UNDERSTANDING YOUR PSAT/NMSQT RESULTS

4 Major Parts of Your PSAT/NMSQT Results Your Scores Your Skills Your Answers Next Steps 3 Test Sections Critical Reading Mathematics Writing Skills

Score You can see your projected SAT score online in My College QuickStart ( Your Scores

Score Range Your Scores (cont.)

Percentile If you are a junior, your scores are compared to those of other juniors. If you are a sophomore or younger student, your scores are compared to those of sophomores. Your Scores (cont.)

National Merit Scholarship Corporation Information

National Merit Scholarship Corporation Information (cont.) The Selection Index is the sum of your critical reading, mathematics and writing skills scores. If it has an asterisk, you do not meet all of the eligibility requirements for the competition.

National Merit Scholarship Corporation Information (cont.) The Percentile compares your performance to that of other college-bound juniors.

National Merit Scholarship Corporation Information (cont.) The Entry Requirements section displays information you provided on your answer sheet.

Your Skills

Your Skills (cont.) See how you did on each skill. The same skills are tested on the SAT. You can try hundreds of practice questions, organized by skill, online in My College QuickStart (

Your Answers

Your Answers (cont.) You will get your test book back with your PSAT/NMSQT results, so that you can review the questions. You can also review each test question in My College QuickStart.

Your Answers (cont.) You will get your test book back with your PSAT/NMSQT results, so that you can review the questions. You can also review each test question in My College QuickStart.

Your Answers (cont.) You will get your test book back with your PSAT/NMSQT results, so that you can review the questions. You can also review each test question in My College QuickStart.

Your Answers (cont.) You will get your test book back with your PSAT/NMSQT results, so that you can review the questions. You can also review each test question in My College QuickStart.

Your Answers: Student-Produced Responses

Your Answers: Student-Produced Responses (cont.) Some of the math problems required you to grid in answers instead of selecting an option. For these questions, you will see the correct answer(s) written out.

Next Steps

Next Steps (cont.) What’s next? Use the access code on your report to log in to My College QuickStart, a personalized college and career planning kit. There you can: Search for colleges Get a personalized SAT study plan Take a personality test to find majors and careers that fit you See your AP Potential

My College QuickStart

My Online Score Report Projected SAT® score ranges

My College QuickStart My Online Score Report State percentiles

My College QuickStart My Online Score Report You can filter questions

My College QuickStart My Online Score Report Questions and answer explanations

My College QuickStart My SAT Study Plan™ Personalized skills to improve

My College QuickStart My SAT Study Plan™ SAT practice questions

My College QuickStart My SAT Study Plan™ An official SAT practice test

My College QuickStart My Personality Personality test Description of your type Tips for success Majors and careers that might be a good fit for you

My College QuickStart

My College Matches Starter list of colleges Criteria to customize search Ability to save searches

My College QuickStart My College Matches Starter list of colleges Criteria to customize search Ability to save searches

My College QuickStart My Majors & Career Matches Major you chose Related majors Related careers

My College QuickStart

My AP Potential Courses you’re likely to succeed in Courses that match majors you’re interested in Courses that were offered at your school last year

My College QuickStart The shading of the steps icons illustrates your potential

My College QuickStart Choosing a major puts a checkmark in the Matches Major column next to appropriate courses

My College QuickStart This column tells you if this course is likely offered at your school

My College QuickStart Look for courses where you have “potential”, it matches your major, and it’s offered at your school

My College QuickStart Log in to your personalized account at

Specific Graduation Requirements for Future Ready Core (FRC) Math- Common Core I, II, and III along with a 4 th math English I, II, III, and IV Social Studies- World History, American I, American II, Civics and Economics Science-Earth Science, Biology, Physical Science 10 additional elective credits 26 credits total *Foreign Language

College/Career Planning-- In the 10 th Grade! College Admission Offices pay careful attention to the following: Grade Point Average (GPA) Difficulty of course load SAT/ACT scores Class rank High school and community activities Recommendations Essays

Tips: Get Organized! + Create a College List Include “realistic” schools, “reach” schools, and at least one “safety” school -see list of NC Colleges’ average GPAs, SAT and ACT scores to help + Create a Master Calendar + Visit CollegeBoard.org and CFNC.org to research colleges

College Planning Resources + Collegeboard.org: - 2 Main purposes:  1) PSAT, SAT, AP testing information/practice  2) search for colleges & majors + ACT.org - Main purposes:  ACT, PLAN testing information/practice

CFNC.org + Must create an account on this site to send transcripts to schools within NC. + Site can also be used to apply to many schools in NC. + Search for colleges by region or major. + Search for careers & take interest inventories.

SAT vs ACT SATvs.ACT reasoning test Type of Test content-based test Critical Reading: 2, 25-min sections and 1, 20-min section; Math: 2, 25-min sections and 1, 20-min section; Writing: 1, 25-min essay, 1, 25-min section, and 1, 10-min section Test Format English: 1, 45-min section; Math: 1, 60-min section; Reading: 1, 35- min section; Science: 1, 35-min section; Writing: 1, 30-min essay (optional) reading, vocabulary, grammar & usage, writing, and math Content Covered grammar & usage, math, reading, science reasoning, and writing (optional)

tricky, questions can be phrased in ways that make them difficult to decipher Test Style straightforward, questions may be long but are usually less difficult to decipher Math, Critical Reading, and Writing scores will each range between a ; total SAT score ranges between Scoring English, Math, Reading, and Science scores will each range between Composite ACT score is the average of your scores on the four sections; ranges between 1-36 * New in March 2016 there is no more penalty Penalty for Wrong Answers? no – you do not lose points for incorrect answers yes – you can choose which set(s) of SAT scores to submit to colleges Score Choice? yes – you can choose which set(s) of ACT scores to submit to colleges

questions increase in difficulty level as you move through that question type in a section (except reading passage questions, which progress chronologically through the passage) Difficulty Levels difficulty level of the questions is random arithmetic, data analysis, algebra I and II, functions, geometry; formulas are provided in the test booklet Math Levels arithmetic, algebra I and II, functions, geometry, trigonometry; no formulas are provided with private schools and schools on the east and west coasts; however, every four-year college in the US accepts SAT scores Tends to be more popular? with public schools and schools in the Midwest and south; however, every four- year college in the US accepts ACT scores

seven times per year: January, March or April, May, June, October, November, December Offered when? six times per year: February, April, June, September, October, December (note that some states offer the ACT as part of their state testing requirements; these tests are not administered on the national test dates) typically about four weeks before the test date Registration deadline? typically about five to six weeks before the test date More Information

Types of Student Financial Aid + Grants + Scholarships + Loans + Employment

+ Merit-based -academics -talent -athletic -others + Need-based -financial considerations Student Financial Aid

College Costs + Direct + Indirect + Vary widely from college to college

Institutional and Outside Aid Institutional Aid Grants & Scholarships Loan Programs Student Employment Outside Agencies Local organizations Churches Civic Groups Parents’ employers Veterans Administration Vocational Rehabilitation Services

Additional Information + College Foundation of North Carolina - + StudentAid.gov - + Student Financial Aid for North Carolinians - + The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid - + Publications in local libraries

Contact information: Robert McAuliffe 10 th Grade Counselor