College Readiness Exams

During the month of October, eighth grade students participate in the PSAT 8/9 assessment. Results can be found in the student’s CollegeBoard portal. If your student did not previously create a CollegeBoard account with their school counselor, follow the steps linked here to create their account. Please use your child's district email when creating this account. If your child is unable to login to their account, you must contact CollegeBoard directly at 877-348-5728. Additional information about how to interpret test results can be found here.  

When 8th grade students receive their PSAT 8/9 results, they will also have access to a personalized support plan which includes free online resources that can be accessed at home. These free resources help deepen students’ understanding of what is needed for college and career readiness. The learning resources also provide practice material aligned to the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT which will help to prepare students for further CollegeBoard tests.

Resource Files: Overview of the SAT Suite of Assessments Overview of the SAT Suite of Assessments (.rtf) Parent Tips for Official SAT Practice and Khan Academy PSAT 8/9 Preparation PSAT 8/9 Student Guide (.rtf) PSAT 8/9 for Parents/Students PSAT 8/9 for Parents/Students (.rtf) Videos What to Expect with the Digital PSAT 8/9 Understanding Your Digital PSAT 8/9 Scores

During the month of October, all juniors participate in the PSAT/NMSQT assessment. Results can be found in the student’s CollegeBoard portal. If your child did not previously create a CollegeBoard account with their school counselor, please follow the steps linked here to create their account. Please use your child's district email when creating this account. If your child is unable to login to their account, you must contact CollegeBoard directly at 877-348-5728. Additional information about how to interpret test results can be found here.  

Resource Files: PSAT-NMSQT Dublin Presentation PSAT-NMSQT Dublin Presentation (.rtf) Parent Tips for Official SAT Practice and Khan Academy PSAT-NMSQT Practice PSAT-NMSQT Practive (.rtf) PSAT-NMSQT Benefits PSAT-NMSQT Benefits (.rtf) PSAT-NMSQT Student Guide PSAT-NMSQT Student Guide (.rtf) PSAT-NMSQT for Parents/Students Videos What to expect with the digital PSAT/NMSQT Understanding Your Digital PSAT/NMSQT Scores College Board Career Tools

What are the benefits of administering the SAT Suite of Assessments instead of the ACT?

There are several benefits the SAT Suite of Assessments has to offer including:  

• More detailed family and student-friendly score reports
• Personalized follow-up plan identifying skill gaps that need improvement
• Free intervention lessons and thousands of practice items tailored specifically to students’ strengths and weaknesses through Khan Academy
• 8 full length practice SATs through Khan Academy
• Full release of April School Day SAT with questions and scoring justifications
• PSAT (8/9 & NMSQT) preparation exams directly align to the SAT
• District item analysis data provides insight on strengths and weaknesses in our curriculum and instruction
• AP predictor data showing students that have the potential to be successful in AP courses
• Ability for students to opt into a scholarship search opportunity which awarded over $180 million in scholarships last year
• Exclusive, interactive college and career resources for students through Road Trip Nation
• Free app that allows students to print practice assessments, take pictures of their completed practice tests, and send them for immediate scoring that can be linked to their Khan Academy account

Is the SAT harder than the ACT?

The age old belief that the SAT is harder than the ACT is one that has been addressed and changed by the redesign of the assessments. Some examples of the benefits of the redesign are:

• Students who have taken the old and new SAT prefer the new format by 6 to 1 and 75% of the students said it was the same or easier than they expected
• Elimination of questions that assess obscure vocabulary words
• Elimination of the penalty for guessing
• Making the essay portion optional
• More student-friendly language
• Decrease from five answer choices to four
• More time available for completion
• Questions are more aligned to Dublin’s curriculum including higher level thinking, reasoning, and integrated real-world learning situations

Can a student use SAT scores to get into their college of choice or is the SAT only acceptable for out-of-state schools?

Yes. SAT scores are accepted at any college or university across the country, including all schools in Ohio.  You do not need to be attending an out-of-state school for the scores to be important and valid.

How long does it take to get scores back?

2 to 6 weeks

Is there a penalty for guessing on the SAT?

No, students are not penalized for guessing on the SAT.

How many questions are on the SAT and how long is each part?

Component	Time Allotted (minutes)	Number of Questions/Tasks
Reading and Writing	64 (two 32-minute modules)	54
Math	70 (two 35-minute modules)	44
Total	134	98

Compared to the ACT®, the SAT provides 68% more time per question.

How can students prepare for the SAT?

• Personalized learning plan through Khan Academy (satpractice.org)
• 8 official SAT practice tests available in Khan Academy
• By accessing the official SAT Student Guide
• By taking the most rigorous coursework appropriate for them

What Dublin students will participate in Collegeboard assessments?

Dublin City Schools is dedicated to providing a consistent suite of college and career ready assessments.

• PSAT 8/9-all 8th grade students will be administered this assessment at the district cost
• PSAT-all 9th and 10th grade students will have the opportunity to sign up for the PSAT at a small cost
• PSAT/NMSQT-all 11th grade students will be administered this assessment at the district cost

How can the free resources provided through Khan Academy support students and impact future scores?

Research has shown...

• 20 hours spent practicing for the SAT on Khan Academy accounts for an average score increase of 115 points
• 6 hours spent practicing for the SAT on Khan Academy accounts for an average score increase of 90 points
• Out of 250,000 test takers, more than 16,000 students who studied using Khan resources gained 200 points or more between the PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT administration.

Can my student still take the ACT?

Yes.  Dublin will continue to offer the ACT on select national test dates as we have in the past.

What is the ACT?

• The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. It was first introduced in November 1959 by University of Iowa professor Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
  • ACT Question of the Day
• An ACT test practice question posted each day--Free!
  • The Real ACT Prep Guide
• The official prep book from the makers of the ACT. Included are practice tests, explanations of right and wrong answer choices and more.

ACT Test Info

• The ACT English Component
• The ACT Mathematics Component
• The ACT Reading Component
• The ACT Science Component
• The ACT Optional Writing Component
• What Test Prep is Best?
• What Test Prep is Best? (.rtf)

• College Board Free SAT Prep Materials 
• ACT Free Practice Test and Resources