United States · Grades 8 to 10 · College Board SAT Suite
The PSAT 8/9 and PSAT 10 are the earliest tests in College Board's SAT Suite, given in school to eighth, ninth and tenth graders. Both have a 70-minute, 44-question Math section with Desmos built in, the same timing as the SAT itself. What differs is the mix: the PSAT 8/9 puts far more weight on algebra and data, and its geometry stops short of trigonometry. Neither counts for National Merit. This page compares the two from College Board's own guides and explains how families can use the results as a starting point, with problems we wrote at the right level.
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In short
College Board gives the PSAT 8/9 to students in grades 8 and 9 and the PSAT 10 to tenth graders, during the school day. On both, math means 70 minutes, 44 questions and the Desmos calculator. Total scores run 240 to 1440 on the PSAT 8/9 and 320 to 1520 on the PSAT 10; National Merit uses neither. Younger students learn this math with us live online, alone or in a batch, with the SAT Math Prep course as the test-format strand.
Building toward the SAT
Younger students usually need algebra and middle school foundations first; the SAT course brings in test format once those are steady.
Side by side
Grade, score scale, testing window and domain weights. The timing and the number of math questions are the same.
| Feature | PSAT 8/9 | PSAT 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Usual grades | 8 and 9 | 10 |
| Whole test | 2 hours 14 minutes | 2 hours 14 minutes |
| Math section | 44 questions, 70 minutes, two modules | 44 questions, 70 minutes, two modules |
| Calculator | Desmos or approved handheld, whole section | Desmos or approved handheld, whole section |
| Total score | 240 to 1440 | 320 to 1520 |
| Math score | 120 to 720 | 160 to 760 |
| 2026-27 windows | October 1 to 30, 2026; March 1 to April 30, 2027 | March 1 to April 30, 2027 |
| National Merit entry | No | No |
Sources: College Board's 2026-27 PSAT 8/9 Student Guide, PSAT 10 Student Guide, What Do My SAT Suite Scores Mean? and SAT Suite Test Dates and Deadlines, read 31 October 2026. We are not connected with College Board.
The 2026-27 guide says the PSAT 8/9 "is designed to be taken as you start your high school journey" and that "Your results will help establish a baseline" and help teachers focus instruction.
It also notes that the PSAT 8/9 "follows the same timing as all other tests in the SAT Suite, so you'll be preparing yourself for the same format as the PSAT 10 and the SAT."
National Merit entry comes only through the PSAT/NMSQT, normally in grade 11. The NMSC pages in College Board's fall guide state it in capitals: "The PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 will NOT be considered for entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program."
That takes the pressure off. A PSAT 8/9 or PSAT 10 score is information, not a verdict.
Domain weights
Both tests use four content domains, but the PSAT 8/9 gives Algebra and data more questions and Advanced Math fewer, and its geometry domain leaves out trigonometry.
| Domain | PSAT 8/9 | PSAT 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Algebra | 16 to 18 | 13 to 15 |
| Advanced Math | 7 to 9 | 12 to 14 |
| Problem-Solving and Data Analysis | 9 to 11 | 7 to 9 |
| Geometry (8/9) or Geometry and Trigonometry (10) | 4 to 6 | 4 to 6 |
On the PSAT 8/9, Algebra has 16 to 18 of the 40 scored questions and Problem-Solving and Data Analysis has 9 to 11, against 13 to 15 and 7 to 9 on the PSAT 10. That is the math of grade 7 to Algebra 1: linear equations and functions, systems, ratios, rates, percentages and data.
The guide lists the PSAT 8/9 geometry skills as "Area and volume; Lines, angles, and triangles, including right triangles", without trigonometry.
On the PSAT 10, Advanced Math rises to 12 to 14 questions: equivalent expressions, nonlinear equations and functions such as quadratics and exponentials. Right triangle trigonometry joins the geometry domain.
A tenth grader who has finished Algebra 1 but not yet started Algebra 2 will find the Advanced Math questions the least familiar part of the test.
Some things are identical across the two guides. A module holds 22 questions, 2 of them pretest items that are never scored; difficulty climbs through each module; and students can open a reference sheet, "a list of common formulas", during Math. Roughly 30% of math questions come with a real-world or science context, per College Board.
2026-27 dates
Your school chooses the day inside College Board's windows and registers you. Students do not sign up on their own.
| Term | Tests in the window | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | SAT School Day, PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 8/9 | October 1 to 30, 2026 |
| Spring 2027 | SAT School Day, PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 | March 1 to April 30, 2027 |
Some score features also differ by grade. The PSAT 8/9 guide says ninth graders may opt in to the Connections feature, "but it is not available to 8th graders taking the test." Your school will explain how and when scores are released.
Using the score
Not in the cramming sense. College Board describes the PSAT 8/9 as a baseline. The useful preparation is familiarity with the format plus steady school math.
A student who has seen Bluebook, the Desmos calculator and the module structure once will spend test time on math rather than on the screen. College Board offers a test preview and full-length adaptive PSAT 8/9 practice tests in Bluebook.
Beyond that, the best preparation for the PSAT 8/9 is the ordinary math of grades 7 to 9 done well, especially linear relationships and percentages.
The score report shows performance in each content area. College Board describes the knowledge and skills section as a way "to identify content areas you may want to focus on to practice and improve."
A low Algebra area in grade 8 is a reason to strengthen Algebra 1, not to drill PSAT questions. A strong report is a reason to keep going, perhaps into competition math.
| What the report shows | What we would usually do next |
|---|---|
| Algebra is the weakest area | Linear equations, functions and systems, steadily, over a term |
| Problem-Solving and Data Analysis is weakest | Ratios, percentages and reading tables and graphs |
| Advanced Math is weakest (PSAT 10) | Quadratics and exponentials, often ahead of Algebra 2 |
| Geometry is weakest | Angles, triangles, area and volume, with the reference sheet |
| All areas strong | Keep up school math; consider competition math or early SAT practice |
Worked examples
Our own problems in the domains that carry the most PSAT 8/9 weight. They are not College Board items.
| Data used (GB) | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly bill (units) | 15 | 23 | 35 | 47 |
| Step | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| 1. Rise as a multiplier | 25% up means x 1.25 |
| 2. Fall as a multiplier | 20% down means x 0.80 |
| 3. Combine | 1.25 x 0.80 = 1.00 |
| 4. Conclusion | Back to exactly the starting price |
| 5. Why the intuition fails | The 20% is taken from a larger number, so it removes as much as the 25% added |
| Step | Reasoning |
|---|---|
| 1. Use the fact | Angles on a straight line add to 180 degrees |
| 2. Equation | 3x + 15 + 2x + 40 = 180, so 5x + 55 = 180 |
| 3. Solve | 5x = 125, so x = 25 |
| 4. The angles | 3(25) + 15 = 90 and 2(25) + 40 = 90 |
| 5. Notice | Both are 90 degrees: the lines are perpendicular |
Practice and plans
Ten problems we wrote at PSAT 8/9 and PSAT 10 level, with answers, then two short plans.
| # | Domain | Problem | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Algebra | Solve 7 - 2x = 15 | x = -4 |
| 2 | Algebra | Slope through (2, 3) and (6, 11) | 2 |
| 3 | Algebra | Solve 2x + y = 9 and x - y = 3 | x = 4, y = 1 |
| 4 | Algebra | Solve 3x + 4 > 19 | x > 5 |
| 5 | Data | A recipe uses 3 cups of flour for 4 loaves. Flour for 10 loaves? | 7.5 cups |
| 6 | Data | A 60-minute show: 15 minutes are ads. Percent ads? | 25% |
| 7 | Data | Mean of 12, 15, 18 and 23 | 17 |
| 8 | Advanced (PSAT 10) | Factor x^2 + 7x + 12 | (x + 3)(x + 4) |
| 9 | Geometry | Volume of a cube with edge 4 cm | 64 cubic cm |
| 10 | Geometry and Trigonometry (PSAT 10) | Right triangle, hypotenuse 10, angle 30 degrees: opposite side? | 5 |
From grade 8 to grade 11
Our summary of the sequence, using the facts College Board publishes for each test.
| Year | Usual test | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 8 or 9 | PSAT 8/9, scored 240 to 1440 | A baseline at the start of high school |
| Grade 10 | PSAT 10 in spring, scored 320 to 1520 | Progress check; no National Merit entry |
| Grade 11 | PSAT/NMSQT in fall | National Merit entry for most students |
| Grade 11 or 12 | SAT, scored 400 to 1600 | College admission where required |
Keep it light. A familiar format and solid Algebra 1 matter more than practice questions.
Ask the school when results come back and how it uses them.
Advanced Math is the domain that grows most from the PSAT 8/9. Start quadratics early if you can.
Next year's PSAT/NMSQT is the one that counts for National Merit.
The catalogue
Foundations, Algebra 1 and test format, taught live.
PSA / M / 01
Ratio, percent, geometry.
Open the syllabusPSA / M / 02
MATHCOUNTS and AMC 8.
Open the syllabusPSA / M / 03
Functions in Python.
Open the syllabusPSA / H / 01
Algebra 1 in depth.
Open the syllabusPSA / H / 02
Geometry to Algebra 2.
Open the syllabusPSA / H / 03
Data and chance.
Open the syllabusPSA / T / 01
PSAT and SAT.
Open the syllabusPSA / T / 02
For ACT schools.
Open the syllabusPSA / T / 03
AMC 10 and beyond.
Open the syllabusHow lessons run
Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.
Weekdays
After school, paced with class math.
Weekends
Short practice and Bluebook familiarity.
1-on-1
Planned around your school's window.
Algebra 1 and data done well.
Bluebook and Desmos, without drilling.
We plan from the content areas.
Calm, short sessions for grade 8.
The same blueprint as the SAT.
Fifteen to twenty, or one to one.
Student work
Younger students often meet functions first by coding them. See student labs.
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Questions families ask
College Board's 2026-27 guide lists Algebra (16 to 18 questions), Advanced Math (7 to 9), Problem-Solving and Data Analysis (9 to 11) and Geometry (4 to 6). It is mostly the math of grades 7 to 9.
Forty-four, in two modules of 35 minutes each. Each module has 20 scored questions and 2 unscored pretest questions.
The PSAT 8/9 is scored 240 to 1440, with 120 to 720 for Math. College Board describes it as a baseline, so the content-area breakdown on the report is more useful than comparing totals.
It has the same length and timing, but more Advanced Math (12 to 14 questions against 7 to 9) and trigonometry in the geometry domain. Its scale is 320 to 1520.
No. College Board's PSAT/NMSQT guide says the PSAT 10 and PSAT 8/9 are not considered for entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program.
College Board lists two windows: October 1 to 30, 2026 and March 1 to April 30, 2027. Your school picks the day and registers you.
Yes, on the whole Math section. The Desmos calculator is built into Bluebook, or students can bring an approved calculator.
A little: one look at the format in Bluebook and steady school math. Heavy drilling is not needed for a test College Board describes as a baseline.
Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.
No. We are an independent online school. We describe the tests from College Board's published guides and use its free practice in Bluebook as it is.
Elsewhere on this site
Grade-by-grade math support and the tests that come next.
The first PSAT 8/9 year.
Algebra 1 and the start of high school.
The PSAT 10 year.
The largest PSAT 8/9 domain.
For strong eighth graders.
Where the sequence leads.
Part of the guide: US math placement and college readiness tests
More guides: US state math tests by state · US gifted and selective school tests · Homeschool and school math curricula guide · US math and coding competitions guide
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