Post-PSAT Analysis: The Importance of Professional Assessment

Myth: A GPA above 3.0 means a high school student is ready for standardized testing like the PSAT, SAT, or ACT.

Fact: Many students, even those with a 3.5 and above, leave points on the table simply because their parents lacked the following information that could have made all the difference.

Do you know the national average for each section of the PSAT?

Do you know what score ranges your state’s schools require?

Are you familiar with strategic timelines related to standardized testing to give your teen an edge in college admissions?

If you answered “no” to any or all of the above, don’t worry. Keep reading.

Here are the top five reasons every parent of a 10^th grader should schedule a professional PSAT assessment before the end of the school year.

1. Extended Time Determination
   After taking the PSAT, parents who are paying attention sometimes realize that there are learning differences in place that could qualify their students for time and a half on the SAT and ACT tests. This process takes many months to process with testing boards, and most professional educational therapists who offer such customized testing book months in advance. With a PSAT Assessment session, we at Valley Prep Tutoring can make recommendations to expedite this process where indicated and potentially salvage your student’s college applications.
2. Critical Reading Skills Analysis
   The data on a PSAT in this section provides important clues we use to determine if a student is on-track for college admissions. Parents who wait until 11^th grade to think about shoring up these foundational skills often find their students miss their target scores. Start early for best results—don’t make them “chase the train” in junior year. That’s already stressful enough.
3. Math Level Reality Check
   The PSAT math section is markedly easier than the SAT or ACT, and if your student’s score hovers near or below the national average of 49 then you need to get them tutoring support immediately to remediate learning gaps. Remember, they will be tested on Algebra 1 and 2 skills as well as Geometry. For some students who took Algebra 1 three years ago there can be a disconnect that costs them precious points. Find out now how they actually perform, and consider the impact on their target colleges’ admissions requirements.
4. Grammar, Mechanics, Spelling and Punctuation Evaluation
   How well can your student manage grammatical relationships between words, use well-formed sentence structures (e.g., parallelism, connectives, and relative clauses), and order the elements of a sentence or paragraph to improve clarity, meaning, and the progression of ideas? Guess what? It really matters. An A or B in English class does not necessarily correlate with competitive skills in this crucial area, for not only school but also career and life success.
5. Strategic Options for College Admissions Success
   The summer between 10^th and 11^th grade provides an important opportunity to remediate one or more subject areas of the PSAT before the pressure of the junior year carries students into the time crunch of real-life test prep with high stakes outcomes. The PSAT is a great opportunity to get test scores in alignment with a high GPA. Smart parents start early and give their teens the competitive advantage of a professional PSAT Assessment.

A Valley Prep Tutoring Services PSAT Assessment Session Includes:

1. Overall Scoring Analysis
2. Preliminary Target College Exploration
3. Extended Time Determination
4. Reading Recommendations
5. Math Recommendations
6. Writing Recommendations
7. SAT vs. ACT Recommendations for 11^th grade (Which Test?)
8. Timeline Recommendations for SAT or ACT

Length of Assessment: 90 minutes

Cost:

$250