PSAT 8/9

Education & Academia abbreviation · Standardized Test

PSAT 8/9
Stands forPreliminary SAT for grades 8 and 9
CategoriesEducation & Academia

PSAT 8/9 stands for Preliminary SAT for grades 8 and 9, a standardized test abbreviation.

Entry-level test in the College Board's SAT Suite, scored from 240 to 1440, that measures the same reading, writing and math skills as the SAT at a level suited to eighth and ninth graders. Schools use it to set a baseline and track growth toward college readiness.

Example: The PSAT 8/9 results showed most of our ninth graders on track in reading but not in math.

Usage notes

Like the rest of the SAT Suite, it moved to a digital, adaptive format in 2023 and runs in the Bluebook app. Scores are not sent to colleges or used for National Merit. Reports include benchmarks indicating whether a student is on track for college-ready SAT scores.

More standardized test abbreviations

  • PANCE – Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination
  • PARCC – Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers
  • PCAT – Pharmacy College Admission Test
  • PIRLS – Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
  • PISA – Programme for International Student Assessment
  • PSAT 10 – Preliminary SAT for tenth graders
  • PSAT/NMSQT – Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
  • PTE – Pearson Test of English
  • SAQ – Short-answer question
  • SAT – SAT (originally Scholastic Aptitude Test)
  • SBAC – Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
  • SHSAT – Specialized High Schools Admissions Test

See all 106 standardized test abbreviations →