The best way to begin a conversation about SAT prep is to already have a baseline score that turns a hypothetical conversation into a practical planning session. I can often sketch out a sensible plan without diagnostics but will, in some instances, recommend a practice test in Bluebook. This advice almost always makes sense, except at the beginning of the school year as October approaches:
ME: “Have you considered having your son take a practice SAT?”
PARENT: “Yes, we registered for the PSAT.”
ME: “No, I mean a practice SAT.”
PARENT: “Right, the PSAT.”
ME: (⊙_◎)
Perhaps the point is not obvious. The PSAT clearly provides some degree of practice for the SAT. However, beyond the picayune distinction that the P in PSAT stands for Preliminary, the PSAT is not exactly a practice SAT and does not provide all the benefits a perfect practice SAT can.
CONTENT
Every question on the PSAT reflects the structure and content of the SAT. In that regard, students can draw a direct connection from the math, reading, and grammar content on one test to the same subject matter on the other. However, the PSAT does hold back some Algebra 2 concepts that appear on the SAT.
TIMING AND DIFFICULTY
In a dramatic departure from previous iterations, the PSAT consists of the same number of questions and amount of time per module as the SAT. What prevents the PSAT from being a perfect predictor of SAT scores is the aforementioned math omissions and the fact that the practice PSATs in Bluebook test are objectively easier than SAT practice tests.
SETTING
Most teens take the PSAT at their schools, even if those institutions don’t host official SAT or ACT administrations. The entire experience feels official, albeit much less pressured or stressful, as everyone knows–or at least should know–that the PSAT has no bearing on college admission with the specific exception of National Merit Scholarship recognition.
TIMELINE
Every PSAT in the nation is administered within a broad testing window from October 1 through 30. Test takers receive their score roughly 2-3 weeks later. However, they never receive a copy of the test they took, with only minimal insight into which topics they struggled with.
In this regard, the PSAT fails the prime directive of true deliberate practice by withholding the immediate feedback required for review and rectification. A high-quality practice SAT, on the other hand, even exceeds official tests in that students receive their test scores as soon as they finish testing and have access to the exam they took. With those scores, test questions, and maybe an expert tutor, they have all the ingredients for effective test review and maximum experiential value.
Another disadvantage of the timing of PSAT score release concerns the optimal timing of when 11th graders should be taking their SATs and/or ACTs. Juniors should take these exams as early in junior year as makes sense, based on their goals and schedules. When families wait until PSAT scores return to plan for the next step, they relinquish the first four SAT dates of the academic year. With so many strong cases to be made for taking the SAT or ACT in August, September, October, November, or December of junior year, an early practice SAT can provide the right information for planning at the right time.
Basically, 11th graders have many good reasons to take the PSAT, but practice is not necessarily one of them. Yes, the PSAT definitely provides access to a pool of official questions unavailable anywhere else under professional proctored conditions. Even so, when you want to practice for the SAT, take a practice SAT!
Mike Bergin