She will be a sophomore in Fall. She hopes to be able to try for National Merit Scholarships. Should she attempt PSAT as a sophomore with full preparation? There are online courses, for those of you whose children succeeded on self study alone, know that, this does not work for her.
Please share what worked for you. Many thanks in advance 
Sure, why not? Good practice for the junior year PSAT, which is the one that counts for the National Merit program.
Doesnât matter. Especially since it sounds like your daughter struggles with test prep and itâs likely a source of stress â better to think of the sophomore PSAT as part of the preparation process for the junior one. She shouldnât go in with no preparation, but I wouldnât press her to achieve âfull preparationâ either. The sophomore PSAT score essentially doesnât matter, which is both a reason to take it and a reason not to stress about it.
Usually lots of progress from soph to jr year PSAT bc will have taken more math.
How do students at the school usually do?
What is your goal?
Only top one percent in each state qualify for NMSC semifinalist
https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/interior.aspx?sid=1758&gid=2&pgid=424&no_cookie=1
â Semifinalists
In early September, about 16,000 students, or approximately one-third of the 50,000 high scorers, are notified that they have qualified as Semifinalists. To ensure that academically talented young people from all parts of the United States are included in this talent pool, Semifinalists are designated on a state-representational basis. Semifinalists are the highest scoring entrants in each state. Qualifying scores vary from state to state and from year to year, but the scores of all Semifinalists are extremely high. NMSC provides scholarship application materials to Semifinalists through their high schools. To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, Semifinalists must advance to Finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other requirements explained in the information provided to each Semifinalist. View the Requirements and Instructions for Semifinalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program for more information about what Semifinalists must do.â
Could do practice tests this year and then work with local tutor for junior year.
Yesterday. The reason is that if one is applying to a test-blind school, such as CA publics, then the only way that one can demonstrate high achievement on a standardized test (other than AP exams) is to achieve award performance on the PSAT, since Natâl Merit goes under awards, and hence the admissions committee can see it. So have her start preparing right away. Sheâll also have a head start on SAT prep, since theyâre such similar exams.
Her main problem is self study, she does better when someone guides her. As far as her MAP scores are concerned she has been in top 1% consistently in ES & MS but, they are not like SAT/ACT. And, she had teachers to teach Math, Reading & ELA for her MAPS testing.
I would suggest taking a couple of practice tests and some basic review, as time is available, this summer, in preparation for this fallâs test. Ongoing school work will naturally build capability, so Iâd wait until next summer for any significant preparation. At that time, the PSAT and a fall SAT can both be a preparation target.
Thank you! Good idea.
We did soph PSAT cold. One kid wasnât anywhere close to NM so we didnât prep for junior PSAT. The other scored high on the soph test so we prepped for the SAT and took the PSAT and SAT the same month.
In my opinion, the best prep is to take timed practice tests from start to finish in one sitting. Learning how to pace yourself during a long day of testing is often half the battle.
In theory, no one should âprepâ to do the PSAT. Itâs a ** pre** SAT, designed to help a student gauge areas of strength and weakness. They can use the result of that test to address any weak points.
I certainly do not think a rising 10th grade student should prepare now for a test that needs to be taken as a junior. A PSAT taken in 10th grade WILL NOT count towards NMSQT. https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/gid2/editor_documents/guide_to_the_national_merit_scholarship_program.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61
For the sophomore, the PSAT counts for nothing, so itâs essentially a waste of time to take it.
There are many better ways for a teen to spend their time than by prepping for the SAT for the next two years. There are a finite number of official SAT tests available. I personally only suggest students use unofficial tests once they have exhausted all options for official tests. That means a student could conceivably take twenty or so full tests. I never like to see kids doing that, but some parents (and possibly the very rare student) insist. Thatâs more than enough for anyone to be throughly prepared. Students can become burned out by over-prepping.
Even as a professional test prep tutor, I probably wouldnât work with a junior right now for a test this October. If a student is trying to qualify for NMS by taking the PSAT in the fall, Iâd start working with them in July, maybe.
Kids who are in the Johnâs Hopkins Gifted & Talented Youth (JHU GTY) program by scoring top 1% or 0.5% in standardized tests can take the psat from 7th grade. Both of my kids did so, with no prep.
The one thing S found mildly amusing was a paperback book I borrowed from the public library that was a story using a lot of bolded SAT vocabulary words and had a glossary with definitions in the back of the book. He read it the day(s) before he took the psat as a 7th, 8th or 9th grader, I believe.
My D learned a lot of the math in a course she took the summer before her JR year. S already knew the math and most of the vocabulary, from the courses he had taken. S was a NMF. S has always been an amazing test taker. He just self-studied and refused to take any courses to prep.
At least when the SAT was much more of a vocabulary test, that was probably a better way to study SAT vocabulary words than just a list of words, if the story was at all interesting.
I read it after S. Story was ok and since then, Iâve seen others who have written books similarly. My kids took those exams in early 2000s, so Iâm sure there are other aids and different types of questions. The timing and types of questions are important to be familiar with, as well as a strategy so one doesnât run out of time.
Looks like those kinds of books can still be found by searching for âSAT vocabulary novelâ, although many of them were published when older (probably more vocabulary-heavy) versions of the SAT were in use.
The SAT changed format in 2016 and will change again in 2024. @HImom kids took the old format (out of 2400 pts) that included memorization of vocabulary words.
In anticipation of the new SAT in 2024, the 2023 PSAT will be a new format. âThe PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 8/9 will be delivered digitally in 2023 with the PSAT 10 following in 2024.â
If you plan on doing any prep, I would *research the new format in more detail to know what PSAT format your student will take in 2022, what PSAT format they will take in 2023 and what format SAT they will take. If they like the old format, they might want to take the SAT in 2023 before the new tests are released in 2024. Many students did that the last time the format changed back in 2015/2016.
It is a balancing act and only you and your child can determine when the pressure is too much.
I have a junior to graduate 2023 who was put in the gifted program early on and put into math classes 2 grades ahead of sequence. The end of his sophomore year he was starting to burn out. He started to resent the âmindless busy workâ as he calls it and quite simply began not turning in homework. He is more than capable to do the work, he just chose not to.
This junior year was heavy emotionally for him. Its been a struggle of wills and I had to realize that he is going to approach his learning in his own way. Heâs sitting at a 3.3 GPA right now. Yet he just did the ACT and scored a 35 on his first try, zero prep outside of school at all (scored a perfect 36 in the science portion). Again, ZERO test prep versus what his teachers help with in class.
You asked for others suggestions and mine is as follows. Instead of thinking âwhen should she start preparing for PSAT?â, consider thinking âWhat if she does not make NMS Finalist? What career paths is thinking about and What colleges might we be able to afford based on her current GPA alone?â All I can suggest is to ensure that we make sure our kids know early on that their success and worth is not defined by a number on an exam and is not equal to their GPA. The pressure kids put on themselves (that we as parents are sometimes guilty of adding to) can be unhealthy. Suicides by high achieving college kids are on the rise and I think we as parents need to help our kids navigate their emotions and help them set healthy goals.
Our HS has every sophmore and junior take the PSAT. As a sophmore she got a 1370 which we thought was good (no prep).
This summer, weâre getting a SAT tutor for the October exam (with a second take in March). Assuming if she practices for the SAT, that should cover her for the PSAT.
Since she is only about to start her sophomore year, I would not have her do intense SAT prep now and would wait until next summer to start having her do all the practice tests. She may at her own pace want to read and do the exercises in:
College Panda SAT Writing book -very simple and kind of fun workbook to complete, but is an excellent book focusing on learning the small âtricksâ that can separate the top scores.
Erica Meltzer for SAT Reading (3rd edition) -will help with her future AP multiple choice tests as well as the PSAT, SAT and ACT.
I did chapter summaries for these books and others my son used if you are interested I can message link to you. (My son asked me to design a one week intense program for him and these are 2 of books we used. He had already scored 800 on SAT2 math, so focus was on reading/writing prep.) My son would read the summaries, skim chapters to see the example, and complete all exercises. This worked well especially for Meltzer book which is a dense. The book exercises are needed to reinforce concepts.
If your daughter will have finished and understands all the math covered on the SAT by the end of her sophomore year, she might want to use the strategy my son used and take the SAT and ACT in late summer/ early fall of her junior year before she takes the PSAT in mid October. He scored well on all and was a NMF.
Please DELETE if I am not allowed to mention book titles.
I also have a sophomore in the fall. I had him take the SAT yesterday for fun as his older sister was going. She is a fall Senior. All students are different. I assume your daughter is smart enough, if you two are considering it as a goal. Many of us use the PSAT as a route for free college. If this is your motivation and if she wants to set it as a goal, you should start now.
I have four lifetime straight A children. My first was not a NM Scholar as I knew little about it. She just missed with no parental help and I realized I had failed my role as a parent. (because she was capable with a little help) She still received a full COA at our State Flagship and is graduating in C/Engineering in December with a bright future. She is an example of âif you do nothingâ.
My second I got involved his sophomore year. We used the PSAT book at the Public Library and online practice tests. He made NMF easily, scored 1570 on his SAT and is graduating College with a Full COA in C/Engineering.
My third, we started at age 12. We used the PSAT/ACT practice books and online tests. Every Saturday morning, summers, I give her and her younger brother a section test before they run off for the day. Then they go over questions that they got wrong. They realized that certain math questions they have not had the schooling for. Other than that they have no additional tutors etc.
My third D23 scored high enough on a practice PSAT in 8th grade so we werenât worried. At 15 she scored a 1510 PSAT official, and a 35 ACT official. She now has a 36 ACT at 16. Her SSI score for NMF was a 227 so she will also be NMF when announced in the fall.
My upcoming sophomore takes his section tests every Saturday, summers since 8th grade. He has an official 30 ACT but is scoring in the 34-35 range now in practice tests. In his downloaded practice PSAT he scored high enough to be NMF in our state. I am confident he will shine on the sophomore PSAT because of his familiarity with the material and the test.
I believe I will have 3 of 4 NMF Scholars. Our school does have a prep class for PSAT which is fun but they have been prepared before they attend it.
If she wants to give herself the best shot at NMF:
I suggest taking 2 subject tests every Saturday morning all summer. The tests are the best practice. At first, she can take the tests un-timed. This will let her know what her strengths and weaknesses are. Once she starts to score high in each section she can time the tests and speed up her testing ability. Fall break and Christmas break is the perfect time to sit down and take the entire test, downloaded and timed. This described scenario is fun for my kids. Others may be different.
I downloaded the LSAT for my 16 year old D23 and gave it to her instead of the PSAT. She scored a 168. Many might say that was too early. She did not think so and said it was fun. She wants to get a JD now after her Bachelors, because she realized she had an affinity for it.
Kids can increase their intellectual skills or they can spend the summer on their cell phones. Its really your call. That my two cents.
Or they can do so many other things, like go for a hike, or swim, or work at a restaurant, or volunteer, or read a book, or daydream, or whatever else they choose. All of those activities are as valuable, if not more so, than practicing endlessly for the SAT.
Fwiw, these tests donât âincrease intelligence skillsâ. Here is an interesting article which touches on this topic. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/sats/test/what.html
Doing a LOT of practice for the SAT mostly means a student is going to know a lot about taking the SAT. Like anything, repeatedly practicing for standardized tests will certainly help one become better at it. The hard part is working out the benefit of doing so. At what point is it detrimental for a student to intensively study for the SAT at the expense of so many other worthwhile pursuits, or diminishing stress in a studentâs life?
Not so long ago, these tests were held in higher regard than they are now. There are numerous studies showing that these tests do not indicate intelligence nor accurately predict how successful a student will be in college. Colleges such as Bates now have decades of data showing definitively that students who donât submit test scores have almost the same GPAs in college as those who do submit test scores. And more and more colleges every year become test optional. As we have all seen, even the most selective schools in the nation have gone test optional for the time being.
If NMS is the goal, then there is nothing wrong with pursuing that goal, as long as it isnât to the exclusion of sanity, or time dedicated to other pursuits. But IMO, there is no reason a student needs to spend years preparing for these tests.
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