PSAT 8/9 study guide
PSAT 8/9 · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The PSAT 8/9 is a College Board in-school assessment that is part of the SAT Suite, alongside SAT School Day, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the PSAT 10. It is designed for students in eighth and ninth grade and is administered through schools rather than registered for individually, so the first practical step is to ask your principal or counselor which assessments your school offers. The test has two sections: a Reading and Writing section and a Math section. College Board describes the assessment as a way to discover your strengths, explore scholarships, and track how far you have progressed. Because it is an in-school test, preparation should start with your school's schedule and the official practice materials College Board points students toward, including full-length practice tests, the Student Question Bank, Khan Academy practice, a study plan builder, and a question of the day. Students age 13 and older at U.S. Topics on this exam: Reading and Writing and Math. The PSAT 8/9 study guide has 2 sections and about 726 words.
01Reading and Writing: Evidence, Structure, and Conventions
The Reading and Writing domain rewards careful reading more than fast reading. Two skill families dominate: information and ideas (what the passage says, what evidence supports it) and craft and structure (how words, sentences, and paragraphs function). A third family, conventions of standard English , asks you to fix or choose grammar and punctuation. For information questions, locate the exact lines that answer the question before looking at choices.
358 words, about 2 min02Math: Problem Solving, Algebra, and Quantitative Reasoning
PSAT 8/9 Math emphasizes linear relationships, proportional reasoning, data interpretation, and multi-step word problems , with some geometry and basic statistics. Most errors come from setup, not arithmetic, so translate words into equations deliberately. For word problems, define the variable in writing (for example, let x = number of adult tickets ) and identify the fixed amount versus the rate. A common trap is confusing a one-time fee with a per-unit cost, or reversing the slope and intercept.
368 words, about 2 minMore study resources for PSAT 8/9
- Practice questionsWhich choice completes the sentence so that it is grammatically correct?
- FlashcardsMain idea. The central point a passage develops as a whole.
- Cheat sheetMain idea: the correct answer covers the whole passage, not one supporting detail; reject choices that are true but too narrow or too broad.
- Key termsCentral idea. The main point an entire passage is built to communicate.
- Study planDiagnose baseline Reading and Writing accuracy by completing and scoring one full-length timed Reading and Writing section.
- Common mistakesUnder time pressure, students latch onto the first answer choice that mentions something they remember reading, so a vivid detail feels like the point of the passage even when it is only supporting evidence.
- Exam-day guidePrint or save your registration confirmation and know your test center address.