SAT to PSAT Conversion, need help

Test Preparation
1

<p>I was always told that to convert your SAT score to PSAT score, you just take a zero off of the end of your score which makes sense. I have heard recently that the PSAT has easier questions so that makes me think that you would get a better PSAT score than SAT score; example, 2010 SAT converts to maybe a 205 PSAT instead of a 201. On the other hand, I have also seen a conversion chart that says the opposite; example, 2010 SAT converts to about a 1990 PSAT.</p>

<p>I'm really not sure who to believe. I didn't take the PSAT sophomore year; I took the SAT and got a 2010. I would like to know where I would stand if I had taken the PSAT instead so if you have any info that would help me that would be great.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>Honestly I don’t think you should make too big of a deal with these 20 points or so</p>

<p>I did pretty damn well in my soph year on the PSATs, did WORSE in junior year, and did a lot better on the SATs. Considering the PSATs have a pretty bad curve due to the low number of questions, I’m sure your score will vary a lot in practice tests.</p>

3

<p>Yes, taking off the zero is a good rule of thumb. And, yes, the psat has “easier” questions if only bcos it does not include Alg II questions whereas the SAT does. However, if you are strong in math, perhaps you would do better with Alg II questions than those old pesky, bacic geom questions. Second, and more importantly, the psat is shorter, so each question is worth more after scaling. </p>

<p>Statistically, each test on the SAT has a +/- range of 30 points. Thus, the above poster is correct. You easily could have scored a 198 on the psat or a 203, or somewhere in between.</p>

4

<p>out of curiosity, why would you want to go from sat to psat?</p>

5

<p>He has taken the SAT already, but not the PSAT…</p>

6

<p>It makes sense to take the SAT as a soph just to see how scores are. My child is doing that. His school strongly recommends a trial PSAT as a soph as well, which hadn’t occurred to me. It is important to take the PSAT as a junior since that’s the only point when scores count for National Merit.
Converting - the add/subtract a zero does give you a rough score. There are too many variables (when you take each, how much prep you do, etc) to expect anything precise. Figure that you are likely to break 200 on the PSAT and study if you want to do better. The practice from the SAT will probably help a bit too.</p>

7

<p>169 Psat -> 2010 Sat</p>