The EDUFAX Educational FAQ

Question #114:

My PSAT scores are: Verbal = 66, 94th percentile; Math = 55, 67th percentile; Writing Skills = 62, 89th percentile; Selection Index = 183, 89th percentile. If I multiply my PSAT score by 10, I will have an extremely low SAT score. Please explain. (courtesy Willie Carver, Printer, KY)

Answer #114:

First, let's look at your composite score of 121, which is the total of the Verbal + Math scores = 66 + 55 = 121. If this were an SAT composite score, it would mean that you had a 121 x 10 = 1,210 score, which is well above the national mean of 1,000. Even though you are stronger in verbal skills than in math, you probably have enough computational power to figure out that there is a discrepancy between the two subjects -- one in which you achieved a score in the 94th percentile and the other in the 67th. Luckily, you have time to practice your math skills and make sure that you understand the types of problems and procedures that generally appear on the Math sections of the SAT I. If possible, try to spend some time with a math tutor who can help you understand the fundamental issues which seems to be holding you back in the math sections. Otherwise, get an SAT practice book or software program and ask your Math teacher to explain the things that you seem to stumble over consistently. You can find the best deals on the 'Net for PSAT/SAT/ACT prep CDs and tutorials through the EDUFAX site. Your math score means that 33% of the students who took the test when you did, achieved higher scores than you did. Your verbal percentile , on the other hand, shows that you performed better than 94% of the students who took the test when you did. With additional practice you could probably achieve a verbal score in the high 700's. College admission officials who read applications always put a special check mark next to scores of 700 or higher, since it indicates such a small and talented part of the population. The Writing Skills score refers to the 2 sections in which you had to identify grammatical errors in sentences by identifying an incorrect phrase or by deciding which was the best way to express a thought. Colleges look at this to see if you have control of the mechanics of the English language. Your score in this area is acceptable, though not astronomical. The Selection Index, derived by a secret formula of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) indicates whether or not your score is among those selected for Commended Scholar or National Merit Semi-Finalist. The cut-off number is different in each state. If you were not been notified in September that your scores qualified you for a Letter of Commendation for a status of semi-finalist, then you can safely assume that you did not reach the cut-off point required for such consideration in your particular state. Other than to determine eligibility for Merit Scholarships, the PSAT is used for practice and to preview your performance on standardized testing. The ETS encourages students to practice for the PSAT, and studies have shown great improvement when students are familiar with the vocabulary and format of the test. Sometimes, the results indicate a problem in one area or another which may indicate that the student should undergo an educational evaluation or should begin extensive tutoring. By the way, your starting scores are far from "extremely low". If you are not happy with them, however, you have plenty of time to improve. EDUFAX provides Verbal Test Prep Tutorials (PSAT/SAT I/SAT II/ACT).

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