Sophomores and Juniors Take PSAT/NMSQT on October 16
On Thursday, October 16, all juniors and sophomores will take the digital PSAT/NMSQT, the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
What time does the PSAT/NMSQT begin?
The PSAT/NMSQT exam will begin promptly at 8:45 a.m. for all students. Juniors and sophomores must arrive at their respective testing locations 15 minutes before the start of the exam.
When students are dismissed from their respective testing rooms, they may leave campus for the remainder of the school day. However, they also are welcome to eat lunch in the Fischer Dining Pavilion and then leave campus or eat lunch and stay on campus until after-school sports practices.
Where do students take the exam?
A week before the exam, Upper School testing room assignments will be posted on the glass window of the College Counseling Office. On the morning of the test, faculty will also be present to help direct students to their locations.
What do students need to bring with them on test day?
- Charged laptop with previously installed Bluebook testing app – Bluebook must be loaded on a student’s computer prior to test day!
- Power cord and/or a portable charger
- Pencil or pen (students will be given a sheet of scratch paper)
- Graphing calculator (a Desmos calculator is embedded in Bluebook)
- Snack and a drink to consume outside of the testing room during the break
How will accommodations be delivered to College Board-approved students?
Approved College Board accommodations are embedded in Bluebook and will be provided accordingly. Students who test with College Board–approved extended time accommodations can now choose to end each section before their full extended time ends. Students are encouraged to use their full time, but the choice is theirs. Standard testing time must be completed.
All College Board-approved students (and their parents/guardians) will receive an email from Dr. Amy Witten, Assistant Head of School for Student Services and Academics, in advance of the exam to eliminate any confusion on test day.
How long is the Digital PSAT/NMSQT?
- Under standard conditions, the exam takes two hours and 14 minutes, plus a break.
- With time and one-half (+50%), the exam takes three hours and 21 minutes, plus breaks.
When do students receive their exam results?
Students are expected to receive their scores online via the College Board in early November.
How can students practice for the Digital PSAT/NMSQT?
Students should practice using Bluebook and explore all sample questions in the test preview. They are encouraged to take the full-length adaptive digital PSAT/NMSQT practice on Bluebook. While juniors already have access to Bluebook, sophomores will be given their user-specific Bluebook login credentials during an early October computer-readiness check.
Also, the College Counselors have arranged a FREE practice PSAT this Saturday, September 20. Interested FWCD students in grades 9-11 may log in from their respective homes on Saturday morning and take the practice exam that begins at 11 a.m. Offered by the long-standing test prep provider Revolution Prep, the exam will finish at 2 p.m.
Immediately following the exam, all test-takers will receive an individualized score report.
Students must register for the at-home practice PSAT (use the QR code found in the Downloads section of this newsletter), and basic demographic information will be collected. Although there is no charge to take the practice PSAT, please be aware that participating students will receive light promotional marketing on behalf of Revolution Prep.
Good luck, Falcons!
