Is Your 8th-Grader Ready for the PSAT 8-9?

If you have a child in 8th grade, he or she will take the PSAT 8-9 this coming October. Some school districts use this standardized test to determine high school class placement. If your student wants to take advanced math or English in high school, earning a good score on this test is important.

Schools in Illinois use the SAT Suite of Assessments to track students' college and career readiness. The PSAT 8-9 is the first test in that series, and parents and teachers can use it to get a sense of a student's skill level and check how her scores compare to test-takers across the country.

The PSAT 8-9 is cumulative, so students cannot prepare overnight -- or even for just a few weeks. The best way to secure a high score is to become very familiar with the test structure and material and prepare incrementally.

What Does the PSAT 8-9 Look Like?

The PSAT 8-9 has four sections: Reading, Writing and Language, Math with a calculator, and Math without a calculator. Test-takers receive 55 minutes for Reading, 30 minutes for Writing and Language, and 60 minutes for both Math portions.

The Reading and Writing sections are combined to yield an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score out of 720 points. The two Math sections are also scored together out of 720 points. Therefore, the highest score a student can earn on the PSAT 8-9 is a 1440.

What's on the PSAT 8-9?

 Here is a section-by-section breakdown of the material that appears on the PSAT 8-9 and the skills that are tested:

Reading Test:

The PSAT 8-9 Reading test is completely multiple choice and based off accompanying passages and, occasionally, informational graphics like charts and graphs. The reading selections might be standalone passages or paired passages. (Paired passages are two excerpts placed side by side so students can compare and contrast.)

There is always one excerpt from literature, one passage or pair of passages from a U.S. founding document or the conversation it has inspired, a social science passage (economics, psychology, or sociology), and two science passages (Earth science, biology, chemistry or physics).

The PSAT 8-9 never tests on outside knowledge, so all the information needed to correctly answer the questions is contained in the passages.

The Reading section measures three main skills:

• Command of Evidence: Can the student identify supporting evidence for various claims? Can she find evidence to support her answer to a previous question?
• Words in Context: Can the student use the surrounding context to determine the meaning of important words and phrases? Can the he define the effect of the author's word choice?
• Analysis: Can the student examine hypotheses and consider their implications? Can she interpret data?

Writing and Language Test:

The PSAT 8-9 Writing and Language test is completely multiple choice and based off accompanying passages and, occasionally, informational graphics like charts and graphs. Students will answer questions about how best to improve underlined portions of the passage. They may be asked to improve:

• The way a passage develops its ideas or argument
• An author's word choice
• The structure of sentences or paragraphs
• Grammar and punctuation
  
  

Math Test:

The PSAT 8-9 Math test is part multiple choice, part grid-in (see below for an example of a grid-in question). There are two sections to the Math test: one where students can use calculators and one where they cannot.

The Math portion of the test covers two main skill areas:

• Algebra -- linear equations and systems
• Problem-solving and data analysis -- interpreting graphs and using math skills to solve real-world problems

There are also some advanced math questions that require students to analyze and manipulate expressions, as well as interpret and build functions.

Preparing for the PSAT 8-9

The PSAT 8-9 tests grade-appropriate skills, so much of your student's preparation should be review.

However, the breadth of material is so wide that it's difficult for students to effectively prepare for this test on their own.

For the best results, prepare incrementally using real PSAT 8-9 test material. iLearn Academy offers summer PSAT 8-9 prep courses that use real test material to familiarize students with the format and content of the test. These courses also help students avoid summer learning loss.  

Enroll before May 27 to receive two free hours of test prep each week, in addition to your student's standard math or English tutoring. Call 847-834-0791 to enroll today.