So..... that happened. Meaning that the PSAT
dropped like a bomb this morning, and it was even weirder than
anticipated. I spent most of my day parsing the results with Test Prep
professionals and my colleagues. Oh, and answering emails! I know you
have questions, and I am hoping that I have the answers. If I don't answer your question here, chances are I don't know and won't know for a bit longer.
Meanwhile, if you haven't been able to access your scores online, either you haven't registered for a College Board account, or the account has not been connected with your scores yet. Don't worry. At some point, you will receive an access code from your counselor, and you will then be able to see your scores. There is no immediate rush to do so, but when you get the score report, please download it, and send it to me.
Ultimately, the PSAT scores do not matter. They will not be sent to colleges, and only a very, very small percentage of you (3%) will be eligible for National Merit Commended Student or National Merit Semifinalist status. How do I know that? It is because the cut offs (the Selection Index on your forms) for the NMSQT are done by state, and DC, CA, and MA have some of the highest cutoffs nationwide. VAand MD are not far behind. In 2015 the cutoff for DC was 225, MD and VA were 222. The Commended student number has historically been around 203.
I am giving you these numbers so you have some context for the Selection Index that you have received with the caveat: Everything could be different this year. Even the 8 page (!) Concordance table that I have is labeled as "preliminary." (click here)
So here is what I know:
• The test is scored out of 1560 deliberately so it is not directly comparable to the SAT.
• The breakdowns will be important to your test prep person, because it will show where you need more work.
• The percentiles are MEANINGLESS. The curve is very sharp.
• The formula for calculating the Selection Index is very complex, and not worth figuring out. It is what it is.
• The Test Scores (the ones out of 38) are ultimately important, but it isn’t clear yet.
Finally, my bedside reading is this 40 page Lesson Plan released by the College Board two days ago. If you want to read it and explain it to me, I would be grateful!
My testing suggestions:
1) Stay the Course. The rSAT and the ACT have not changed since we last discussed what test is best for you.
2) If you are planning to take the ACT and want to give the rSAT a try, go for it! (and visa versa)
3) If you are a slow reader and you do not have accommodations, and you liked your PSAT scores, then go for the rSAT.
Meanwhile, if you haven't been able to access your scores online, either you haven't registered for a College Board account, or the account has not been connected with your scores yet. Don't worry. At some point, you will receive an access code from your counselor, and you will then be able to see your scores. There is no immediate rush to do so, but when you get the score report, please download it, and send it to me.
Ultimately, the PSAT scores do not matter. They will not be sent to colleges, and only a very, very small percentage of you (3%) will be eligible for National Merit Commended Student or National Merit Semifinalist status. How do I know that? It is because the cut offs (the Selection Index on your forms) for the NMSQT are done by state, and DC, CA, and MA have some of the highest cutoffs nationwide. VAand MD are not far behind. In 2015 the cutoff for DC was 225, MD and VA were 222. The Commended student number has historically been around 203.
I am giving you these numbers so you have some context for the Selection Index that you have received with the caveat: Everything could be different this year. Even the 8 page (!) Concordance table that I have is labeled as "preliminary." (click here)
So here is what I know:
• The test is scored out of 1560 deliberately so it is not directly comparable to the SAT.
• The breakdowns will be important to your test prep person, because it will show where you need more work.
• The percentiles are MEANINGLESS. The curve is very sharp.
• The formula for calculating the Selection Index is very complex, and not worth figuring out. It is what it is.
• The Test Scores (the ones out of 38) are ultimately important, but it isn’t clear yet.
Finally, my bedside reading is this 40 page Lesson Plan released by the College Board two days ago. If you want to read it and explain it to me, I would be grateful!
My testing suggestions:
1) Stay the Course. The rSAT and the ACT have not changed since we last discussed what test is best for you.
2) If you are planning to take the ACT and want to give the rSAT a try, go for it! (and visa versa)
3) If you are a slow reader and you do not have accommodations, and you liked your PSAT scores, then go for the rSAT.
