What is the PSAT – 9?
The PSAT 9 is highly relevant to your future success and focuses on the skills and knowledge at the heart of education. It measures:
- What you learn in school
- What you need to succeed in college
What Does the Test Look Like?
There are three parts to the PSAT – 9 Test:
- Reading Test (55 minutes long, 42 multiple-choice questions)
- When you take the Reading Test, you’ll read passages and interpret informational graphics. Then you’ll use what you’ve read to answer questions. To succeed in college and career, you’ll need to apply reading skills in all sorts of subjects. Not coincidentally, you’ll also need those skills to do well on the Reading Test.
- Writing and Language Test (30 minutes long, 40 multiple-choice questions)
- The Writing and Language Test puts students in the active role of an editor who is improving a written passage. Most questions ask students to decide which, if any, of the three alternatives to an underlined part of a passage most improves it.
- Mathematics Test (60 minutes long total – 2 parts, 31 multiple-choice questions on Calculator portion and 7 short-answer grid questions on Non-Calculator portion)
- The Math Test covers a range of math practices, with an emphasis on problem solving, modeling, using tools strategically, and using algebraic structure. Instead of testing you on every math topic there is, the PSAT 9 asks you to use the math that you’ll rely on most in all sorts of situations. Questions on the Math Test are designed to mirror the problem solving and modeling you’ll do in:
- College math, science, and social science courses
- The jobs that you hold
- Your personal life
For instance, to answer some questions you’ll need to use one or two steps—because in the real world a single calculation is rarely enough to get the job done.
How to Get Ready for the PSAT – 9
You don’t have to discover secret tricks or cram the night before.
The same habits and choices that lead to success in school will help you get ready for the PSAT 9 and other tests in the SAT Suite of Assessments. The best way to prepare is to:
- Take challenging courses
- Do your homework
- Prepare for tests and quizzes
- Ask and answer lots of questions
In short, take charge of your education and learn as much as you can.
Test Day Checklist
There are only a few things you really need to bring on test day and a lot of things you’ll be better off leaving at home.
What to Bring:
- Two No. 2 pencils with erasers
- An approved calculator
What Not to Bring:
- Any devices, including smartwatches, that can be used to record, transmit, receive or play back audio, photographic, text, or video content
- Protractors, compasses, rulers
- Highlighters, colored pens, colored pencils
- Pamphlets or papers of any kind
- Dictionaries or other books—there are no exceptions, even if English is not your first language
- Food and drinks—including bottled water—unless your school has approved these as a testing accommodation for a disability.
During the Test:
You will be allowed to have only these items on your desk:
- A test booklet
- An answer sheet
- No. 2 pencils with erasers
- An approved calculator—during one of the math sections only
Turn Off All Electronic Devices
You’ll need to turn off all electronic devices during the test and even during breaks. This includes cell phones. Be sure to turn off your watch alarm, if you have one.
Why? Test centers are serious about security and quiet, so prohibited devices—which include cellphones, tablets, and MP3 players—must be turned off and put under your desk. Better yet: leave them in your locker.
Really, Really Important
You will be dismissed immediately and your scores will be canceled if you use your phone or if it makes a noise—even during breaks. Your phone may also be confiscated and inspected.
Grid Answers (on Mathematics Portion of Test)
Below is a sample of the instructions students will see on the test for how to fill in grid answers (for student knowledge). All fractions should be simplified.
