Hey guys, so I am a student from the Class of 2017. This October our grade will be taking the new PSAT/NMQT. I really want to make NMF but I have no idea what I should be practicing for. Right now, my best bet is work towards trying to perfect score each section (at least this improves my score via practices). I was wondering if you guys had any hunch as to what the NMF cutoffs will be for each state.
I’m from Texas. Historically the cutoff has been around 217-219 out of 240. For the new PSAT, is it safe to assume that the cutoff will be 1500/1600 or is that too low? I have been scoring estimated 1450 to 1520 ish on practices. Is my estimate for the cutoff too low for Texas? Definitely need to improve my score.
Honestly, there’s no point in trying to guess a cutoff because the test will also be changing in terms of how difficult it is so this could affect the proportions. I would suggest just aiming for a perfect score or close.
How do you know how well you did on practices? When I did a practice on Khan Academy, it said it can only give us the raw score and not the scaled score so how did you figure out your scaled score? Just curious.
@047pusapatys for what it’s worth the new PSAT is on a 1520 scale not 1600, the new SAT is on at 1600 scale. Also the test is no longer scored in 3 parts it’s only two now, 50% Math and 50% Reading and Writing. I would not trust this company’s company’s conversion. There’s also only one officially released practice PSAT test so I’m not sure what tests you’re taking.
I mean what scoring goes like is that they average your reading at writing and add it with math right? Also I took the official PSAT practice test. I also took the new SAT Practice Test as well (which was the second score). But I didn’t know about the 1520 scale. That’s new for me! Thanks a bunch.
My D just finished a short PSAT Prep at her school. The teachers estimated the NMQT cut-off score for Florida at 1410, which matches the estimate from the reference prepalways16 linked. (maybe that was their source).
That score seemed a bit low to me, but my D’s friend, who scored a 220 on the old PSAT as a freshman, only got a 1430 (out of 1520) on the new PSAT practice test after a three day prep session. Only a single anecdotal data point, but you set “sketchy” as the criteria.
This is brand new, but if anyone has any idea how these new practice test scores should be interpreted, please share. For example, how does a 670 on the reading section stack up? Its very hard because there is no historical scale to compare to.
I’d say a score of 670 out of 760 is good but there’s room for improvement. If the chart on prepscholar’s blog is correct and you lived in TX you’d need a 1450 for National Merit so even if you got a perfect math score you couldn’t make the 1450 mark with a 670 in reading.
That being said, although the text on the blog page was changed to reflect the max 1520 PSAT @Ynotgo pointed out that the chart was originally calculated based on the max score of 1600 and I’m unclear if the chart was revised at the same time the text was revised or if the chart still reflects the scores based on the 1600 point scale.
@Chengallen could you please clarify if the chart reflects the current 1520 scale?
For the PSAT, I think until now, it has been out of a total of 240 since the 80s. They used to just double the one reading/writing section that has a max of score 80. I think in 2005 they split that into separate reading and writing sections on the PSAT.
@3scoutsmom@Ynotgo we just updated the score estimates for the 1520 scale. The scores you saw previously would have overestimated the cutoffs, as they were on the 1600 scale.
(The College Board at one point gave conflicting info about the PSAT being out of 1520 or 1600, but now it’s pretty clear it settled on 1520).
Thanks, those scores look much better! S18 takes his first practice test in about a week. Now with the score chart from the CB and your predictions his score will be much more meaningful.
Nope, but he could always take the four SAT practice tests too. There should be some official practice material in the study booklet that should be available at the school soon. Also the practice for the SAT on Khan seems to line up pretty well with the questions on the practice test. After completing the Khan Sat prep my son scored a 1500 on the official PSAT practice test. Now the big question is, will the practice test be like the real test?
I think you are asking if the PSAT was easier than the SAT? According to my son not really, a little harder but not too much but I think his math is beyond the PSAT level anyway. He’s worked on two of the four practice test for the SAT and is saving the other two to take in a proctored testing situation before the March SAT.
