@Astro77 Our D21 took the PSAT 8/9 this year so her percentiles are based on kids who took that test. Next year, the sophomores take a PSAT 10 which is for sophomores and, again, percentiles based on sophomores taking that test. Are you sure your D took a regular 11-grade PSAT?
Thatās what it said on College Board, PSAT/NMSQT.
Only a few Freshmen at her school took it.
My D21 also too the PSAT 8/9 and her percentiles are in the 90ās but the actual score seems low. Not sure what to think about that. Oh well. Like another said. Will need to study for this test which she has never done. In H Geometry. Her score went up 60 points from last year. So staying in the 90+% tile rage so Iām assuming thatās ok???
Did anyone take the SAT or a SAT subject test on December 2? Scores are supposed to be released todayā¦DS was hoping he would find out before school but they have still not released his scoreā¦
@yearstogo Hm. Why is your freshman taking the SAT?
He took the SAT Math II subject test.
He will take the SAT around this time next year as he will need it for application to our state science and math school.
Lots of reasons to take the SAT as a ninth grader since itās used to qualify for many programs. Good luck to your S, @yearstogo! I hope those scores show up soon. I find it very hard to wait for them.
Echoing what EastGrad has said. Plenty of reasons to take the ACT / SAT as a freshman, least of all so that theyāre familiar with the test when they walk in and the test ācounts.ā When folks got their PSAT 8/9 scores, was there a score report that detailed how your kid did compared to others? Thanks.
@yearstogo I saw on other threads that your DS got his Math II subject test scores back. The percentile for an 800 is always lower than youād think because of the population that takes the Math II test. They donāt tell you the number missed. His score is great, donāt worry. Years ago my DS17 took his SAT subject tests in June of 9th grade and was happy to be done with that part of testing. I agree, take the subject tests when they are familiar with the material based on classwork.
@carlson2 it only showed that for the percentage section. It had both the Nationally Representative Sample Percentile and Your PSAT 8/9 User Percentile. And it show this for each main area. Hope that makes sense.
@yearstogo I didnāt mean to knock taking the SAT as a freshmanā¦I guess just the way youāre question was worded, I thought maybe you were planning on actually using this score. Just fyi, for colleges that want to see all scores, they donāt need scores posted during freshman year but everything from sophomore year on has to be reported. So, if you think your child will ever apply to a school that needs all scores, be careful not to take the tests until they have taken practice tests and studied.
Our kids both took ACTs and SATs in middle school through Northwesternās NUMATS program to qualify for summer programs. I didnāt have S19 take them freshman year because I was afraid that they may ācountā. Iāve learned since then that they do not. Our kids take PSAT 8/9, then PSAT10, and then the real deal junior year. S19 was ready to take full on SAT August of junior year and is one and done with his score. D21 may be an ACT girl. Not sure yet.
@homerdog since it appears you may be more experienced with the PSATs than myself. I only have 1 child. I feel my DD21 scores are low but in the overall score she is in the 93rd %. Should I be worried or is she on the right path and just keep studying/practicing?
@homerdog I never saw an exception for 9th grade scores (but I wasnāt looking for one, so I may have missed seeing it), though I know there is an exception for middle school scores. DS17 did apply to a number of colleges that wanted all scores or all scores of one type (all SATs or all ACTs).
But, thatās different from the subject tests, which is what @yearstogoās son took this year.
@EGHopeful Itās so early. I donāt worry about PSATās yet. D21 is also around 93rd percentile for PSAT8/9. I donāt feel like it tells us too much since thereās so much learning to be done before they get to the PSAT and the SAT. Iāve also learned with S19 that studying for the test makes a big difference. Heās a particularly good student. Very advanced in math and in all honors and AP classes. He didnāt study for his PSAT 10 and hit 1360. Eh. Ok but not great. He knew he knew the material but needed to learn how to answer the questions how they were asked on the test. He studied this last summer and got a 1540 on the SAT. Heāll also probably be NMSF with a SI of 221. Itās not all about smarts. Itās also about how to work the test.
Just have your D keep focusing on school and studying hard. Sheāll be fine. 
@homerdog thanks! And it was also the PSAT 8/9 and not the normal PSAT, sorry left that off. Thanks. Weāll just keep doing what we are doing.
Lots of reasons NOT to take the SAT also as a 9th grader. UCās and other schools, like a Stanford for example, require ALL test scores be sent. Some Ivies āencourageā all test scores be sent. And I personally wouldnāt want my Dās record of test taking to have started freshman year, since sheāll be far more mature and educated as a junior. YMMV.
Having just gone through this, Iāll echo @sushiritto .
My younger daughter is a much better test taker than my older daughter. I still will have her take whatever the traditional testing route is - PSAT as a sophomore, and then ACT beginning junior year. As said above, a good chunk of the standardized testing is HOW to take the test. A lot of that can be accomplished with practice tests at home.
Donāt get me started on how the College Board is pushing this younger and younger. ~X(
@carlson2, D21 took the PSAT8/9 in 8th grade: 640 EBRW /720 Math,
9th grade PSAT 8/9 EBRW 650/ Math 700
D21 took the August SAT: 650 EBRW/ 790 Mathā¦So yes, I think they align with the actual SAT.
D is consistently a mid 650 EBRW unprepped scorer. I am curious if this score comes up on its own as matures. .
Editā¦We are NOT aiming for schools that require all test scores.
@BingeWatcher - One thing I would say is that you may not be looking at schools that require all test scores but that may change. I have seen the requirements change at schools over these past years. Not saying that may be an issue, but the only thing constant in this college journey is change.
@BingeWatcher S19 had similar EW scores on PSATs - always around 650. It wasnāt until he practiced this summer than he was able to get above 700. Scored 740 on Aug SAT but I think he can even get higher now that heās been in AP Lang for a semester. They do practice AP Lang test sections over and over and they are very similar to the reading portion of the SAT (although I heard somewhere that they are even harder).
For S19, writing was always a cake walk. Usually 0 or 1 wrong. It was reading where he was getting 6-9 wrong until he buckled down and practiced.