I had no idea until reading these boards how important the PSAT could be in terms of scholarships. It seems odd to me that so much importance is placed on a practice test, taken in 10th grade. Did you prepare for that test? Tutoring? Self study? Or did you just do what we did, show up just for the heck of it and see what happened?
My kid studied for ACT but it had an intended effect of jacking up his PSAT score so he made NMF in CA. He got 33 ACT. He just took one practice test per year as allowed by his HS every year by paying $100 test fee, and his scores went from 155 as a freshman, 193 as a sophomore and 222 as a Junior which made him a CA NMF last year.
The emphasis on the test matters in junior year. Many high schools just have kids do it as a practice run in 10th grade, but you cannot be eligible for National Merit Scholar unless you take the test in jnuior year, followed by the full SAT.
Yes, both of my kids did some prep for the PSAT. For one kid, we hired a math tutor, because she had a good chance of making the cut off for NMS. She ended up with commended status, and it made her math class much easier that year, so it was money well spent. For the other kid, he prepped a bit because I knew he would feel hopeless if he did poorly on the PSAT. Getting NMS was not a goal.
There can be real money in taking the PSAT/NMSQT, so I don’t blame any parent who has their child prep for it.
Most kids don’t take the ACT before the PSAT (at least not where we live). Some schools do administer the PSAT 10 in 10th grade, which gives students the idea of what the PSAT/NMSQT is like. Then they can study to improve the sections that need help. However, my son took the test cold. In fact, he took all his tests cold (SAT, ACT, etc.) and did fine. NMF in Ohio with 222 score. If your kid is a good test-taker he/she will probably do fine. But you are right - most folks don’t realize what an important test it is. We didn’t ourselves, even, until after it was over and we started waiting.
I have wondered if the NMSC (and maybe even schools) purposely keeps quiet about the test importance in order to keep the playing field more level - meaning that it keeps the families who can afford tutoring from having an advantage over those who can’t, and therefore helps results reflect natural ability rather than extraordinary effort.
Thanks @Lindagaf ! I don’t blame anyone either. I’m just gathering info for kiddo number 3. Of course by the time she gets there, I’m sure all of this will be completely different…again.
I also hadn’t realized the importance of the PSAT at the time that DD took it. In fact, I thought it was just another state test that was added to the curriculum mid-year. It wasn’t until after taking it, that we found out its importance. It certainly is good for National Merit recognition but also if you do well, you can get labeled as a “Talented student” and offered various opportunites. One common one is the Duke Talent Identification Program, which offers various summer programs, etc. My DD took a Duke TIP summer writing course. I was quite impressed with it, actually. I don’t know if it really helps them in the long-run (i.e., it doesn’t necessarily help in gaining acceptance to Duke or anything) but it’s certainly nice for them to be recognized. 
Because I was an NMF I knew about it but my older daughter I knew wasn’t really in range so we didn’t worry about it with her she took it cold. My younger daughter took in 10th grade this year and did not miss any questions on the math test and got a 700 on the verbal. I am going to have her study the verbal over the summer I think it’s worth it for her as she’s close.
My son started taking the tests at school starting in 7th grade, I think. ACT Plan or something like that. They did it once per year, and then in 9th grade they switched to the SAT, and it was the PSAT versions of the lower level tests. Other than taking those tests once per year in school, he didn’t do any prep. He took the ACT in February this year and got a 34. Our plan was for him to take that test as a gauge to see how he would do to decide on whether prep would be worth it for him. Thankfully, he is once and done now and we don’t have to worry about it anymore. He is taking the SAT at school next week, and it will be interesting to see how he does on that vs. ACT, but the pressure is off for him.
I think some kids need some practice, if their reading speed isn’t the fastest. For them, strategy is critical. Taking practice tests to get the feel of when to stick with something and when to move on can make a big difference. Some kids need to practice math on Khan Academy to hone skills that may have gotten rusty. You’d be surprised how many of the advanced math students forget basic geometry. From what I have read, you can expect modest score gains from practice and prep if you are already a moderately high scoring student. Students who start out scoring lower have the biggest gains, but you aren’t going to see someone going from an 18 ACT to a 35 ACT even by spending a lot of money on a prep class.
In our school everyone takes PSAT for practice in 10th grade. Oldest kid got NM qualifying scores as a sophomore so he didn’t study as a junior. Younger son had a pretty big gap between math and verbal. He’s my slacker kid and I really didn’t think he’d be a finalist - he ended up commended. I never could get him to study for a test until he decided after college to become a Naval officer. He studied like mad for the Officer Candidate Exam and ended up with top scores. He relearned all of high school physics and some stuff he’d never had. Amazing what a little maturity and a little ambition does.
So true! Its why I’m so glad that there are many pathways into higher education and that we don’t track so early, as they do in other countries.
My first one didn’t. She was a solid student, but at no risk of making the NMF cutoff (math wasn’t a strength). D2 missed our state’s cutoff number by one point with her 10th grade score and no studying. Which of course didn’t count, but she did study a little for the next fall — which I encouraged, reminding her that she would be unhappy if she missed by a point jr year. She cleared the bar easily.
That studying fed into the SAT anyway. And in turn helped with the ACT (did not study at all and got a great score, taken after SAT prep).
During the transition to the new SAT a couple years ago, it messed up the PSAT schedule for the 10th grade. Before that, the PSAT for 10th grade was optional and is on the same day as the real PSAT for junior. After the transition, our school district has PSAT9, PSAT10, and the real PSAT. The PSAT9 and PSAT10 is not only practice tests for the PSAT (which is also a practice for SAT), but the school can track the progress of the students. Our kids did not practice for the PSAT10 at all as it is not crucial and it also reveal the actual academic standing. But the did practice for the real PSAT in the Summer before junior mainly for the NMS.
During the transition to the new SAT a couple years ago, it messed up the PSAT schedule for the 10th grade. Before that, the PSAT for 10th grade was optional and is on the same day as the real PSAT for junior. After the transition, our school district has PSAT9, PSAT10, and the real PSAT. The PSAT9 and PSAT10 is not only practice tests for the PSAT (which is also a practice for SAT), but the school can track the progress of the students. Our kids did not practice for the PSAT10 at all as it is not crucial and it also reveal the actual academic standing. But the did practice for the real PSAT in the Summer before junior mainly for the NMS.
My first one didn’t. She was a solid student, but at no risk of making the NMF cutoff (math wasn’t a strength). D2 missed our state’s cutoff number by one point with her 10th grade score and no studying. Which of course didn’t count, but she did study a little for the next fall — which I encouraged, reminding her that she would be unhappy if she missed by a point jr year. She cleared the bar easily.
That studying fed into the SAT anyway. And in turn helped with the ACT (did not study at all and got a great score, taken after SAT prep).
They didn’t have the “PSAT 10” when my kids were in HS, I think. Their school just gave the 10th graders same PSAT as the 11th graders took as a warm up for 11th grade. And the score didn’t count for NMF. OP, it is only the 11th grade PSAT that counts for NMF. PSAT 10 just seems like another way for CollegeBoard to wring money out of schools.
Nope, and I wish my oldest had. She/we didn’t realize the importance of the test, she went in cold and not taking it too seriously and missed cut off by one point. With a little prep and practice she got a 35 on her ACT. My younger kids also didn’t practice but weren’t in danger of qualifying for anything.
I had the kid do SAT prep with the book the fall of junior year, as PSAT aligns better with SAT than with ACT. Took the PSAT, then SAT ~3 weeks later, with great (but expected) results. After that, only needed to do subject tests.
My kids prep for the PSAT so far we’re 2 out of 3 for NM and hopeful for the third. DD16 is at OU (started when they still had a great NM package), DS18 is going to UTD on a full ride thanks to NM and DS20 hopes to do the same. Any prep they do for PSAT in 11th grade will help for SAT so its a “kill two birds with one stone” thing for us. even if they don’t make NM the prep will help with the SAT. Between DD16 and DS18 we have already saved $225K in tuition plus other perks. Well worth the time spent to prep a bit!
I wish there were scholarships based off the ACT!
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Neither of my kids prepped for the PSAT. However, my son took the SAT in 8th or 9th grade in connection with the Midwest Talent Search (Northwestern). That was a good experience but he still didn’t prep when he took the PSAT and SAT later on. He was test-wise, and ended up as a National Merit Semifinalist (and scholar).
My daughter tried to imitate her brother and didn’t prep at all for PSAT or SAT. She got good scores but not outstanding, and was disappointed. But the scores were perfectly good for her intended college program in art. Several years after she graduated from art school she decided she wanted to earn an MBA. For that test scores are very important. And she hadn’t touched a math course or math problem for 7-8 years. She did the smart thing and took a Princeton Review self-directed prep course for the GMAT; and she took a college math course to refresh her math skills. That really worked – she got 720 on GMAT on her first try. And she was admitted to a top-10 MBA program.
Lesson: if you’re naturally test wise and very smart and have the skill set, you don’t need to prep. Just take the tests a couple of times to learn how to pace yourself. But for other students, especially if some skills need to be strengthened or refreshed, it can really pay off to prep.