Best Practices Timeline
The PSAT 8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT testing window is October 2–October 31, 2023.
- Schools can test on any day of the window, including testing groups of students across different days.
- Each student may only test once per assessment during the testing window.
- Schools may also choose to administer the PSAT/NMSQT on Saturday, October 14, 2023. (Note: This is the only Saturday available for PSAT/NMSQT testing.)
- Schools have discretion to change their planned test date(s) without informing College Board or completing any additional steps, although the original intended test date may be referenced in email communications.
District-level staff can find more information about the steps to take for test day readiness on the Tools and Information for Districts page.
School-level staff can find more information about the steps to take for test day readiness on the Digital In-School Testing Checklist.
| SSD Request (7 weeks before test day) | Submit Order (5 weeks before test day) | Submit Initial Registration File (4–3 weeks before test day) | Validate Registration (3–2 weeks before test day) | Readiness Check (2–1 weeks before test day) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Task Details |
Partner with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) coordinator at your school to get approval for students who need accommodations | Select test date and provide test taker counts. | Upload and submit student registration data. | Confirm student data is accurate and officially register students. | Students get familiar with Bluebook and confirm their information. |
|
System or Application |
SSD Online | SSOR | SSOR | SSOR | Bluebook |
|
Staff Needed |
SSD coordinator | Purchaser | Data coordinator | Test coordinator, SSD coordinator | Test coordinator, SSD coordinator, proctors |
|
Processing Time |
7 weeks | 2 business days | Immediate | 2 business days | N/A |
|
Learn More |
Accommodations | Ordering and Registration | Ordering and Registration | SSOR Help Center for Schools or SSOR Help Center for Districts | Digital Readiness Check |
| Intended Testing Week | |||||
| October 2–6 | August 14 | August 28 | September 5–11 | September 11–18 | September 18–25 |
| October 9–14 | August 21 | September 5 | September 11–18 | September 18–25 | September 25–October 2 |
| October 16–20 | August 28 | September 11 | September 18–25 | September 25–October 2 | October 2–9 |
| October 23–27 October 30–31 |
September 5 | September 18 | September 25–October 2 | October 2–9 | October 9–16 |
Other Key Dates
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Apr 26 | Ordering opens. |
| Sep 5 | Registration opens. |
| Oct 2 | PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 8/9 testing begins. |
| Oct 14 | Last day to submit answers to receive scores by Nov 2. |
| Oct 26 | Last day to add to or update your SSOR registration roster. Students with records added or updated after this date are at risk of being unable to test before the end of the testing window. |
| Oct 31 | Last day to submit answers to receive scores by Nov 14. Last day to remove unused registrations from SSOR. |
| Nov 2 | Scores are available to educators online in the K–12 reporting portal for those who tested by Oct 14. |
| Nov 6 | Scores available to students who tested by Oct 14. |
| Nov 14 | Scores are available to educators online in the K–12 reporting portal for those who tested by Oct 31. |
| Nov 16 | Scores available to students who tested by Oct 31. |
| Nov 20 | Electronic score release in K–12 Portal. |