9th and 10th Grade College Prep: What Parents Should Do Now

As of October 2026: In 9th and 10th grade, the job is habits and skills, not testing. Grades now become the GPA colleges see, the PSAT 8/9 is scored 240-1440, and the PSAT/NMSQT is scored 320-1520 with a National Merit Selection Index of 48-228.

A grade-by-grade plan for freshman and sophomore families, with the PSAT score scales, the test dates, and the two study habits research rates highest.

By Nick Standlea, Test Prep Gurus. Figures may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.

9th & 10th Grade College Prep: What Parents Need to Know Now -- Nick Standlea, Test Prep Gurus (YouTube).

The National Merit index is reported on the PSAT/NMSQT score report College Board reports a National Merit Selection Index on a 48-228 scale from the PSAT/NMSQT. Nick Standlea tells families that students take the PSAT in October of junior year. Nick has said it many times: only the PSAT/NMSQT taken in 11th grade counts toward National Merit.

Only two study habits earned a high rating in the biggest review Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) reviewed ten common study techniques and gave a high utility rating to just two: practice testing and distributed practice. Five techniques got a low rating, including rereading and highlighting. Many students in 9th and 10th grade use the low-rated ones. Switching now, while the stakes are small, is the easiest change a family can make.

Spacing study out is backed by 317 experiments Cepeda and colleagues (2006) synthesized 839 assessments of distributed practice across 317 experiments in 184 articles. They found that the gap between study sessions that produced the best retention grew as the retention interval grew. For a 9th grader, that means short reviews across weeks beat one long night. The habit built now still pays in junior year.

PSAT 8/9 and PSAT 10: what each test is and how it is scored

These rows come straight from College Board's published guides. We keep the values exactly as the source states them, including the items the source material does not confirm.

What the source states	Value	Source
PSAT 8/9 is for students in grades 8 and 9	Grades 8-9	Source
PSAT 8/9 testing windows	October 1-30, 2026; March 1-April 30, 2027	Source
PSAT 8/9 total score scale	240-1440	Source
PSAT 10 grade and testing window	Not verified in the available College Board source excerpts	Source
PSAT 10 total score scale	320-1520	Source
PSAT 10 does not qualify for National Merit; October PSAT/NMSQT in 11th grade does	Not verified in the available College Board source excerpts	Source
PSAT scores link to Khan Academy practice	Not verified in the available College Board source excerpts	Source

Three rows are marked not verified in the available College Board source excerpts. We print them that way rather than guess.

PSAT/NMSQT: the junior-year test and its National Merit index

These are the scoring rules for the test your student takes in October of junior year, as College Board's guide states them.

What the source states	Value	Source
The PSAT/NMSQT total score is the sum of the two section scores.	Total score 320-1520; Reading and Writing 160-760; Math 160-760	Source
The National Merit Selection Index uses Reading and Writing twice, adds Math, then divides by 10.	(2 x RW + M) / 10; scale 48-228	Source
College Board's score-release dates vary by submission window; the available official search results do not show a 2025-26 release schedule.	Not verified from the available primary-source results	Source
The College Board official description of the PSAT/NMSQT's purpose could not be verified from the available primary-source results.	Not verified from the available primary-source results	Source

Score release timing is not reported in the sources we hold. We do not estimate a date.

Which study habits actually work, by rating

Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) rated ten study techniques by how strong and how broad the evidence was. Here is the full list, in the authors' own groupings.

Finding	Techniques	Source
The high-utility techniques were practice testing and distributed practice.	Practice testing; distributed practice	Source
The moderate-utility techniques were elaborative interrogation, self-explanation, and interleaved practice.	Elaborative interrogation; self-explanation; interleaved practice	Source
The low-utility techniques were summarization, highlighting/underlining, keyword mnemonic, imagery use for text learning, and rereading.	Summarization; highlighting/underlining; keyword mnemonic; imagery use for text learning; rereading	Source
Practice testing rated high because its benefits were robust across varied learners and conditions, and it can improve learning with relatively little effort.	Broad, reliable benefits; relatively low effort	Source
Distributed practice rated high because it benefits learning over time across different learners and materials, and is relatively easy to implement.	Broad benefits; easy implementation	Source
Rereading rated low because benefits are often limited and do not reliably generalize; the evidence was narrow, with gains often dependent on specific conditions.	Limited and inconsistent evidence for robust, generalizable benefit	Source
Highlighting rated low because it generally does not reliably improve performance and may interfere with higher-level learning tasks.	Little consistent benefit; possible harm to inference	Source

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4-58.

How much evidence sits behind spacing study out

Cepeda and colleagues (2006) pulled together decades of spacing studies. These are the counts and the one clear pattern the abstract reports.

Finding	Value	Source
The review covered 839 assessments in 317 experiments from 184 articles; the abstract does not report a total participant count.	839 assessments; 317 experiments; 184 articles; participant total not stated in the abstract	Source
The review examined spacing versus massed practice but does not state one overall numerical size for the spacing advantage in its abstract.	No single overall effect-size or percentage is reported in the abstract	Source
The interstudy interval associated with maximal retention increased as the retention interval increased.	Longer retention interval means a longer optimal interstudy interval	Source
The article's citation and DOI.	Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354-380; DOI 10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.354	Source

Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed Practice in Verbal Recall Tasks: A Review and Quantitative Synthesis.

Should we start SAT or ACT prep in 9th or 10th grade?

No, and Nick Standlea says so plainly in his talk for freshman and sophomore families: not yet, at least not too much. Freshman and sophomore year are not about testing. They are about building the foundation that testing later sits on.

Here is the timeline he lays out. Your student takes the PSAT in October of junior year. Then they pick between the SAT and the ACT. They likely sit for a first official test in the spring of junior year. Senior year shifts to deadlines, applications, and finishing testing if any is left.

That leaves more than a year before the first real test. Those years are not empty. They are where reading speed, writing fluency, and algebra comfort get built. Nick says those skills become the backbone of test performance later on.

So the honest answer for a 9th or 10th grade parent is this: skip the prep course for now. Spend the time on grades, on reading, and on math fundamentals. If those are shaky, that is the project. Test strategy is a junior-year tool, and it works best on top of real skill.

Nick frames these two years as getting ready for that moment, academically, personally, and strategically. The prep itself can wait. The skills under it cannot.

Do 9th grade grades count for college?

Yes. As Nick puts it, the grades your student earns now become part of the GPA colleges see later. That is the simplest reason freshman year is not a free year.

The useful frame is not perfection. It is growth. A student who goes from a rough fall of 9th grade to a strong spring is telling a story colleges can read. A student who starts strong and slides is telling a different one. Nick's phrase is that it is about showing colleges your student is building momentum.

This matters most for families whose student had a hard freshman fall. The GPA damage is real, but it is also small next to five more terms. Three straight terms of gains reshape the average and reshape how a reader sees the transcript.

What we tell parents to watch is the pattern, not the single grade. Are the hard subjects trending up? Is the student turning work in on time? Is the course load getting a bit more demanding each year? Those three questions tell you more than any one report card.

Nick's words for this are good study habits, steady effort, and steady gains. Those three show up in a transcript over time. One test score cannot do the same job.

What is the PSAT 8/9 and does it matter?

The PSAT 8/9 is a test for grades 8 and 9, scored on a 240-1440 scale. College Board's own guide says it is for grades 8 and 9. Its testing windows are October 1-30, 2026 and March 1-April 30, 2027.

Notice the score scale. The PSAT 8/9 tops out at 1440. The PSAT 10 total score scale and the PSAT/NMSQT total score both run 320-1520. A parent who sets a PSAT 8/9 number next to a PSAT/NMSQT number is reading two different rulers.

So what is the test good for? In our view, it is an early read on reading, writing, and math. If your student sits far below where you expected in math, that is useful news two years before junior year. If reading is slow, you have time to build it with books rather than with drills.

We do not recommend prepping for the PSAT 8/9. Prepping it works against the one thing it does well, which is giving you an honest baseline. Let your student walk in cold and show you where they actually stand.

One item we cannot confirm: our College Board source excerpts do not verify whether PSAT scores link to Khan Academy practice. We mark that as not reported rather than assume it.

Should my 10th grader take the PSAT the school offers?

Yes, if the school offers it. Nick says that many schools offer the PSAT to 10th graders, and that it is excellent practice for the real PSAT that comes in 11th grade. Only that 11th-grade test counts toward National Merit.

Nick speaks about the PSAT generically here. He does not name a test form. Our College Board excerpts do not verify the PSAT 10 grade or testing window, so we cannot say for sure which form a given school gives. The excerpts do list a PSAT 10 total score scale of 320-1520.

The key point for parents is what Nick says a sophomore PSAT does not do. In his words, it does not count for scholarships yet. Nick has said it many times: only the PSAT/NMSQT taken in 11th grade counts toward National Merit. The 10th-grade test is practice.

What your sophomore gets is a full-length, timed run with real stakes removed. That is rare and useful. Test nerves tend to settle once a student has seen the format. Sitting it in 10th grade means the format is familiar in 11th.

Read any sophomore score as a direction, not a verdict. Scores move over two years. If the school does not offer a sophomore PSAT, nothing is lost. A full-length practice SAT or ACT at home does the same job.

How is the National Merit Selection Index figured?

The Selection Index is reported on a 48-228 scale on the PSAT/NMSQT score report. College Board's formula is simple: double the Reading and Writing score, add the Math score, then divide the sum by 10.

That formula has a practical message for a 9th or 10th grade family. Reading and Writing counts twice. Math counts once. A student who reads well has a built-in edge in that index, which is one more reason Nick puts reading and writing second on his list of six priorities.

The underlying section scores each run 160-760, and the total score runs 320-1520. We should note the limit in our sources. The College Board description of the PSAT/NMSQT's purpose could not be verified from the primary-source results we hold, so we do not quote one.

A sophomore PSAT does not count toward National Merit; only the 11th-grade PSAT/NMSQT does. That row is marked not verified. We would rather say so than guess for you.

We will not print a qualifying cutoff here, because the pack does not hold one. What we can say is the index range: 48 at the bottom, 228 at the top. For most sophomore families, this award should not drive any choice this year.

What study habits should my freshman build right now?

Two, according to Dunlosky and colleagues (2013): practice testing and distributed practice were the only techniques out of ten to earn a high utility rating. Everything else landed at moderate or low.

The low-rated group is the one most students live in. Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) rated summarization, highlighting or underlining, the keyword mnemonic, imagery use for text learning, and rereading as low utility. Highlighting, they noted, does not reliably improve performance and may get in the way of higher-level learning. Rereading's benefits are limited.

So picture your 9th grader at the kitchen table with a yellow marker and a textbook they are reading for the third time. That is two low-rated techniques stacked on each other. It feels like studying because it is slow and it is quiet. It does not move much.

The swap is small. Close the book and answer questions from memory. Use the chapter's review problems as a quiz before you feel ready. Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) rated practice testing high in part because it helps learners of different ages and abilities with fairly little effort.

Three techniques sit in the middle: elaborative interrogation, self-explanation, and interleaved practice. Asking why a step works, explaining a problem out loud, and mixing problem types are all fine additions once the basics are in place.

How should my sophomore space out studying for tests?

Across days, not in one night, and the evidence base is large: Cepeda and colleagues (2006) synthesized 839 assessments of distributed practice drawn from 317 experiments in 184 articles.

Their clearest pattern is useful for planning. Cepeda and colleagues (2006) found that the interstudy interval producing maximal retention increased as the retention interval increased. In plain terms, the longer you need to remember something, the further apart your review sessions should sit.

For a unit test two weeks out, that means short sessions spread across those two weeks. For a cumulative final, or for a college entrance test a year away, it means reviewing the same material across months. One long cram session is the opposite of what the research supports.

We should be honest about limits. Cepeda and colleagues (2006) do not report a single overall percentage or effect size for the spacing advantage in the abstract, and the abstract does not give a total participant count. The direction is clear; a tidy number is not available.

What a family can do tonight is simple. Set a standing review block four evenings a week. It does not need to be long. It needs to repeat, and it needs to cover old material as well as new.

Why do reading and writing matter so much for the SAT and ACT?

Because strong readers and writers perform better not only on the SAT and ACT later, but in every subject, as Nick puts it in his talk. Reading is the slowest skill to build and the hardest to cram.

The National Merit formula makes the point in math. Reading and Writing is doubled before Math is added, then the sum is divided by 10 to land on the 48-228 Selection Index. A reader gets more out of each point.

Nick's advice is to read widely, write often, and practice critical thinking. He is blunt about the shortcut: a five-paragraph essay written entirely by ChatGPT does not count. His comparison is that it is like showing up to soccer tryouts and sending your cousin in instead.

That is not a rule about technology. It is a point about reps. Nick's view is that writing is a skill the student has to do in person, the same way a tryout is. A student who hands the job off does not get the practice.

For parents, the tool here is the house, not the homework. Books in reach, a set reading time, and talk about what was read do more than any workbook. A steady reading habit across 9th and 10th grade adds up to a different student.

How important is math in 9th and 10th grade for test scores?

It is the backbone. Nick says the SAT and ACT are heavily math-driven, and that algebra and geometry skills built in 9th and 10th grade become the backbone of test performance later.

Look at the PSAT/NMSQT scoring to see why. Math is one of two sections, each scored 160-760, summing to a total score of 320-1520. Half the total score is math, and much of it rests on algebra and geometry your student meets in these two years.

So the warning sign to watch for is a student who is passing math but not understanding it. Passing with partial credit and a calculator hides gaps that show up two years later under time pressure. Nick's line is direct: if these foundations are shaky, now is the time to shore them up.

The repair is easier now than later. In 9th grade, a student can go back and rebuild fractions, exponents, or linear equations without losing ground. In 11th grade, that same repair competes with applications, activities, and the test itself.

Practice testing works well here. Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) rated it high utility, and math problems are the easiest subject to quiz yourself on without any special tools.

What activities should a 9th or 10th grader join?

As many as interest them. Nick frames freshman and sophomore year as the time for clubs, sports, arts, and volunteering, to explore interests, see what sticks, and begin to find a passion.

The structure is two-phase. In 9th and 10th grade, the goal is trying things. By 11th grade, the goal shifts: go deeper into a few areas and find leadership positions. A student who tried many things as a freshman has a real menu to choose from as a junior. One who tried nothing does not.

This is where many families get the order backwards. They pick the resume-friendly activity in 9th grade and stick with it for four years without joy. That produces a flat record and a tired student. Breadth first, then depth, is the pattern Nick lays out.

Quitting is allowed in these two years. A student who joins debate in the fall and leaves in the winter has learned something real about themselves. That is the point of exploring. The time to stop quitting is junior year.

One practical note for parents. Track what your student joined and when. By application season, nobody remembers the 9th grade club that turned into the 11th grade leadership role. A simple running list saves hours later.

What mindset and habits should we be building at home?

Resilience, curiosity, and responsibility, which is the sixth item on Nick's list. He pairs them with simple habits: setting goals, staying organized, and balancing school with activities.

His argument is about timing. All of this pays off when things ramp up in junior year. Junior year holds a PSAT in October, a choice between the SAT and the ACT, and a likely first official test in spring. A student who can plan a week is ready for that load.

Nick's closing line to parents is the one we repeat most. Freshman and sophomore year should not feel like a grind. They should feel like a time to grow, build new skills, explore new things, and prepare for what is coming.

The home habit that supports this best is a weekly review. A short sit-down on Sunday to look at the week ahead. What is due, what is practiced, what is read. It is small, it repeats, and it follows the same spacing logic Cepeda and colleagues (2006) found across 317 experiments.

Keep the pressure low and the structure steady. Pressure in 9th grade can burn a student out before the year that matters. Structure in 9th grade carries them through it.

What is the one move to make this month?

Get a free, full-length mock SAT and mock ACT on the calendar so you have an honest baseline before junior year. It costs nothing and it tells you which of Nick's six priorities needs the most attention.

A sophomore who sits a full practice test sees three things at once: the pacing, the format, and the gap. A freshman who sits one sees which subject is shaky while there is still time to rebuild it. Neither result goes on any record.

If your school offers the PSAT 8/9, the windows are October 1-30, 2026 and March 1-April 30, 2027. If it offers a sophomore PSAT, sign up. Both are practice, and practice testing is one of only two techniques Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) rated high utility.

Then set the habits. Short review blocks across the week, reading most nights, and math gaps named and fixed. That is the whole freshman and sophomore plan.

To schedule the free mock SAT and free mock ACT, call us at 949.229.5359 or visit https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. We are here to help families build a strong path to college success from the very beginning.

Questions parents ask

Should we start SAT or ACT prep in 9th or 10th grade?
No, and Nick Standlea says so plainly in his talk for freshman and sophomore families: not yet, at least not too much.

Do 9th grade grades count for college?
Yes. As Nick puts it, the grades your student earns now become part of the GPA colleges see later.

What is the PSAT 8/9 and does it matter?
The PSAT 8/9 is a test for grades 8 and 9, scored on a 240-1440 scale.

Should my 10th grader take the PSAT the school offers?
Yes, if the school offers it. Nick says that many schools offer the PSAT to 10th graders, and that it is excellent practice for the real PSAT that comes in 11th grade. Only that 11th-grade test counts toward National Merit.

How is the National Merit Selection Index figured?
The Selection Index is reported on a 48-228 scale on the PSAT/NMSQT score report.

What study habits should my freshman build right now?
Two, according to Dunlosky and colleagues (2013): practice testing and distributed practice were the only techniques out of ten to earn a high utility rating.

How should my sophomore space out studying for tests?
Across days, not in one night, and the evidence base is large: Cepeda and colleagues (2006) synthesized 839 assessments of distributed practice drawn from 317 experiments in 184 articles.

What activities should a 9th or 10th grader join?
As many as interest them. Nick frames freshman and sophomore year as the time for clubs, sports, arts, and volunteering, to explore interests, see what sticks, and begin to find a passion.

Method and sources: The test facts on this page come from College Board's published PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10, and PSAT/NMSQT score guides for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 testing years. Only the PSAT 8/9 rows name a grade range in our excerpts, which is grades 8 and 9; the PSAT 10 grade and testing window are marked not verified, so we do not say which PSAT form a school gives a sophomore. The study-habit findings come from two peer-reviewed reviews: Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, which rated ten learning techniques, and Cepeda and colleagues (2006) in Psychological Bulletin, which synthesized 839 assessments across 317 experiments. We exclude any cutoff score for National Merit, any score-release date, the National Merit eligibility wording, and the PSAT 10 testing window, because our sources do not report them; those rows are printed as not verified rather than filled in, and the prose does not treat them as settled. We also cannot confirm from these excerpts whether PSAT scores link to Khan Academy practice. Rows are ordered as the source documents present them, test facts first and research findings second.