The SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 form the SAT Suite of Assessments. The last three assess the same skills and knowledge as the SAT, but at grade-appropriate levels. Because all three tests share a score scale with the SAT, students get feedback they can compare from year to year.
In 2017-18, Colorado, Delaware, Michigan, the District of Columbia, and over 160 districts in other states offered the entire SAT Suite to all their public school students.
Participation
- Over 7.8 million students took the SAT or a PSAT-related assessment in the 2017-18 school year, compared to 7.3 million in 2016-17.
- Almost 5.9 million students took at least one PSAT-related assessment in 2017-18, compared to 5.6 million in 2016-17.
- About 4.3 million students took the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 in the 2017-18 school year, up slightly from 4.29 million in 2016-17.
- Over 1.5 million students took the PSAT 8/9 in the 2017-18 school year, a 20% increase over 2016-17.
Early Feedback and College Readiness
Taken in the eighth and ninth grade, the PSAT 8/9 establishes a baseline measurement of skills as students enter high school. The 20% increase in participation means an additional 267,000 students received early feedback on their college readiness.
Educators and parents use test scores and subscores to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. The earlier they know students aren’t on track for college readiness, the earlier they can intervene, adjust classroom work, and encourage students to practice.
Students in 10th and 11th grade take the PSAT 10 or PSAT/NMSQT. These tests help educators and parents check student progress toward college readiness.
Many schools that used to give their ninth graders the PSAT/NMSQT are now giving them the PSAT 8/9. By taking a test designed for their grade level, students get more accurate feedback.
Student Growth from Year to Year
All four tests in the SAT Suite share a score scale, making it possible to compare a student’s scores on different tests and find out how much progress they're making toward college readiness.
We examined the performance of students who took tests in consecutive years to find out how many did not meet grade-level benchmarks the first year but were able to get themselves on track for college readiness the following year.
There's encouraging news about the youngest and oldest students, whose average growth exceeded typical growth:
- Among eighth graders who took the PSAT 8/9 in 2016-17 and again in ninth grade, 11% were off track the first year and on track the second.
- Similarly, among 11th graders who took the PSAT/NMSQT and went on to take the SAT in 11th or 12th grade, 9% were off track when they took the PSAT/NMSQT but got themselves on track and met the SAT benchmarks.
Growth between 9th and 10th grades and between 10th and 11th grades was lower; growth in Math was less than expected. Only 5% of 10th graders and 6% of 11th graders were on track after being off track the previous year. More research is needed to find out why.
Participation Details by Grade
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| All Test Takers | 1,798,274 | |
| Female | 933,192 | 52% |
| Male | 863,319 | 48% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 14,374 | 1% |
| Asian | 153,236 | 9% |
| Black/African American | 188,521 | 10% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 465,335 | 26% |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 4,770 | 0% |
| White | 831,624 | 46% |
| Two or More Races | 75,728 | 4% |
| No Response | 64,686 | 4% |
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| All Test Takers | 2,240,289 | |
| Female | 1,133,148 | 51% |
| Male | 1,100,842 | 49% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 29,613 | 1% |
| Asian | 165,031 | 7% |
| Black/African American | 250,124 | 11% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 611,432 | 27% |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 6,604 | 0% |
| White | 897,209 | 40% |
| Two or More Races | 94,511 | 4% |
| No Response | 185,765 | 8% |
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| All Test Takers | 930,334 | |
| Female | 458,650 | 49% |
| Male | 469,613 | 50% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 11,120 | 1% |
| Asian | 52,440 | 6% |
| Black/African American | 120,270 | 13% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 268,420 | 29% |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 2,241 | 0% |
| White | 357,520 | 38% |
| Two or More Races | 38,050 | 4% |
| No Response | 80,273 | 9% |
| Number | Percent | |
|---|---|---|
| All Test Takers | 599,765 | |
| Female | 297,547 | 50% |
| Male | 300,734 | 50% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 7,316 | 1% |
| Asian | 32,391 | 5% |
| Black/African American | 76,430 | 13% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 192,722 | 32% |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 1,617 | 0% |
| White | 179,859 | 30% |
| Two or More Races | 20,071 | 3% |
| No Response | 89,359 | 15% |
Performance
| Grade | Test | Mean Total Score | Met Both Benchmarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11th grade | PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 | 1014 | 44% |
| 10th grade | PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 | 932 | 38% |
| 9th grade | PSAT 8/9 | 871 | 39% |
| 8th grade | PSAT 8/9 | 812 | 34% |
These data are based on a student's most recent test results.
Score Ranges and Benchmarks
Each of the PSAT-related assessments has a different score range, but for all tests the total score is the sum of scores for the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math sections.
We consider students who meet both grade-level benchmarks on track to be ready for entry-level college courses without remediation when they graduate high school. Grade-level benchmarks reflect expected student growth toward SAT benchmarks at each grade.
| Grade | Test | Score Range | ERW Benchmark | Math Benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11th grade | PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 | 320–1520 | 460 | 510 |
| 10th grade | PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 | 320–1520 | 430 | 480 |
| 9th grade | PSAT 8/9 | 240–1440 | 410 | 450 |
| 8th grade | PSAT 8/9 | 240–1440 | 390 | 430 |
Performance Details by Grade
| Mean Total Score | Met Both Benchmarks | |
|---|---|---|
| All Test Takers | 1014 | 44% |
| Female | 1014 | 42% |
| Male | 1014 | 45% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 866 | 16% |
| Asian | 1148 | 69% |
| Black/African American | 890 | 18% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 928 | 26% |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 921 | 25% |
| White | 1074 | 56% |
| Two or More Races | 1053 | 50% |
| No Response | 900 | 23% |
| Mean Total Score | Met Both Benchmarks | |
|---|---|---|
| All Test Takers | 932 | 38% |
| Female | 940 | 38% |
| Male | 925 | 38% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 812 | 13% |
| Asian | 1066 | 66% |
| Black/African American | 837 | 17% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 866 | 23% |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 857 | 22% |
| White | 997 | 53% |
| Two or More Races | 968 | 45% |
| No Response | 850 | 22% |
| Mean Total Score | Met Both Benchmarks | |
|---|---|---|
| All Test Takers | 871 | 39% |
| Female | 881 | 40% |
| Male | 861 | 38% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 776 | 17% |
| Asian | 999 | 67% |
| Black/African American | 778 | 17% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 814 | 25% |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 803 | 23% |
| White | 934 | 54% |
| Two or More Races | 899 | 44% |
| No Response | 835 | 31% |
| Mean Total Score | Met Both Benchmarks | |
|---|---|---|
| All Test Takers | 812 | 34% |
| Female | 819 | 34% |
| Male | 805 | 33% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 751 | 18% |
| Asian | 937 | 64% |
| Black/African American | 750 | 18% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 767 | 22% |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 762 | 21% |
| White | 873 | 49% |
| Two or More Races | 844 | 41% |
| No Response | 795 | 30% |
Get Detailed Results
Scholarships
When students take a PSAT-related assessment, they unlock many benefits that can help them improve their skills and overcome barriers to college. These include Official SAT Practice, AP Potential, and Roadmap to Careers. We also connect PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 test takers to scholarship opportunities. In 2018, College Board scholarship partners awarded about $207 million.
The cost of college stands in the way of far too many students. Yet every year, 2.9 billion in U.S. scholarship dollars goes unclaimed, in part because scholarship organizations have trouble finding enough qualified applicants.
That's why the College Board decided to build on the success of our work with the National Merit® Scholarship Corporation, which cosponsors the PSAT/NMSQT and provides scholarships to students who take it. We now help 15 additional scholarship organizations reach out to students who take the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10. Some of them award scholarships on the basis of academic merit alone, while others have specific financial, racial/ethnic, geographic, or other eligibility criteria.
National Merit Scholarship Program
The PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for entry into the National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. 100% of their scholarship recipients are PSAT/NMSQT test takers.
Additional Scholarships Awarded in 2018
By contacting PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 test takers who opt in to receive information, our other scholarship partners get more qualified applicants than ever before; some get so many that they’re hoping to increase their scholarship awards and offer new programs.
These partners worked with the College Board to award scholarships totaling $165 million in 2018:
- Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund
- Cobell Scholarship (administered by Indigenous Education Inc.)
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
- The Jackie Robinson Foundation
- United Negro College Fund
- Washington State Opportunity Scholarship
These are the results:
- More than 77,000 PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 test takers were encouraged to apply.
- 23% of applicants were PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 test takers.
- 38% of recipients were PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 test takers.
- Over $15 million was awarded to PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 test takers.
Looking Ahead
In 2018-19, these partners will start to award scholarships in partnership with the College Board:
- American Indian Graduate Center
- Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
- Daniel's Fund
- TheDream.US
- George Snow Scholarship Fund
- Horatio Alger Association
- Ron Brown Scholar Program