ST. LUCY’S PRIORY HIGH SCHOOL
PSAT/NMSQT DAY INFORMATION
Wednesday, Oct 9, 2024
Dear Regent students and families,
On Wednesday, October 9, all 10th and 11th grade students will be taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). This College Board exam measures the knowledge and skills that students are learning in school and that matter most for college and career readiness. The test is adaptive and completely digital; students will use their school iPads to access and take their test via the Bluebook app. The PSAT/NMSQT takes 2 hours and 14 minutes, with two sections: (1) Reading and Writing and (2) Math.
Though many universities no longer require SAT or ACT scores as a part of their admissions requirements, we continue to offer the PSAT/NMSQT as practice for those who may seek to take these exams for their college applications, as data for informing instructional practices, and also to allow 11th grade students who meet program entry requirements (specified in the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide) to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship program. Students may also qualify for other programs of recognition such as the National Hispanic Recognition Program, the National African American Recognition Program, or others.
For more information about the test and practice tips, you can visit the College Board PSAT/NMSQT Website (linked here). A more detailed guide can be found by accessing the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide Fall 2024 (also linked).
Please find some guidelines in preparation for the PSAT/NMSQT below:
BEFORE THE TEST
- Open your Bluebook App on your school iPad and ensure that it is up to date. You may use the Sign-In Tickets which will be distributed in homeroom on Friday (Oct 4) to access the digital readiness check, preview Bluebook, and access practice for the test. If you experience any issues, please see the front office immediately or contact Mrs. Jones.
- Practice for the exam (if you would like!). There is embedded practice in the Bluebook App, or you can utilize the free official Digital SAT Prep on Khan Academy, linked here.
- Charge your school iPad.
- Get a good night’s rest!
THE DAY OF THE TEST (WED, OCT 9)
- Eat a healthy breakfast (if that is your normal routine).
- Pack a water and snack, you will need them (as the student store will be closed). These must remain under your desk during testing. You will not have access to your backpack/bag during testing.
- You may wear jeans and your class shirt, or your uniform to school.
- Be on time. It is a LATE school start time of 8:30 am. You will report to the RRC.
- If you are late and the exam has already begun, you may not take the exam on this day.
- Be sure to bring:
- Your fully charged school iPad.
- A pencil or pen for your scratch work.
- Though not required, consider bringing:
- A power cord and/or a portable charger. We cannot guarantee you’ll have access to an outlet during testing. Your device should be able to hold a charge for 3–4 hours.
- An approved calculator. There’s a graphing calculator built into the app, but you can bring your own if you like. To see approved calculators, access the link here: Approved PSAT/NMSQT Calculators
- An external mouse if you use one. (optional)
- An external keyboard if you use one (you can only use external keyboards with tablets—not a laptop.) (optional)
- Leave behind (prohibited items)
- Your smart watch.
- Hooded sweatshirts/jackets.
- Large bags/backpacks. Anything that you bring (with the exception of your school iPad, pen/pencil, water, and snack) will need to be left in your locker or a designated space in the RRC and will not be allowed access until the end of the testing period.
- Your cell phone. You may keep this in your locker/bag/backpack, but you will not be able to access it until your exam is complete.
AFTER THE TEST
- Dismissal time on Oct 9 is 11:45am.
- Scores are anticipated to be released 4-6 weeks after the test. You can access the scores with your College Board account, through the Big Future App (if you provided your phone number on testing day), or by requesting a copy through the school office.
- For more information on scores and next steps, please visit the PSAT/NMSQT Score Information page linked here.
If you have any questions or need additional information, you may contact Mrs. Jones ([email protected]).