The New PSAT, Redesigned in 2015: Complete Guide

PSAT INFO AND STRATEGIES, NEW SAT

Do you graduate in 2017 or after? If so, you’ll be taking the redesigned PSAT. Starting in October 2015, the new PSAT will be given to all students across the country.

We’ll let you know what changes to expect in format, scoring, and content and what you need to know to be prepared. Not only is the 2015 PSAT an important step in prepping for the SATs, it also qualifies you for National Merit distinctions and scholarships.

Let’s dive into the changes in format, scoring, and content being made to the redesigned PSATand what these changes mean for your test prep.

The new redesigned PSAT is 35 minutes longer than the old PSAT. It clocks in at 2 hours and 45 minutes, rather than 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Instead of 5 multiple choice answers, the new PSAT offers only 4. This means you have a better chance of getting the answer right if you guess!

The following chart breaks down the time and number of questions per section:

The new test is longer, so train your focus. Since the test hasn't been administered yet, there aren't a lot of official practice tests to take. So far, College Board has come out with one official sample PSAT, which you can download and score. Make sure to take note of the changes between this test and older versions.

New PSAT Practice Test - Answer Key

Since only one practice test is very limited, it's also a good idea to use older practice tests. If you are practicing with full length old practice tests, give yourself an extra section to practice test-taking for that longer chunk of time. As you practice, take note of your energy and attention. Take short breaks and anything else you need to keep focus for that amount of time.

The new PSAT also closely resembles the new SAT, which will be administered starting in the spring of 2016. Except for the fact that the PSAT doesn't have an essay, the two tests have very similar content, format, and even scoring. Because of this, you can also use these four practice tests for the new SAT to prep, while still keeping an eye out for any differences between the new PSAT and new SAT.

New SAT Practice Test 1 - Answer Key

New SAT Practice Test 2 - Answer Key

New SAT Practice Test 3 - Answer Key

New SAT Practice Test 4 - Answer Key

The new scoring system on the PSAT is designed to help you predict your SAT score. Below I'll explain the changes in the scoring system for both the new PSAT and new SAT and how you can incorporate this awareness into your studying.

The redesigned PSAT will be scored on a scaled between 320 and 1520. You can score on a range from 160 to 760 for math and 160 to 760 for Reading and Writing. In addition to these section scores, your score report will also tell you subscores for Math, Reading, and Writing and Language between 8 and 38. This will give you a sense of which sections you're best at and where you need improvement. Unlike the old PSAT, the redesigned PSAT gives no penalties for wrong answers.

The new SAT will return to the 1600 scoring system it had back in the day, before 2005. It will have a maximum composite score of 800 for Math and 800 for Critical Reading and Writing combined. As I mentioned above, your PSAT score is meant to predict your SAT score.

The PSAT scale doesn't go up to 1600 exactly since the SAT is a more difficult test than the PSAT. While a 1300 on the PSAT suggests you might score around a 1300 on the SAT, a perfect PSAT score doesn't necessarily guarantee perfection on the SAT. The two scoring scales coincide with one another, but the PSAT is shifted down to account for its differences in difficulty level. Keep this discrepancy in mind when interpreting your PSAT scores from your practice tests and the official test itself.

Because they eliminated the wrong answer penalty, you don’t have to devise a strategy anymore for which questions to guess on and which to leave blank. Give all of them your best guess, even if you are unsure. If you leave any blank, save enough time at the end of each section to bubble in all your answers.

When you’re taking a practice test, make sure to mark which ones are random guesses so you can review them when you’re finished. To make the most out of your practice tests, you want to reallyanalyze why you missed a question and what you need to do - review content, work at a faster pace, etc. - to ace that question type the next time.

Since the National Merit Scholarship Corporation is considering your composite score, rather than your section scores, all sections are important for qualifying for National Merit Semifinalist,Finalist, and scholarships.