<p>Prep for the old PSAT doubles as prep for the old SAT, so can still be valuable. Some prep is transferable. Prep about timing, whether to guess, strategies for particular question types, etc is not as transferable as math review of things forgotten or not well understood and the equivalent for English.</p>
<p>@4beardolls – I asked my son if he would sit and complete the practice test he received when he registered. He replied that it would be a waste of his time since the PSAT format would be changing, and he suggested that taking a practice SAT would be a better use of his time! While I can’t argue with him, I may still try to convince him to take a single run through the practice exam, assuming he can fit it in this weekend. </p>
<p>The open question I had for the CB was whether sitting for the old SAT (which is S’s plan) prior to the new Spring 16’ exam will be counted to confirm a score on the new PSAT that he will be required to take. CB was not definitively able to answer that question for me. So the possibility remains that S will have to sit for both old and new SAT. </p>
<p>I don’t understand what “confirming” means @Harvestmoon1. If your son takes the old SAT before the new PSAT and he is happy with his score, why would he need to take the newer version of the SAT? The sequence of testing seems irrelevant to me as long as either SAT is taken. I have heard of kids submitting SAT scores from 9th grade which is clearly way before they took the PSAT as 11th graders. The idea of having to confirm a PSAT score with a subsequent SAT is new to me. Am I missing something?</p>
<p>@Harvestmoon1 is talking about a confirming score for National Merit. If your child makes NMSF, then they have to score a certain mark on the SAT to confirm. For the current SAT, that is 1960. Who knows what it will be for the new PSAT/SAT?</p>
<p>The October test sophomore year is the earliest test that can be used as for a confirming score. If the student took it as a freshman and got 2400, he will need to take it again.</p>
<p>@18yrcollegemin, thanks for the clarification. Just goes to show that I still have a lot more to learn about the admissions stuff, even with 2 kids in college. I probably should care more about these details.</p>
<p>In that case @Harvestmoon1, I can see where the non-answers are not very helpful. I hope you are able to get the answers you need. </p>
<p>Not that. I’m sure school allows it. But not many students think to do it. The number of 10th graders(and 11th graders) in WI taking PSAT are low because of lack of awareness. In 2013 3,900 sophomores and 17,700 juniors took it. And that is still a low number for the juniors, about 28%. In some states all the 10th graders take PSAT as a matter of course. The 10th graders in our district all take the PLAN/PACT during a school day as part of regular testing.</p>
<p>@celesteroberts, that number doesn’t sound low to me at all. If you consider that fewer than the top 1% of kids will get the scholarship, if 28% of them are trying for it, I expect the ones who would win anyhow are not missing out on anything. The others will likely take the ACT anyway so the PLAN is better for them, no?</p>
<p>mathyone, I suppose you are right. Not sure how many kids even take the SAT in WI. Only 18% of applicants to UW-Madison submit SAT scores and some of them are OOS. But the WI PSAT numbers are anyway low compared to SAT states. For example, in NY about 2/3 of sophomores and 85% of juniors take the PSAT. </p>
<p>I am assuming/hoping that if S takes the (new) PSAT next year and gets a “qualifying” score (he is taking it this year just because), but takes the old SAT next fall or early winter and makes a good score, that SAT score can still be used to qualify for NMSF status. Otherwise, the NMC should roll out the new SAT at the same time as the new PSAT. Many kids take the SAT shortly after the PSAT because they have already studied a lot of the material.</p>
<p>See earlier posts - the old format of the SAT can be used to confirm a qualifying score on the new PSAT. Think the SAT that can be used can be any score obtained from October 14’ going forward. </p>
<p>@celesteroberts & @HarvestMoon1 — not trying to be difficult, but I don’t know that we can be 100% certain that the NMS program will follow the same rules? I really hope that they do, and I am going to operate as if this will be the case as it has been for many years, but I am guessing that they could decide to require a confirming score from the new format SAT for the MNSFs of 2017. I don’t think this is a likely scenario and I hope it does not come to pass as it will then force some students to sit for yet another round of the SAT.</p>
<p>I agree with you CT1417. They well may and if I had another one coming through, I would be calling and asking about it for sure, but this one is my last. I was only making comments on current and past year NM stuff.</p>
<p>I called yesterday and confirmed that they would accept a confirming score from the old format SAT. Any SAT you sit for between Oct. 14’ and Oct. 16’ can be used to confirm. You have to call the National Merit Scholarship Corporation who handles the administration of the awards not the college board.</p>
<p>Also called the College Board and was told there are currently no “official” test prep materials available for either of the new formatted tests and they have “no information” on when they will become available.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information, HarvestMoon1! For current sophomore, we still need to take the new PSAT if we want the National Merit Scholarship, right? What is a good confirming score? </p>
<p>@123PSAT – The confirming score had been approximately 1960 on the SATm but if IRRC there was some formula that pulled the essay score out of the calculation since the PSAT does not include an essay. And, yes, current sophomores will need to take the new PSAT administered Oct 2015 in order to be considered for NMSQT.</p>
<p>@HarvestMoon1 – THANK YOU for clarifying for the rest of us!</p>
<p>My younger daughter is a homeschooled sophomore and will be part of the junior class to take the new PSAT. My older daughter is likely NMF this year, but we’re seriously considering having the younger one bypass the PSAT entirely. I feel that studying for the old SAT will be easier because we know what to expect and how to prep. She will probably take the SAT next Oct, and she’ll still have several opportunities to retake before they phase out the old exam next February. I just think that taking a brand new PSAT and having to prep in a completely different way might be counterproductive.</p>
<p>I wish that there was still the option to take the old PSAT next October, much like they can choose to take the old or new SAT. Then the student could choose the “matching” SAT for a confirming score, if necessary.</p>