All About the PSAT 8/9
The PSAT 8/9 is designed for students in eighth or ninth grade as they begin their high school journey. Its structure, sections, and timing are the same as the PSAT 10, PSAT/NMSQT, and SAT. The Reading and Writing and Math sections measure the knowledge and skills you're learning in school—the same knowledge and skills that matter most for college and career readiness. See what’s on the test.
Why the PSAT 8/9 is important
Taking the PSAT 8/9 can help you set and achieve your goals. With your results, you can:
Know where you are—and where you want to go. As you begin your high school journey, results from the PSAT 8/9 can help set a baseline. You and your teachers will know what skills and knowledge you need to practice so you can continue to improve.
Find out what AP Courses might be a good fit for you. Students who take an AP course are better positioned to succeed in future high school classes and in college. You may not realize that you’re ready to take college-level courses and that you have the potential to succeed. Using your personalized view of AP Potential™, found in your score report, you’ll get recommendations for certain courses that may be a good fit for you.
Explore college and career options. As you think about your plans for life after high school, BigFuture has information to help. You’ll use it to get personalized guidance based on your scores, search for colleges that interest you and save your favorites to your own list, and explore careers that match your interests and skills.
Track their progress. Track your progress. As you continue in high school, you’ll take other tests in the SAT Suite of Assessments, including PSAT 10, PSAT/NMSQT, and/or the SAT. Because all these tests measure the same knowledge and skills, you’ll be able to see your improvement over time.
Fast Facts
- The PSAT 8/9 tests your reading, writing, and math skills.
- The questions on the PSAT 8/9 are grade-appropriate for eighth and ninth graders.
- PSAT 8/9 scores aren’t sent to colleges.
- Schools choose when the PSAT 8/9 is offered.
- The only way you can sign up for the PSAT 8/9 is through your school—not through the College Board. Each school’s signup process differs, so talk to your school counselor to learn more.
- If you need testing accommodations, speak to your school counselor.
- Your school may cover the cost of taking the PSAT 8/9. Talk to your school counselor to find out.
How to Prepare for the PSAT 8/9
Because the purpose of the PSAT 8/9 is to identify the areas you need to focus on and set a starting point for progress, you don’t have to do anything special to prepare for the test.
If you do the following three things, you’ll be ready to take the PSAT 8/9:
- Pay attention in class
- Complete your homework
- Ask for help when you need it
To become familiar with the test and its format, you can download the Bluebook™ testing app and head to the Practice and Prepare section. You can explore the tools and features of the app and try a few sample questions in the test preview or take a full-length practice test.
After the PSAT 8/9
You will get a PDF score report from your school. If you don’t, you can ask your school counselor for it. If you're 13 or older, you can log into your personal College Board account at studentscores.collegeboard.org to access your score, get additional insights, and explore BigFuture.
Due to student privacy laws, students who are under 13 cannot create an online account with College Board. Therefore, schools will need to share score reports directly with students who are under 13. Read the College Board’s privacy statement.
Schools can either:
- Show you your online score report.
- Print the score report from the K–12 Score Reporting Portal. Depending on local data privacy laws and pending parent permission, educators may choose to email the PDF of the score report to your parent.