Tutor Yourself #5: Interpreting Practice Tests and PSAT Scores

Many students will take the PSAT in school. What does the score mean? What can we learn from the score report? What can we learn from any SAT or ACT practice test?

The PSAT

First, the PSAT. The PSAT is a practice SAT that is often given during school, sometime during a student’s sophomore and/or junior year. It provides some data on a student’s test-taking skills, as well as an opportunity earn money through the National Merit Scholarship Program. In other words, it’s worth time and attention, but not worth too much stress.

The PSAT has slightly different content than the SAT or ACT. There are some specific differences between the tests, but in general, the PSAT covers the easier 2/3 of the SAT.

PSAT Scores

The score is supposed to represent the score a student would get on the actual SAT on that very day. It maxes out at 1520 with the assumption that there is still work to do before actual SAT day. The actual score is a little useful, except most students take it many months or even a year before the SAT. Any student who puts in a little time and effort should outscore their PSAT score. There are plenty of tables out there on the internet for “converting” PSAT scores to anticipated SAT scores, but in reality, it depends on how the student prepares for the SAT.

PSAT Score Report

There is, however, a bunch of useful information on the PSAT score report, if you look past the single score at the top of the page.

First, let’s look at the score breakdown. The PSAT (and SAT) has a Reading and Writing score, and a Math score. The Reading and Writing is then further split into, obviously, reading and writing. Do we see any patterns? Are there any obvious strengths and weaknesses, or are the different sections balanced?

The percentiles are interesting, and especially useful for predicting National Merit Scholarship qualification, but don’t provide a lot of useful data for SAT/ACT prep.

The question score report is where it gets interesting…and potentially overwhelming.

Look at the pattern of wrong answers.

  • Are there more wrong answers at the end of sections than at the beginning? The student should work on focus, stamina, and time management.

  • Are the wrong answers clumped together? The student might be getting shaken up by tough questions and thrown off. Work on focus and overall test-taking strategies.

  • Are there as many (or more) easy questions missed as hard ones? The student might be overthinking the easy ones. Work on test-taking strategies and recognizing question types.

Finally, go through and review every wrong answer on the test.

  • Consider which types of questions (content-wise) tend to have the most wrong answers.

  • Consider which sections have the most careless/silly errors.

  • Consider which sections have the most content errors - and go back to study that content.

Practice SAT Scores

Reviewing practice SAT scores is similar to reviewing PSAT scores, in that students should do everything described above.

However, practice SAT scores have more valuable information because the test covers the same content that will be on the actual SAT. (While you’re here, let me remind you to take only official SAT practice tests until you have used up every single one of the available practice tests. The tests written by other companies are just not the same.) Look for patterns in the type of questions missed. I will explain the different types of questions on each section, but this is one place where there really is no substitute for a test prep expert. It takes years and years of practice to recognize all the patterns in the repetitive nature of the tests.

Figure out which areas cause the most problems. Work on those areas. Fill content gaps. Practice test strategy based on weaknesses identified on practice tests.

Practice ACT Scores

This works the same as the practice SAT. There’s even a sorta-PSAT called the ACT Aspire, but it’s complicated. The quick and dirty explanation: ACT and College Board (SAT) are two big companies competing for the love of the nation’s K-12 schools and colleges.

Review ACT scores using the same strategies as above, although there’s the added advantage of a pretty inexpensive book that describes all of the test question types and assigns a category to each question on the available practice tests.

Next Up: Setting a Reasonable Goal

ACT/SAT, Test PrepRobin SattyComment