So my kiddo got PSAT results today for 10th grade practice test. He got a 202 (I think he said a 1340 score). We live in a state with a low qualifying index for NM; I feel like with work this summer, he can reasonably hope for the needed increase in his index. Any anecdotal reassurances?
Don’t worry about it. If he works the plan, the plan will work. My score didn’t improve between sophomore and junior year granted I started high at 1500, but when I studied the summer after freshman year my score improved ~200 points in both PSAT and SAT
My S scored 1470 w/o preparation in 10th grade. He practiced a lot ( 3 full days a week for 4 weeks) this summer, and got his PSAT score 1520 today. I believe practice help find your weakness and working on weakness improves the score.
Yes - a 202 can hopefully turn into a 213 - 216. A lot depends on practice and areas for improvement. REmember, the verbal portion is weighted 2X math so scoring high on verbal really helps.
It it doable!!! focused, motivated prep this summer will go along way…Official SAT material and review all wrong answers will go along way. Best of luck.
It really does depend but is definitely worth working on. IF the kiddo figures out why the answers were wrong and brushes up in that area, it can make a nice difference. Good luck to you and your child.
My daughter had 201 (1320) as a sophomore, and just got hers back- 216 (1430) as a junior. So yes if you live in a low index state it’s doable. She studied about 40 hours over summerbreak. Good luck!
100 - 200 pts
Thanks for the responses. He is totally motivated; however, I cautioned him that as great as it would be to make it, the PSAT is so crazy b/c the one shot deal. LOL, my friend’s son is a sophomore at Cal Tech, and she told me yesterday she still laments the fact that he missed NMSF by one point. Moms! We just need to simmer down.
^luckymama64 have mercy on your friend because her son sounds like he’s the Class of '21. Those were the first kids to take the new PSAT and they and their families were subjected to a whole new level of experience in an already anxiety-filled process. A LOT of NM hopefuls who thought they were safe missed by one point that year due to an unexpected design feature of the new test which caused scores to be much more bunchy and clumpy in the upper tail compared to the old test. Furthermore, the SI distribution was very skewed and nothing like the lovely percentile table that CB had released with its “understanding scores” document. These rough patches have since been ironed out with repeated administrations of the PSAT and SAT; there is also a lot to like about the revised test, the availability of multiple practice exams and Kahn Academy, etc. But that first year - wow. From the first score release delays to the final (and, in some cases, shocking) cut-offs, it was a year of surprises. Fortunately, everything turned out well for your friend’s son 
My son improved from a 193 to a 224 during that time frame, so yea it’s doable. He took a practice course during the late summer and early fall. The most valuable part of the course was he must have taken 5-6 full PSATs over 6 weeks. With each, he improved and his confidence soared. Take lots of practice tests!
My son went from a 207 to a 221 without studying (he was prepping for the ACT which is given around the same time as the PSAT, so that might have been of some benefit). To tell you the truth, unless you are shooting for big money at one of the few schools that goes after NMSF applicants, I wouldn’t spend a lot of time worrying about or studying for the 11th grade PSAT. Better to put your time and effort into the real SAT and/or ACT given in the fall of 11th grade. A high SAT or ACT score is much more important than NMSF on college applications.
^Sure but studying for the PSAT IS studying for the SAT since the tests are now aligned, and NMSF is a very nice thing to put on your resume. Also, a few top schools still hand out a few thou which can mean no need for loans or work study.
My dd went from 1240 10th grade to 1470 (222 SI) junior year.