PSAT and SAT, side by side.
| PSAT 8/9 | PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 | SAT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade | 8th and 9th | PSAT/NMSQT: 10th or 11th, in the fall. PSAT 10: 10th, in the spring | Most students: 11th or 12th |
| Length | 2 hours 14 minutes | 2 hours 14 minutes | 2 hours 14 minutes |
| Questions | Reading and Writing 54, Math 44 | Reading and Writing 54, Math 44 | Reading and Writing 54, Math 44 |
| Score range | 240 to 1440 | 320 to 1520 | 400 to 1600 |
| Calculator | Desmos built into Bluebook, for all of Math | Same | Same |
| Sent to colleges | No | No | Yes, when you send them |
| National Merit | No | PSAT/NMSQT only. For most students, the 11th grade test counts | No |
Sources: grades from the College Board blog, length and questions from the PSAT 8/9, PSAT/NMSQT and SAT structure pages, score ranges and the calculator from the Assessment Framework, colleges from College Board’s help pages (PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, PSAT 8/9), and National Merit from BigFuture. PSAT 8/9 has no trigonometry at all.
The math that is only on the SAT.
College Board’s specifications list each math skill for each test, side by side (Assessment Framework, appendix B). These are on the SAT and not on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10:
- Circle equations, arcs and sectors. The equation of a circle, (x − h)2 + (y − k)2 = r2, and arcs, sectors, tangents and angles in a circle. Often taught in Geometry.
- Radians and the unit circle. Angles in radians, and sine and cosine on the unit circle. Often Algebra 2 or Precalculus.
- Trig from similar triangles. Using similar triangles to find sine, cosine and tangent, and the fact that the sine of an angle equals the cosine of its complement. Often Geometry.
- Study design. Knowing whether a study can show cause and effect, and whether its results apply beyond the people in it. Often Algebra 2 or a statistics class.
- Margin of error. What it means, and why a bigger sample usually gives a smaller one. Often Algebra 2 or statistics.
- Rational expressions. Rewriting fractions with x in them. Often Algebra 2.
- Rational exponents. Rewriting a fractional power as a root, like x2/3 = ∛(x2). Often Algebra 2.
- Harder factoring. The PSAT stops at common factors, a difference of two squares, and trinomials that split into two binomials. The SAT can ask for other factoring too. Often Algebra 2.
- Polynomial equations in factored form. Solving an equation like (x − 2)(x + 5)(x − 1) = 0. Often Algebra 2.
Schools teach these in different years. All PSAT math is also on the SAT, in the same four areas: Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, and Geometry and Trigonometry.
What this means for your child:
- Even a strong PSAT Math score does not tell you if your child knows these topics. Practice them before the SAT.
- A 10th grader who has not had Algebra 2 yet may meet several of these for the first time. That is normal. It is about which classes they have had, not about ability. Ask the math teacher which ones are coming this year.
- For trig and the unit circle, see what is in Precalculus.
Sophie teaches every topic on this list, from $8 an hour. More about her below.
PSAT vs SAT scores.
PSAT and SAT scores are on one common scale. College Board’s example: a 530 on PSAT Math shows the same level as a 530 on SAT Math (Assessment Framework). So a PSAT score is roughly what your child would get on the SAT that day. The SAT range simply goes higher, to 1600.
There is no conversion table, because the numbers already mean the same thing. College Board does publish expected score ranges: for a given PSAT score, the SAT scores students with that score usually get later (growth report).
On average, scores go up. Students who took the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall of 11th grade and the SAT in the fall of 12th grade gained about 33 points in Math. Those who took the SAT in the spring of 11th grade gained about 22 (growth report). College Board says these are averages, not a forecast for one student.
Is your child’s score good? See what a good PSAT score is.
Is the PSAT hard?
It depends on the classes your child has had. A student still in Algebra 1 or Geometry will see questions on things they have not learned yet. That is expected.
Each section has two parts. How your child does on the first part sets the difficulty of the second. So a hard question does not mean the test is going badly.
Students do not agree either. On one r/psat thread, a student called the test “fine honestly. comparable to practice tests”. On another, a student wrote “def hard for a psat”.
Getting stuck is normal. Use the score report to decide what to practice next.
From the PSAT to the SAT, in four steps.
- Read the Math part of the score report. It shows how your child did in each of the four math areas (College Board). Start with the weakest one.
- Practice the SAT only topics. Use the list above. Check which ones your child’s classes have covered.
- Take a full practice test in Bluebook. College Board’s full length, adaptive practice tests are free, in the same app as the real test (College Board, Assessment Framework).
- Then decide if your child needs more help. Compare the practice score with the scores the colleges on your list report.
Free options come first. Official Digital SAT Prep on Khan Academy is free and made with College Board. The school counselor and the math teacher know your child’s classes. If your child wants a person to work with, a tutor can help: see what a math tutor costs.
