Everything we know about the PSAT/NMSQT, written down.
Each guide is written for one reader with one problem. Find yours. Every one ends with what to do this week.
Does PSAT prep help with the SAT? Finishing testing a year early
PSAT and SAT share question types, timing and design, so one program serves both. The calendar: PSAT in October, SAT in March, testing done a year early.
For Parent weighing the cost of a PSAT program against waiting and paying for SAT prep later. 10 min. The moneyIs National Merit worth money? Texas schools' automatic awards
What National Merit Finalist standing pays at Texas universities, school by school, the first-choice rule, and why the awards change every year.
For Parent who has heard National Merit pays for college and wants to know which Texas schools actually write the check. 11 min. No retakeThe PSAT mistake that costs families six figures: treating October as practice
The junior-year PSAT is the only National Merit sitting and cannot be retaken. What that costs in Texas, why families miss it, and what six weeks can fix.
For Parent of a junior in September who has just realized the October PSAT is the only National Merit sitting. 10 min. Page twoThe PSAT Selection Index, explained: why Reading and Writing counts double
What the Selection Index on a PSAT score report is, how to compute it by hand, and why one Reading and Writing miss costs twice what a Math miss does.
For Parent holding a PSAT score report who has just noticed a second number on page 2. 10 min. AustinPSAT tutoring in Austin: what Eanes, Lake Travis and Round Rock families ask
How Eanes, Lake Travis and Round Rock give the PSAT, when registration and scores happen, what the Texas cutoff means locally, and what tutoring involves.
For Austin-area parent in a high-performing district who wants to know how the PSAT works locally and what tutoring looks like. 11 min. Same test, two ceilingsPSAT vs SAT: the difference is the ceiling, not the content
PSAT and SAT share question types, timing and the adaptive design; the difference is the ceiling and the stakes. What transfers, and when to take each.
For Junior who just took the PSAT, has the SAT in a few months, and wants to know what carries over. 10 min. Senior fallSemifinalist to finalist: confirming score, essay, deadlines
The dated checklist from Semifinalist letter to Finalist notice: the application, the essay, the confirming score, the school endorsement, first choice.
For Parent of a senior who was just named a National Merit Semifinalist and wants a checklist with dates. 11 min. Score reportYour sophomore's PSAT score: what it predicts and when to worry
How to read a sophomore PSAT report: percentile bands, the Selection Index gap to the Texas cutoff, a projection rule to junior year, and when to start.
For Parent reading a sophomore's October score report in November, unsure whether 1240 is good. 11 min. Sixteen weeksSummer PSAT prep: a 16-week plan that ends in October
A week-by-week 16-week PSAT plan from late June to the October test, weighted two to one toward Reading and Writing, with six proctored tests built in.
For Rising junior family in June with a sophomore score in hand and the October test sixteen weeks out. 12 min. The numberTexas National Merit cutoff for the class of 2027, and what 2028 should aim for
Texas's confirmed National Merit cutoff for the class of 2027, the pattern behind it, and the Reading and Writing split a 2028 sophomore should aim for.
For Parent of a sophomore who has heard National Merit is worth money and wants the actual number. 11 min.