Get Ready for the Spring 2024 Launch of the New Digital PSAT™10
Fall 2023 marked another exciting milestone in the world of standardized testing as the College Board launched the new Digital PSAT™8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT®. This is part of a larger initiative to transition all of their assessments to a digital format, revolutionizing the way students experience these critical exams.
For those students who embraced this change and took the digital PSAT™8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT®, it’s crucial to ensure that they fully comprehend the scores they received. These scores are not just numbers, but powerful tools that can guide their test preparation journey. By leveraging these PSAT™8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT® test score results, you can craft personalized test-prep plans for your clients, optimizing their study time and maximizing their potential for success. Let’s turn these scores into stepping stones on the path to academic achievement!
To help your clients better understand their PSAT™8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT® scores, refer to College Board’s PSAT® score report resources:
PSAT™8/9 Understanding Scores 2023-24 for students and families
PSAT/NMSQT® Understanding Scores 2023-24 for students and families
Why Taking the PSAT® is Important
As we mentioned back in September, taking the Digital PSAT® is an awesome way for our younger clients to practice and prep for the digital SAT®, as the digital PSAT® utilizes a similar adaptive-testing format and interactive tools that allow test takers to highlight, make annotations, use flags to earmark questions for review, access a math reference sheet, and an on-screen calculator that can assist students in better understanding and answering questions. These tools are excellent practice for the interactive tools provided in the digital SAT®.
This Spring, College Board’s PSAT™10 Will Make Its Debut
The PSAT™10 falls under the umbrella of the SAT® Suite of Assessments. Its purpose is to evaluate students' college and career readiness by measuring their knowledge and skills. The new digital PSAT™10 content is closely aligned with that of the new digital SAT®, encompassing areas such as reading, mathematics, and writing & language.
The PSAT™10 has seen several modifications as it shifts to a digital platform:
Reduced Test Time: The duration of the digital PSAT™10 has been reduced, with the test now lasting approximately 2 hours instead of 3.
Simplified Testing Process: The test will be conducted on the College Board’s new digital testing application, Bluebook™, which is expected to simplify the testing experience for students.
Greater Flexibility: The transition to a digital format provides more flexibility in terms of when and where the test can be taken.
Career-Related Insights: From 2024 onwards, the score report will align the math, reading, and writing skills assessed by the SAT® Suite with the knowledge, skills, and abilities related to occupations in the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET database.
Connections Feature: A new, complimentary program called Connections™, accessible through the BigFuture School app, allows students to opt to receive information from nonprofit colleges and scholarship programs interested in students like them, without the need to share any personal information.
These changes are designed to make the PSAT® more accessible for students, easier to administer, and more relevant. For more information on the new digital PSAT™10, check out An Educator’s Guide to the Digital PSAT10.
Who can take the PSAT™10?
Typically, the PSAT™10 is taken by 10th-grade students in the spring. However, any student can take the PSAT™ 10 at a school that administers the test.
What does a good score on the PSAT™ 10 mean?
Scoring high on the PSAT™10 is a strong indicator of a student’s preparedness for college. A score ranging from 1210 to 1520 is considered good and places a student in the top 10% of all test takers. The highest possible score on the PSAT™ 10 is 1520. High scores not only boost students’ confidence in prepping for high-stakes tests like the SAT® but also help identify their academic strengths and weaknesses early in their high school journey. Moreover, the digital PSAT™10 serves as excellent practice for the digital SAT®.
For a better understanding of the PSAT™10, check out College Board’s explanation and additional resources.
What are the Spring 2024 PSAT™10 test dates?
It’s the school’s decision as to when to administer the PSAT™10, so students must check with their high school counselors for their school’s test date(s). As per College Board, PSAT™10 is available between March 4 and April 26, 2024.
How to Prepare Students for the PSAT™10 in 5 Steps
When prepping your clients for the upcoming new digital PSAT™10, stick to these strategies to help your students be better prepared for and get the most out of test day:
Get familiar with the new digital format. The PSAT™10 closely mirrors the new digital SAT®, encompassing areas such as reading, math, and writing and language. Ensure your students understand the types of questions and the structure of the test. This means practice, practice, practice!
Create a structured, tailored study plan. Develop a study plan that optimizes the time leading up to the test. Allocate specific periods for practice, and instructional videos, and focus on areas that need improvement—all individualized for the client.
Use real-deal practice tests. Encourage your students to take full-length PSAT™10 practice tests to become accustomed to the test’s timing, formatting, and flow. The College Board offers free, downloadable practice tests through Bluebook™.
Pay attention to schoolwork. The PSAT™10 assesses the knowledge and skills students acquire in school. Remind your students that attentiveness in class, taking good notes, and completing assignments can all boost their test readiness.
Set attainable goals. Help your students set concrete, manageable goals for their study sessions. This can jumpstart their motivation and help you track their academic progress.
The transition to digital testing with the PSAT™8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT® in Fall 2023, and the upcoming debut of the digital PSAT™10, represents a significant shift in standardized testing. These changes are not only revolutionizing the testing experience but also provide valuable tools for students’ academic journeys. Understanding these changes and leveraging the scores from these tests can help craft more personalized study plans that optimize students’ prep time and boost their potential for success.
We Are Ready for the Digital SAT®! Are you?
As the SAT® and ACT® transition to all-digital testing, we are ready to support your tutoring business with the first and best white-label, fully digital test-prep courses. Promote your brand (and not your competitors') with test-prep materials that include: full-length, fully-digital, adaptive practice tests; assignable coursework; branded score reports; and more—all featuring your company’s name and branding.
Looking to supercharge your test prep? Contact us or schedule a free demo and find out how Clear Choice can give your business and clients the tools and support they need to take their test prep and scores to the next level.