<p>Has anyone here done the alternate test and been named NMSF? Our son missed the PSAT due to a band competition that day. Luckily, I read on CC about alternate testing. His score is about three points over our state's highest in the past few years, but I'm nervous that something is going to go wrong. I keep telling myself that I have nothing to worry about, unless our state's score really jumps (!), but has anyone here had experience with alternate testing and being NMSF? Anything I should consider? I'm learning how much I don't know about college and scholarships, but CC has been such a great resource. Thanks!</p>
<p>Is your son a rising senior? If so, it’s probably too late to use an alternate test. The SAT is sometimes used, but arrangements need to be made soon after the junior year PSAT.</p>
<p>His score is about three points over our state’s highest i</p>
<p>??? …his score on what? you said he missed the test. Please clarify.</p>
<p>He is a rising senior and he already took the alternate test. Now we’re just waiting. I even called NMS Corp. to make sure that they received it and they did.</p>
<p>If I understand you correctly, your S’s school gave the PSAT on Wednesday and, due to a conflict, you arranged to have him take it on Saturday (probably at another location). Or vise-versa. Or you made other arrangements with the NMSC for him to take the test. (I’m not sure if this is possible but perhaps it is.)</p>
<p>In any case the reason that the scores 20-80 on each section are called scaled scores is to try to create statistically equivalent scores no matter what form of the test is taken. This allows students who sit different sessions of the test, and hence take different versions, to have their results compared. Thus the cut-off scores for your state apply equally to all test-takers regardless of what version of the test they took and when they took it.</p>
<p>Bottom line is that his score will work exactly like any other test-takers score and, if it is equal to or above the cut-off score, qualify him as a NMSF. If his score is +3 over the cut-off score from previous years it is likely, but not certain, that he is “in”. You’ll have to wait about a month more to know for sure.</p>
<p>He did miss the PSAT, but he and his school counselor filled out some paperwork and he was able to submit the SAT as a substitute. He got 2190 on his substituted SAT which ended up as 218 for PSAT. I thought they just took 1/10, but apparently there is a difference in the weighting of some of the answers. Sorry I was not clear and thank you for the replies!</p>
<p>Aside from knowing that the SAT can be substituted for the PSAT when arranged in advance, I have no experience with SAT-based qualification. However I am sure that if they gave him a PSAT-equivalent result it is meant to be used exactly as any other PSAT-based result.</p>
<p>One reason for the “conversion” is that the SAT essay, which counts as part of the SAT score, cannot be counted in the PSAT because the PSAT does not have an essay. There might also be other statistical considerations which resulted in a slightly different score.</p>
<p>Just be glad that you don’t live in New Jersey :-)</p>
<p>I’m sure it will be fine.</p>
<p>+3 above the state’s all time high is golden. In a stat world +3 is huge! GL & don’t forget the paperwork to advance to NMF ;)</p>
<p>My daughter was in South America last fall, and so she too missed the PSAT test, and applied for and received approval to use the “alternate test” method. It just means that you take the SAT by this past June, and submit your score to NMSC. The reason the SAT score went from 2190 to 218 is that the essay is not counted. It did count toward the 2190, but for the writing section of the SAT, your son got a raw score before essay. NMSC simply adds this to the other 2 sections (both of these sections are divided by 10), and you got 218. Basically, his essay slightly improved his raw writing score. Good luck.</p>