What the Reading Test Measures
The Reading Test measures a range of reading skills.
Command of Evidence
Find evidence in a passage (or pair of passages) that best supports the answer to a previous question or serves as the basis for a reasonable conclusion.
- Identify how authors use evidence to support their claims.
- Find a relationship between an informational graphic and the passage it’s paired with.
Many questions focus on important, widely used words and phrases that you’ll find in texts in many different subjects. The words are ones that you’ll use in college and the workplace long after test day.
The PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 focus on your ability to:
- Use context clues in a passage to figure out which meaning of a word or phrase is being used.
- Decide how an author’s word choice shapes meaning, style, and tone.
Practice Reading questions: collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sample-questions/reading
What the Math Test Measures
Fluency
The Math Test is a chance to show that you:
- Carry out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently, and strategically.
- Solve problems quickly by identifying and using the most efficient solution approaches. This might involve solving a problem by inspection, finding a shortcut, or reorganizing the information you’ve been given.
You’ll demonstrate your grasp of math concepts, operations, and relations. For instance, you might be asked to make connections between properties of linear equations, their graphs, and the contexts they represent.
Applications
These real-world problems ask you to analyze a situation, determine the essential elements required to solve the problem, represent the problem mathematically, and carry out a solution.
Sample Questions Learn about the Math Test firsthand by viewing sample questions from the PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10.
TEST DAY
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/taking-the-tests/test-day-checklist
What to Bring
- Two No. 2 pencils with erasers
- An approved calculator
- Valid school- or government-issued photo ID (for students not testing at their own school and home-schooled students). If unavailable, students can use a notarized College Board Student ID Form (.pdf/488.05 KB).
- Social Security number (optional)
- Epinephrine auto-injectors (e.g., EpiPens) are permitted without the need for accommodations. They must be placed in a clear bag and stored under the student’s desk during testing. For policies on other medications and medical devices, contact Services for Students with Disabilities.
- Snacks or drinks-must be taken out of your bag and placed at the front of the room. Only access them during the breaks.
- Any devices, including smartwatches, that can be used to record, transmit, receive or play back audio, photographic, text, or video content
- Protractors, compasses, rulers
- Highlighters, colored pens, colored pencils
- Pamphlets or papers of any kind
- Dictionaries or other books—there are no exceptions, even if English is not your first language
- Food and drinks—including bottled water—unless approved by the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities. Learn more about testing with accommodations.
There will be a boot camp before the test to make sure that everyone has had time to practice. Remember, the PSAT is based on what you have been learning in class all along this year. You got this!