reports will arrive at our school prior to Christmas. Once we receive the score reports, we will distribute them to our students and review how to interpret their results.

If you would like additional information about the PSAT and how it will be administered, please contact your child’s school counselor. If you would like additional information from The College Board, you may visit http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/.

FROSH:
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School will offer the PSAT 8/9 during school on Wednesday, October 16 beginning at 8:00 am to all ninth grade students free of charge (no sign-ups are required). The purpose of the PSAT 8/9 (Preliminary SAT) is to give all students an opportunity to experience taking a college readiness test and to identify students who might benefit from advanced coursework. Even if your child has not yet decided to attend college, the PSAT will be a valuable experience in helping decide his/her future plans.

PSAT 8/9 Score Reports will arrive at our school prior to Christmas. Once we receive the score reports, we will mail them home and review with students how to interpret their results.

If you would like additional information about the PSAT 8/9 and how it will be administered, please contact your child’s school counselor. If you would like additional information from The College Board, you may visit http://www.collegeboard.com/parents/.

It is recommended that students bring #2 pencils and a calculator (permitted to use a 4-function; scientific; and graphing calculator) on the day of the test. Students MAY NOT share calculators. Students MAY NOT use a cell phone calculator.

Please be sure that your child gets a good rest the night before, eats breakfast and feels prepared for the exam. Studies indicate that students who are well rested and have eaten a healthy breakfast score better on standardized tests.

For more information about the PSAT 8/9 and for practice questions to help your student prepare for the exam, the Student Guide can be found at this link: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/psat-8-9-student-guide.pdf

What’s on the PSAT/NMSQT
Students who know what to expect on the PSAT perform better on test day.
The PSAT includes four sections in three skill areas. Testing time totals 2 hours and 25 minutes. That doesn’t include the time it takes to complete personal information on the answer sheet and listen to instructions, or breaks.