PSAT/MNSQT
Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test

Students in
Grades K, 1, 2, and 3

To assist teachers in measuring each student’s progress in literacy and to inform instruction

See below

Students in Grade 2 who have mastered level 5 or higher in the Reading Activity of the
ECLAS-2 Kit

To assist teachers in measuring students’ ability in Listening/Writing,
Reading/Writing, and Writing Mechanics in Response to Literature

E-PAL SCORE
(High, Medium, Low)

Students in Grade 3

To assist teachers in measuring students’ ability in Listening/Writing,
Reading/Writing, and Writing Mechanics in Response to Literature

E-PAL SCORE
(High, Medium, Low)

Students in
Spanish bilingual classes, Grades K-3

To assist teachers in measuring each Spanish bilingual student’s progress in literacy and to inform instruction

El SOL levels

Students in grades 3 through 8 take the State English Language Arts (ELA) Test.

Students with disabilities and who are NYSAA eligible with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that specify that they should not take the ELA Test are exempt from taking the test.

English Language Learners (ELLs) who are in a NY State school for less than 1 year are exempt from taking the test.

 

The ELA is a timed test that contains multiple-choice questions and performance assessment items. The multiple-choice questions are based on brief reading passages. For the performance assessment, students listen to and read passages and write responses to open-ended questions based on the passages. The reading and listening selections may be stories, articles, or poems. The test is given over a three-day period in grades 4 and 6, and a two-day period in grades 3, 5, 7, and 8.

In grades 3, 5, and 7 there are editing passage questions.Test questions on grade 3, 4, and 5 ELA ask students to understand story events, draw conclusions, make predictions, identify the main idea, use text to understand unfamiliar vocabulary words, identify supporting details, identify point of view, evaluate ideas based on prior knowledge,follow ideas and events in the text, distinguish fact from opinion, understand features that distinguish genres, or use figurative language to interpret text.

Test questions in grades 6, 7, and 8 ELA ask students to understand stated information, make inferences, use text to understand vocabulary, draw conclusions, make predictions, identify genre, evaluate ideas, interpret directions, understand social, cultural and historical influences, form opinions, recognize point of view, or identify missing information.

New York State and New York City have high learning standards that describe what students should know and be able to do. These standards require students to read, write, listen, and speak for:

- Information and understanding
- Literary response and expression
- Critical analysis and evaluation

The ELA measures whether students have met these learning standards.

The results are reported as scale scores and performance levels.

• Scale scores. The number of correct answers is converted to scores on a common scale so that achievement can be compared across grade levels.
• Performance levels. The four proficiency levels that show how students have mastered the knowledge and skills that make up the learning standards. When a student is at level 3 or 4, he or she has met or exceeded the standards.

Schools distribute test results on Individual Test Reports (ITRs) to every parent. The ITRs include the student's scale score, performance level, and information on his or her strengths and weaknesses in the different skill areas tested.

Teachers and principals use the results from the ELA Test to help them make decisions about whether or not a student will be promoted. They also use the results to place students in appropriate classes and in special programs, to provide students with Academic Intervention Services such as before- or after-school tutoring or extra help during school, and to place students in summer school.

Students attending summer school to meet promotional criteria in grades 3-8 take the NYC English Language Arts (ELA) Test.

Students with disabilities who are NYSAA eligible and whose Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) specify that they should not take the ELA Test are exempt from taking the test.

English Language Learners (ELLs) who are in an English School System school, eg. NY State school, for less than 1 year are exempt from taking the test.

The ELA Test was developed by Harcourt Educational Measurement. The testing session is 65 minutes and is designed to offer students sufficient time to complete the test.
The ELA Test contains 50 multiple-choice questions based on brief reading passages consisting of original stories, articles, and poems. Students answer questions based on the reading passages. Each test includes three different types of written material: creative, informational, and functional.

• Creative - Material read for enjoyment and/or for the literary experience, including fiction, poetry, and humor.
• Informational - Expository material read for information, with content from science, social studies, and various cultures; also includes biographies and general nonfiction materials.
• Functional - Material read for directions on how to perform a task or written to sway the reader, including advertisements, schedules, posters, multi-step instructions, labels, and brochures.

The level of difficulty ranges from easy to challenging and complex. Test questions ask students to:
• Recall details or sequence of events
• Select a main idea
• Identify genres
• Use text to understand unfamiliar vocabulary words
• Analyze plot, characters, setting, or tone
• Distinguish between cause and effect
• Analyze use of language
• Identify point of view
• Draw conclusions
• Predict outcomes

New York State and New York City have high learning standards that describe what students should know and be able to do. These standards require students to read, write, and listen for:

- Information and understanding
- Literary response and expression
- Critical analysis and evaluation

The ELA Test measures whether students have met these learning standards and is used to determine promotional decisions at the conclusion of summer school.

The results are reported as scale scores and performance levels.

• Scale score. A score that accounts for all the correct answers on the test according to the difficulty level of the questions.
• Performance levels. The four proficiency levels that show how students have mastered the knowledge and skills that make up the learning standards. When a student is at level 3 or 4, he or she has met or exceeded the standard.
  

Schools distribute test results on Summer school report cards.

Teachers and principals use the results from the ELA Test to determine promotional decisions at the conclusion of summer school.

Students in grades 3 through 8 take the New York State Mathematics Test.

Note: All English Language Learners (Limited English Proficient Students) in Grades 3-8 must take the New York State Mathematics Test. Exams are available in Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. When tests are not available in the student's native language, the test may be translated orally.

Students with disabilities who are NYSAA eligible and whose Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) specify that they should not take the New York State Mathematics Test are exempt from taking the test.

 

The New York State Mathematics Test consists of two or three test books depending upon the grade level and assesses skills specified in the New York State Learning Standards. The test includes different types of math problems including computation and word problems. Students answer

three types of questions: multiple-choice, short-response, and extended-response. The first section of the test is multiple-choice, and the second and third section consists of short answer and extended-response questions. Students are asked to demonstrate knowledge and skills in the content areas described below.

New York State has high learning standards that describe what students should know and be able to do. These standards include five process areas and five content areas The process areas represent ways of acquiring and using knowledge and include:

- Problem Solving
- Reasoning and Proof
- Communuication
- Connections
- Representation

The content areas specify what the students should know and include:

- Number Sense and Operations
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Measurement
- Statistics and Probability

Test items are aligned to both content skills and process skills and therefore measure students problem-solving abilities as well as knowledge of specific facts.

The results are reported as scale scores and performance levels.

• Scale scores. The number of correct answers is converted to scores on a common scale so that achievement can be compared across grade levels.
• Performance levels. The four proficiency levels that show how students have mastered the knowledge and skills that make up the learning standards. When a student is at level 3 or 4, he or she has met or exceeded the standards.

Schools distribute test results on Individual Test Reports (ITRs) to every parent. The ITRs include the student's scale score, performance level, and information on his or her strengths and weaknesses in the different skill areas tested

Teachers and principals use the results from the Math Test to help them make decisions about whether or not a student will be promoted. They also use the results to place students in appropriate classes or in special programs, to provide students with Academic Intervention Services, or to place students in summer school.

Students attending summer school to meet promotional criteria in grades 3-8 take the NYC-Mathematics Test (NYC-M).

Note: All English Language Learners (Limited English Proficient Students) with promotion in doubt in Grades 3-8 must take the NYC-Mathematics Test. Exams are available in Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. When tests are not available in the student's native language, the test may be translated orally.

Students with disabilities who are NYSAA eligible and whose Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) specify that they should not take the NYC-Mathematics Test are exempt from taking the test.

The NYC-Mathematics Test is a multiple-choice test that lasts approximately one hour. It consists of