The College Board now offers the PSAT 8/9 to eighth graders and high school freshmen as the first hurdle in the group of tests they call the "SAT Suite of Assessments." The PSAT 8/9 is a precursor to the PSAT 10, the PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT.
But when is the PSAT 8/9 offered? And should you even bother taking it? In this article, we'll give you all the details!
What Is the PSAT 8/9?
The PSAT 8/9 is the first exam in the College Board's "SAT Suite of Assessments" and is offered to eighth and ninth graders. The purpose of the PSAT 8/9 is to establish a starting point in terms of college and career readiness as students transition to high school. It's a way for students to practice for the PSAT 10, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the SAT. Like those other exams, as of 2024, the PSAT 8/9 is fully digital, and you'll take it on a computer.
The test is offered between the fall and spring. Schools choose the testing dates on an individual basis, unlike the SAT, which is administered on dates determined by the College Board. Your school may offer the PSAT 8/9 between in March/April and October each year.
To sign up for the test, you will have to go through your school counselor. It costs $14 to order the materials, but some schools will cover this fee for you. Accommodations can also be made for students with disabilities. You don't need College Board approval to get accommodations for the PSAT 8/9, but test coordinators at your school must order any special materials before the ordering deadline, so be sure to let them know a couple months in advance.
What's on the PSAT 8/9, and How Is It Scored?
The PSAT 8/9, like the PSAT 10, PSAT/NMSQT and SAT, has two testing areas: Reading and Writing as well as Math.
On the PSAT 8/9, you will get a total score between 240 and 1440, which is the sum of the two section scores. You'll also get a score range that shows how much your scores would have likely varied if you took a different version of the PSAT 8/9 under the same conditions. Basically, the score range shows the small amount of variation that can occur from one test to another without additional studying. On average, the ranges are about 40 points total, with a range of 20 points for Reading and Writing and about 30 points for Math.
In addition to regular section scores, there's also a "Knowledge and Skills" section on the score report that shows your performance on each of the eight content areas tested on the PSAT 8/9. Here are the content areas:
Reading and Writing
- Information and Ideas
- Craft and Structure
- Expression of Ideas
- Standard English Conventions
Math
- Algebra
- Advanced Math
- Problem Solving & Data Analysis
- Geometry & Trigonometry
WHEW ....that's a lot of scores! It might be hard to make sense of all of them at first, but the purpose of having so many different scores is to show you specifically where you might need improvement.
Along with scores, you'll get percentiles to help you discover how your scores compare to other students'. Your score percentile provides the percentage of students that score at or below your level. This can help you figure out whether you're on the right track for getting a high score on the PSAT 10, PSAT/NMSQT and SAT.
Since the SAT is scored out of 1600, your scores on the PSAT 8/9 will be easily comparable to real SAT scores. The PSAT 8/9 is a way to practice for the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT so that you will be used to the test format and end up with high enough scores to possibly qualify for a National Merit Scholarship. It's just a practice Practice SAT!
Studying for the SAT and learning to shoot a bow and arrow is surprisingly similar—they both take practice!
How Does the PSAT 8/9 Differ From the PSAT 10 and the PSAT/NMSQT?
Although all the PSAT exams share similarities, there are key ways the PSAT 8/9 differs from the other exams.
Test Structure Differences
Since the SAT became digital in 2023/2024, and all the PSAT exams (including the PSAT 8/9) became digital as well, they all have the same length and format. However, the PSAT 8/9 is slightly different from the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT in terms of scoring scoring.
The PSAT 8/9, as stated in the previous section, records scores on a scale of 240 to 1440. Scores on the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT range from 320 to 1520. The reason for this difference in scoring is that the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT have more difficult questions. Take a look at the chart below comparing the PSAT 8/9 (highlighted in yellow), PSAT 10, and PSAT/NMSQT side by side.
| PSAT 8/9 | PSAT 10 | PSAT/NMSQT | |
| What is the range of possible scores? | 240-1440 | 320-1520 | 320-1520 |
| How long is it? | 2 hrs 14 min. | 2 hrs 14 min. |
2 hrs 14 min. |
| # of Reading and Writing Qs | 54 | 54 | 54 |
| # of Math Qs | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Can your score qualify you for a National Merit Scholarship? | No | No | Yes |
Test Content Differences
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing
On the Reading and Writing section of the PSAT 8/9, you won't have to make any complex inferences. You will mainly be expected to read passages and draw simple, one step conclusions that are spelled out in the text. On the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT, however, you'll have to make more difficult inferences that aren't as literal.
For the PSAT 8/9 you will also be asked to identify relationships described in the passages based on straightforward information in the text. This is in contrast to the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT, where you will see questions about complex relationships that are based on more subtle information.
Since the Reading and Writing section on the real SAT includes a data interpretation component, the PSAT 8/9 will expect you to determine explicit meaning from graphs or text (read something off of a graph). You won't have to worry about recognizing data trends yet. That starts on the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT.
On the PSAT 8/9, you'll also see questions about punctuation usage in simple contexts. This means you should have knowledge of basic rules like how to use commas to separate a list. On the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT you will be asked to use punctuation in more complex ways (things like semicolons to separate clauses or colons to introduce lists).
For the PSAT 8/9, you will edit straightforward sentences that might contain one grammatical challenge like an introductory phrase. On the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT you will be faced with compound complex sentences where errors might be less clear.
PSAT 8/9 Math
On the Math section of the PSAT 8/9, problems usually require one or two steps to solve, whereas math problems on the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT may have two or more steps. You'll see ratios, percents, proportions, introductory probability, statistics, and linear equations and functions on the PSAT 8/9. However, you won't see the more complex comparisons between linear and exponential growth that show up on the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT.
Trigonometry-wise, you'll want to know the properties of right triangles, but you won't need to know trigonometric ratios yet. Those are only tested on the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT.
Why Should You Take the PSAT 8/9?
The point of the PSAT 8/9 is to provide insight into the subject areas where you need to make the most score improvements before you take the PSAT and ultimately the SAT. Although a few schools may use the PSAT 8/9 as a placement test, for most students the exam has no stakes—it's just a way to see how you're doing without any consequences if you end up bombing it. If you're really set on getting a great score on the PSAT/NMSQT, it might be a good idea to take the PSAT 8/9.
Since the PSAT/NMSQT is only offered once a year in October, you will only have two chances maximum to take it (one in 10th grade and one in 11th grade). If you want to win a National Merit Scholarship, you have to do really well on one of those two tests.
The best way to know which areas you need to work on is to take the PSAT 8/9. Based on your PSAT 8/9 scores, you will get personalized SAT study materials through Khan Academy.
If you're not set on winning a scholarship, you probably don't need to take the PSAT 8/9. Just plan on taking the PSAT/NMSQT so that you can get an idea of where you are score-wise and where you need to improve before the real SAT.
You can also take the PSAT 10 your Sophomore year to prepare for the PSAT/NMSQT. PSAT 10 scores, like PSAT 8/9 scores, aren't considered as a factor in the National Merit Scholarship competition, but they can give you more information about what areas you need to work on.
A very prestigious Scholar Ship
How Can You Prepare for the PSAT 8/9?
Because the PSAT 8/9 is just a way to see how prepared you are for the PSAT 10, which is a way to practice for the PSAT/NMSQT—which itself is a way to prepare for the SAT—most students don't need to prepare for the PSAT 8/9. Just taking the test and reviewing your scores is enough to give you an idea of how well you're doing and which areas you might want to consider focusing on later on when you prepare for the other exams.
However, if you do want to study for the PSAT 8/9, there are resources. First, the College Board's PSAT 8/9 Student Guide has a handful of practice questions for each section of the test. There is also one official PSAT 8/9 available on the College Board's free Bluebook app that you can access.
There are some unofficial practice PSAT 8/9 exams available, but we don't recommend them since they typically don't recreate test questions very accurately. Instead, if you want additional practice, we recommend using official study resources and practice tests for the PSAT/NMSQT. The formats of the two exams are very similar, but you won't see the most difficult questions from the PSAT/NMSQT on the PSAT 8/9, since the latter is meant for younger students. These are also available on the College Board's Bluebook app.
The Bottom Line
The PSAT 8/9 is the first step on the path to the SAT.
You can take it in 8th or 9th grade, and it's somewhat similar to the PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT. The main differences are that there is no scholarship associated with it and it has a lower score range. The PSAT 8/9 is essentially just another way to practice for the PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT.
If you're really invested in figuring out where you need to improve your scores in order to do well enough on the PSAT/NMSQT to win a National Merit Scholarship, the PSAT 8/9 is a useful low-stakes assessment tool. Otherwise, just wait and take the PSAT/NMSQT your sophomore or junior year before you take the SAT, or take the PSAT 10 your sophomore year and the PSAT/NMSQT your junior year.
What's Next?
Are you wondering whether you should take the PSAT 10 or the PSAT/NMSQT? Read this article to find out what's best for you.
Looking to practice your skills and see where you need to improve? Here are some PSAT practice tests to get your studying started.
Learn more here about how PSAT scores translate into SAT scores and whether one reliably predicts the other.
