Approved PSAT Calculators & Tips to Use Them

Jan 13, 2023

PSAT Calculator

The PSAT, once known as the Pre-SAT but now just known by its abbreviation, is a standardized exam offered for 10th and 11th students by the College Board. The PSAT is usually considered a student’s first introduction to SAT-style testing because the College Board administers it. The PSAT is a National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test since it is utilized as a qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship (NMSQT). This test is conducted to assess students’ intellectual abilities and determine eligibility for National Merit Scholarships.

If you are having trouble calculating your PSAT score, you can benefit from using a PSAT-approved calculator. This article provides step-by-step directions on computing PSAT scores through a PSAT calculator. It is important to know what calculators are allowed on the psat and how to use them to calculate your score.

Let us first understand how each section is divided into different scores under PSAT. Math, critical reading, and writing are all part of the exam. Around 3.6 million students take the PSAT/NMSQT. However, only 11th graders are eligible for scholarship recognition. Understanding how to evaluate them will help you know how you performed compared to other students. PSAT-approved calculators help in understanding your overall PSAT score and result.

Explore the list of PSAT approved calculators in this blog! Learn about the calculators allowed during the PSAT exam and find out how Turito’s expert coaching can help you utilize them effectively. With personalized study plans, Turito equips you to make the most of these approved tools and ace the PSAT exam. For more details, visit Turito Academy.

Here are the PSAT Scores that you Need to Calculate to Obtain your Final Result:

1. Raw score: Knowing the point values of the different questions used to create your raw score is the first step in understanding how PSAT scores are computed. One point is awarded for each right answer. One-third of an issue is deducted for each wrong response. There are no negative scores for the incorrect or unanswered questions on the math grid-in problems.

2. Average scores: It is the average performance of all students in one grade level. If your score is near to the national average, it means you are generally on grade level.

3. Percentile scores: The percentage represents your performance compared to all other students in your grade who took the PSAT. Compared to other students, the greater your percentile score, the better you performed. The 99th percentile is the highest percentile on the PSAT. For example, if you scored in the 85th percentile, that means you outperformed 85 percent of the other students who took the test at the same time throughout the world. The percentile score determines which students in each state are eligible for National Merit Scholarship Program recognition.

You will interpret your performance more realistically with your scaled score and percentile score. Your percentile score indicates how you performed compared to other students in the same grade. You are not required to send your PSAT results to the colleges, but National Merit Award recognitions may be submitted on college applications. In addition, each state’s top 1% of 11th-grade students will compete in the National Merit Competition for their graduating class. A National Merit Scholarship is awarded to around 7,600 students each year.

Starting to think about and prepare for standardized examinations early in your high school experience is one strategy to lessen your stress about them. The more time you devote to exam preparation, the more prepared you will be on the test day. Using your PSAT results to drive your SAT preparations is a terrific way to get ahead. Of course, you should keep in mind that the PSAT and the SAT are two separate examinations. But, your PSAT score helps you estimate your SAT score.

How is the PSAT Scored?

The PSAT is graded on a 10-point scale from 320 to 1520. The sum of your Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) section scores is your overall PSAT score. EBRW score is a composite of your Reading, Writing, and Language scores. Each of these two sections is graded on a scale of 160 to 760, which is half of the overall score range.

Then, your raw scores for Math, Reading, Writing, and Language are turned into final scaled results using a specific equating method. The College Board employs “equating” to adjust for minor changes in test difficulty. It ensures that a scaled PSAT score always reflects the same level of aptitude regardless of the exam.

In addition, you will get subscores and cross-test scores, just like in the case of SAT. Cross-test scores evaluate your command of history/social studies and science topics on a scale of 8-38. However, your subscores measure specific skills and abilities in each area on a scale of 1-15.

Can You Use Calculators During PSAT?

The PSAT, like the SAT, is divided into four sections: Reading, Writing, Math (without a calculator), and Math (with a calculator). The Math exam with no calculator takes 25 minutes and contains 17 questions, whereas the Calculator component takes 45 minutes and includes 11 questions. According to College Board, most questions on the Math portion can be solved without using a calculator. So, which are the PSAT-approved calculators?

What Calculators are Allowed on the PSAT?

The PSAT permits three types of calculators: four-function calculators, scientific calculators, and graphing calculators, according to the College Board.

● Scientific calculator: The PSAT allows the use of any scientific calculator. For a PSAT math test, a scientific calculator may be all you need. It accurately handles addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division and, unlike graphing calculators, will not mislead you on test days with extraneous features. Parentheses, pi, and trigonometric functions are all available on scientific calculators that you will need to solve PSAT math problems.

● Graphic calculator: A graphing calculator is also a calculator that you can bring to the PSAT. Graphing calculators are advantageous since they have features such as entering lines. Graphing calculators feature more extensive functions than scientific calculators. It has all of the functions of a four-function calculator and a scientific calculator.

These calculators include unique input line characteristics that make them ideal for solving linear equations on the PSAT math exam. Not all graphing calculators are permitted on the PSAT math exam. Also, graphing calculators offer other capabilities that, if you do not know how to use them, may cause you confusion on exam day.

● Four-function calculators: These PSAT calculators get their name because they can only do four things: add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Although a four-function calculator might potentially be used on the PSAT, it is not encouraged. Four-function calculators lack helpful features such as parentheses and entering lines.

Tips for Using Calculators During PSAT

You should bring your calculator. You are not permitted to share one. Be sure it is a PSAT-approved calculator. There is no use in carrying a calculator you cannot use.
Bring an old calculator rather than a new one. Bring a PSAT-approved calculator you are familiar with. One of the vital reasons to utilize a calculator is that it improves your exam speed and accuracy. If you have never used a calculator before, you will be slower and more prone to errors, regardless of how fast the calculator is.
Use the same calculator you will use on test day to prepare for the exam.
Calculators do not always save time. Even though you are allowed to use a calculator, there are some problems on the Math Test where it is faster not to use one. Entering a calculation into the calculator and having it do it for you might take a lot longer than doing it manually.
Before pressing “еntеr,” double-check the entry line to ensure you have not typed in the erroneous number or operation.
One tends to improve to better standards and understand the areas of improvement through making mistakes. Take the time throughout PSAT preparation to address the flaws and transform them into strengths.

Calculators that are not Acceptable During PSAT

Any of the following objects are not permitted to be used as a calculator:

Laptops, tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, and other wearable electronic gadgets.
Electronic models with an Internet connection, WiFi, Bluetooth, cellular, audio/video recording and playback, camera, or other smartphone-like functions.
Models with a computer-style (QWERTY) keypad, a stylus, or pen input.
Electrical outlet models, models that create noise, and models with paper tape.
Hardware accessories such as a stylus are not allowed with an authorized calculator.
Some touchscreen-enabled models are not approved, such as a Casio ClassPad.

So, what calculators are allowed on the PSAT, and which one works best? As mentioned above, three calculators are allowed on the PSAT, but it is better to use a scientific calculator or a graphing calculator. During the PSAT math test, you may also utilize a four-function calculator.

However, you may find questions on the PSAT math test that require a PSAT calculator that can do more than addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve questions. As a result, for the PSAT math test, it is recommended to invest in a calculator that can do all the math functions and is easier to use.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is PSAT?

The Preliminary SAT, also known as the PSAT, is a practice version of the SAT exam. The PSAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes long and tests skills in reading, writing, and math. The highest score possible on the PSAT is 1520.

2. When is PSAT?

You can take the PSAT once per year. April 29, 2022 is the last date of testing.

3. What calculator is best for PSAT?

The TI-Nspire CX II CAS is a popular Graphing Calculator for PSAT test-takers.

4. Do you need a calculator for PSAT?

You are allowed to bring a calculator to the PSAT. The main factor is to use the calculator efficiently and accurately – to save time during math calculations.