PSAT/NMSQT - Test Day Information

Congratulations! You've registered to take the PSAT/NMSQT on Wednesday this week. If you have not already done so, stop by the Counseling Office to pick up your PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide that contains information about the different sections and a full length practice test.

• All testers should report directly to the Old Gym for the start of the school day at 7:16am.
• Testing will take approximately 3.5 hours which includes completing student information, testing sections, and breaks. We hope to complete testing around 11:00am.
• Testers with A or B lunch will attend B lunch. Testers with C lunch will return to 4th hour and attend C lunch.
• Testers will attend the remainder of their classes for the day.

• No. 2 pencils with erasers (Mechanical pencils are NOT permitted.)
• Student ID or Other Photo ID
• Approved Calculator (See page 24 of the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide for a list of approved calculators. We will NOT have very many calculators on hand and cannot guarantee we will have one to loan out to you, so please bring your own calculator.)
• Social Security Number and Email Address (Both are optional. You will be asked for these when filling out the student information section. The Social Security Number helps CollegeBoard to link your scores to you, though is not required.)
• Wear comfortable clothing (We are in a gym and room temperature could be variable. Bring a pullover or hoodie if you feel you may be cold.)

• Phones or other electronic devices (None are permitted in the testing room and you should put these in your locker before entering the testing room.)
• Backpacks or other bags (None are permitted in the testing room and you should put these in your locker before entering the testing room.)
• Food and drinks (None are permitted in the testing room and you should put these in your locker before entering the testing room.)
• Mechanical pencils

• Relax!!! This is a practice assessment. No scores go on your transcript and none are sent to colleges. You've already seen a version of this test when you took the PSAT 10 in April last school year.
• Answer every question. You are not penalized for incorrect answers so you should fill in a bubble even if it is a complete guess. (25% chance to get it right!)
• Narrow down your answer choices. Each option you can eliminate increases your chance of getting a correct answer.
• Pace yourself. You want to practice moving from question to question throughout the time allotted. You don't get any extra points for answering more difficult questions so feel free to move on to easier ones if you're getting stuck and come back if there's time.
• Understand the directions. Look at the directions in the practice test ahead of time to know how you should be answering questions in each section on test day. This saves time during each of the timed sections. You should also know how to fill in the Math Grid-In questions appropriately (Page 28 in the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide).

• This test serves are the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test for junior students. If you do remarkably well you could qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Competition.
• You will receive a score report around December. Use these scores to identify where you can improve the most before taking the SAT in April.
• PSAT/NMSQT Information
• Free personalized practice on Khan Academy
• PSAT/NMSQT Practice Tests available online and in the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide