PSAT - SAT score spread from

[Anonymous]

If your kid took Oct PSAT and Oct SAT, or otherwise took two PSAT/SAT tests close in time, how far apart were the two scores?

Mine scored 70pts higher on PSAT, suggesting that the test-retest reliability is pretty low .

[Anonymous]

1470 on October PSAT; 1540 on November SAT

[Anonymous]

1520 oct psat, 1560 Nov SAT.

[Anonymous]

kid #1: Aug 2025 1560 SAT, Oct 2025 1430 PSAT

kid #2: Aug 2026 1350 SAT, Oct 2026 1350 PSAT

While kid #2 clearly saw more consistency between PSAT and SAT, I'm more concerned about the inconsistency between SAT practice tests and actual tests. The difficulty and/or scoring are not sufficiently similar.

For what it's worth, my older kids saw significant inconsistency between SAT and PSAT back with the old paper test:
Oct 2019 PSAT 1280, Dec 2019 SAT 1460
Oct 2019 PSAT 1180, Dec 2019 SAT 1500

[Anonymous]

^Typo, Oct 2026 PSAT 1320

[Anonymous]

Isn’t the PSAT a different scale? Max score is 1520, yes? So not an apples to apples comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid took Oct PSAT and Oct SAT, or otherwise took two PSAT/SAT tests close in time, how far apart were the two scores?

Mine scored 70pts higher on PSAT, suggesting that the test-retest reliability is pretty low .

Mine was about the same-- a bit higher on SAT than PSAT. September SAT; October PSAT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t the PSAT a different scale? Max score is 1520, yes? So not an apples to apples comparison.

Due do the different ceilings, scores get a little wonky at the top end. However, scores are supposed to be about the same if they had been taken on the same day:

"The SAT Suite—from the PSAT 8/9 through the SAT—uses a common score scale for the total and section scores. The ranges reported for each assessment reflect grade-level appropriateness within the common score scale. Thus, while the total range for the SAT is 400–1600, the total range for the PSAT/NMSQT is 320–1520.
This common score scale means that a student who took the PSAT/NMSQT and received a Math section score of 500 would be expected to also get a 500 on the SAT, PSAT 10, or PSAT 8/9 if they had taken any of those tests on that same day; a score of 500 represents the same level of academic achievement on all 4 assessments."
https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/psat-nmsqt-understanding-scores.pdf

[Anonymous]

For smart kids who make occasional careless errors, the scores do tend to rise with the maximum score. The test is not showing their ability so much as “this is a kid who knows all or nearly all the material but tends to make 1-3 careless errors per test.”

Regarding test/retest consistency, my kid took two SATs the same week (one schoolday and one weekend), and got 1480s on both (first was 740/740, second was 750/730). I’d say that’s pretty consistent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^Typo, Oct 2026 PSAT 1320

2026 hasn't started yet.

[Anonymous]

Son took Oct SAT: 1430. Oct PSAT, two weeks later: 1460.

Not how things were supposed to work! But retaking the SAT, so it will work out.

[Anonymous]

In 2024, my son scored 1490 on the October PSAT and 1480 on the November SAT. He wanted to be one-and-done but we encouraged him to take the March 2025 SAT and he scored 1550.

[Anonymous]

PSAT Oct 2024 1330
PSAT Oct 2025 1480 (760 math)
SAT Aug 2025 1510 (one and done — that’s a good enough score for DC’s list)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Son took Oct SAT: 1430. Oct PSAT, two weeks later: 1460.

Not how things were supposed to work! But retaking the SAT, so it will work out.

This is my daughter almost exactly, only August SAT, October PSAT. Planning to retake SAT in December and if she doesn't get what she wants, wait until August to retake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid took Oct PSAT and Oct SAT, or otherwise took two PSAT/SAT tests close in time, how far apart were the two scores?

Mine scored 70pts higher on PSAT, suggesting that the test-retest reliability is pretty low .

1520 Oct PSAT
1580 Oct SAT