It’s officially PSAT/NMSQT (the Preliminary SAT) month with Hellgate’s offered test coming up on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 8:30am. Registration for this test closed Sept. 26. According to Jessica Buboltz, Hellgate’s Advanced Programs and Title 1 Coordinator, there are around 220 Hellgate students signed up for the PSAT this year which is “high compared to the last few years.”
According to College Board, the PSAT is a standardized test that is National Merit Scholarship qualifying for juniors. Sophomores are also eligible to take the test for practice. A National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test means that if a junior receives a score that’s in the top 1% of all test takers in the state, they could be a scholarship recipient.
Coming prepared on test day is “so important,” said Buboltz. Students should get a good night’s sleep the night before, eat a healthy breakfast and bring snacks and water as there will be breaks.
Students must also bring a fully charged chromebook/personal device (the test will be fully digital), a computer charger for backup, a pen or pencil (scrap paper will be provided), a College Board approved calculator if preferred, and personal identification (student ID or drivers license). Students cannot bring backpacks, phones, or smartwatches into the test room.
It is also important to “complete a technology test on your chromebook or personal device before Oct. 22nd” Buboltz said. According to Buboltz, the technology test if you have an MCPS Chromebook includes clicking the Apps menu on bottom left of the screen, clicking the Bluebook option, and clicking “Test Your Device” in the upper right corner. Any problems can be brought to the Hellgate librarians, Ms. Wineman, or Ms. Gant. The technology test for a personal device includes downloading Bluebook and understanding how to access it on your computer. For any issues visit Ms. Buboltz in room 211D or the librarians.
The test will be roughly three hours and there will be two sections, a Reading and Writing section and a Math section, according to College Board. It should take slightly over two hours to complete plus a break in between sections.
Each section of the test has two modules and each is timed separately. You can move between questions in a module and review answers until the time is up.
According to College Board, the test will have tools available. Math will have a reference sheet and a calculator. For English there will be an annotation tool for highlighting. On multiple-choice questions testers can cross out questions they think are wrong or mark questions they want to come back to later. Any problems during the test can be answered by clicking the help icon for tips, and test proctors will be around to help as well.
Scores are available online a few weeks after the test according to College Board. Scores can be accessed at studentscores.collegeboard.org. On test day there will be the option to enter a phone number to be able to see scores on the BigFuture School app.
Both math and English, according to College Board, are scored out of 760 points making the highest overall score possible 1520. On the College Board website, testers can find their test results compared to their school’s average, their district’s average, their state’s average, the U.S average, and the average out of all testers. Students can also find which percentile they fit into in each of those categories.
In preparation for the PSAT, students can find test previews and full-length practice tests on Bluebook by scrolling down to the practice and prepare section. Other studying resources are available on the Official SAT Prep on Khan Academy.
The PSAT is important in many ways. From qualifying for scholarships, practice for SATs, ACTs, and other standardized tests, and developing an understanding of the specific test environment and rules, the PSAT can help prepare for many things.
