--- title: "Is the PSAT Easier Than the SAT? | Elite Prep" description: "In regard to level of difficulty, the tests are nearly identical, with one caveat: the SAT is longer and forces students to move a bit more quickly…" url: "https://eliteprep.com/blog/psat-easier-than-the-sat/" image: "https://media.eliteprep.com/Elite%2BBlog%2BImage%2BPSAT%2B%26%2BSAT-webp-card.jpg" language: "en" datePublished: "2018-09-19T15:56:48.000Z" source: "eliteprep build" --- [SAT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/sat/) [PSAT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/psat/) # Is the PSAT Easier Than the SAT? How Does It Compare? September 19, 2018 [Stephen P.](https://eliteprep.com/blog/psat-easier-than-the-sat/#about-the-author) 4 min read [Explore Digital SAT® Prep](https://eliteprep.com/programs/sat-prep/) ![Is the PSAT easier than the SAT? How does it compare?](https://eliteprep.com/media/Elite%2BBlog%2BImage%2BPSAT%2B%26%2BSAT-webp-w800.webp) This post is 8 years old. Test formats, deadlines and admissions policies may have changed since it was published. [See newer posts about SAT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/sat/) This post compares the paper PSAT/NMSQT and SAT as they were in 2018. Both are now digital, with two sections of two adaptive modules each, and College Board discontinued the SAT essay after the June 2021 SAT. In regard to level of difficulty, the tests are nearly identical, with one caveat: the SAT is longer and forces students to move a bit more quickly in the math sections. The SAT thus tests students’ mental endurance and speed a bit more than the PSAT. More on that below. As for the content, you might find that a given version of the PSAT is easier than a given SAT, or vice versa. But the tests assess the same skills (reading, writing and language, and math) and the questions within each section are formatted along the same guidelines. However, there are some key differences between the PSAT and SAT that all high school students should be aware of. ## **What’s Different?** ### **Purpose** The first and most important distinction is their respective purposes. The PSAT—whose official title is the **PSAT/NMSQT**, or Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test—might seem like nothing more than a warmup for the real thing. Indeed, one of its main purposes is to help students assess their level of proficiency heading into the SAT. But the PSAT/NMSQT also serves a unique function. It can qualify students for the [National Merit Scholarship Program](https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/gid2/editor_documents/student_guide.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61), which provides a range of scholarships to high school students. While acing the PSAT could earn you some money to put toward college, it will not help you get into college. The central purpose of the **SAT** is, of course, college admissions. ### **When to Take the PSAT/NMSQT** **vs. SAT** Students typically take the **PSAT/NMSQT** in 10th or 11th grade and the **SAT** in 11th or 12th grade. While the SAT is offered seven times per year (in August, October, November, December, March, May, and June), the PSAT is offered just once a year. It is never too early to start preparing for these tests. If you are interested in experiencing the unique pressures of test day, you might also be interested in taking the [PSAT 8/9](https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9) (for 8th and 9th graders) or the [PSAT 10](https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10) (for 10th graders), neither of which are attached to National Merit Scholarships or college admissions. ### **Sections and Timing** The **PSAT/NMSQT** runs for 2 hours and 55 minutes, including breaks. Unlike the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT does not include an essay section. The timing of each section breaks down as follows: *Reading: 60 minutes (48 questions)* *Writing & Language: 35 minutes (44 questions)* *No-Calculator Math: 25 minutes (17 questions)* *Calculator Math: 45 minutes (31 questions)* If you choose to not write the optional SAT essay, the **SAT** runs for 3 hours and 15 minutes, including breaks. If you do choose to write the essay (many schools do require it), you’re locked in for 4 hours and 7 minutes, including breaks. That time difference is not insignificant. One factor that might make the SAT just a tad harder than the PSAT is pacing and endurance: *Reading: 65 minutes (52 questions)* *Writing & Language: 35 minutes (44 questions)* *No-Calculator Math: 25 minutes (20 questions)* *Calculator Math: 55 minutes (38 questions)* *Essay: 50 minutes* As you can see, the math sections on the SAT will force you to move a bit more quickly, completing 58 questions in 80 minutes (82 seconds/question) as opposed to the PSAT’s 48 questions in 70 minutes (87 seconds/question). Regarding the content of each test, the biggest difference—really, the only substantive difference—is that the SAT includes an optional essay section and the PSAT does not. ### **Scoring** First, what they have in common: on both the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT, there is no penalty for guessing. So please, don’t leave any questions blank on either test. As the saying goes, you make none of the shots you don’t shoot. The **PSAT/NMSQT** is scored on a 320 to 1520-point scale. Your total score is the sum of two tests: the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing test and the Math test, both scored out of 760. The **SAT** is scored on a 400 to 1600-point scale. Your total score is the sum of the same two tests, both scored out of 800. As mentioned earlier, one of the main purposes of the PSAT/NMSQT is to help students assess their level of proficiency for the SAT: a student who scores a 1200 on the PSAT/NMSQT will likely score around a 1200 on the SAT. Because the PSAT/NMSQT is a bit shorter, be careful not to assume that a perfect score on the PSAT is the equivalent of a perfect SAT score. A 1520 on the PSAT/NMSQT is a fairly good predictor of a 1520 on the SAT, but not necessarily a 1600. ### **Cost** Currently, the **PSAT/NMSQT** varies in cost from school to school. The test is administered through participating high schools, and the College Board bills those schools per student. Your school *might* cover all or part of the costs of the test. So, make sure to follow up with an administrator at your school to determine what you will have to pay to take the PSAT/NMSQT. The **SAT** currently costs $47.50 without the essay and $64.50 with the essay. Low-income students are eligible for fee waivers. See [SAT fee waivers on the College Board website](https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/fees/fee-waivers). ### **Preparation** Other than the SAT’s optional essay, the skills tested on the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT are identical. That means preparing for one will prepare you for the other. As I’ve written earlier, these tests require regular practice, [much like a foreign language](https://eliteprep.com/blog/2017/1/3/does-high-school-prepare-students-for-the-sat/). Ready to start your PSAT or SAT prep? Schedule a free practice test and consultation today! [Back to top](https://eliteprep.com/blog/psat-easier-than-the-sat/#top) About the author ## Stephen P. Stephen P. is a writer and teacher based in Los Angeles. He has taught literature and writing courses at several universities and has taught writing and reading at Elite Prep Los Angeles since 2010. [All articles by Stephen P.](https://eliteprep.com/blog/author/stephen-p/) ## Free Tools for This Topic - [SAT score percentiles](https://eliteprep.com/sat-percentiles/) - [SAT & ACT superscore calculator](https://eliteprep.com/superscore-calculator/) - [National Merit cutoffs by state](https://eliteprep.com/psat-national-merit-cutoffs/) ## More on This Topic [All posts in SAT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/sat/) ![Title card over a blurred photo of a notebook and pencil on a desk: "Are some SAT test dates easier than others?"](https://media.eliteprep.com/Elite%2BBlog%2BImage%2BTest%2BDates-webp-w400.webp) [SAT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/sat/) ### [Are Some SAT Test Dates Easier Than Others?](https://eliteprep.com/blog/are-some-sat-test-dates-easier-than-others/) The main purpose of the SAT is to provide a fair, “standardized” means of evaluating students, offsetting any inherent variations among various high school… October 2, 2018 Kiley A. ![Does High School Prepare Students for the SAT?](https://media.eliteprep.com/image-asset-79-webp-w400.webp) [SAT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/sat/) ### [Does High School Prepare Students for the SAT?](https://eliteprep.com/blog/2017/1/3/does-high-school-prepare-students-for-the-sat/) January 3, 2017 Stephen P. ![Stack of books behind the title "How Important Is Vocabulary on the SAT?"](https://media.eliteprep.com/Elite%2BBlog%2BVocabulary%2BSAT-webp-w400.webp) [SAT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/sat/) [Test Prep](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/test-prep/) ### [How Important is Vocabulary on the SAT?](https://eliteprep.com/blog/2018/3/26/how-important-is-vocabulary-on-the-sat/) The SAT is known for testing difficult vocabulary, or so-called “SAT words,” so studying for the SAT tends to evoke images of long lists of definitions… March 26, 2018 Kiley A. ![How to Approach the Fiction/Literature Passage on the ACT & SAT](https://media.eliteprep.com/Elite%2BBlog%2BImage%2BFiction%2BLiterature-webp-w400.webp) [ACT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/act/) [SAT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/category/sat/) ### [How to Approach the Fiction/Literature Passage on the SAT & ACT](https://eliteprep.com/blog/2018/5/11/how-to-approach-sat-act-fiction-passage/) The first passage on both the ACT and the SAT Reading tests is the fiction/literature passage. May 14, 2018 Jon G. ## Test Dates - Next: SAT: December 5, 2026 · Registration closes November 20, 2026 [See all test dates →](https://eliteprep.com/test-dates/) ## Ready to Study This with an Instructor? Review what the program covers, or find the center nearest you and ask its staff about current class schedules. [Explore Digital SAT® Prep](https://eliteprep.com/programs/sat-prep/) [Browse programs](https://eliteprep.com/programs/)