All 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students in Colorado will participate in the PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10 and SAT. You can learn more about the background of this testing here: Background in Colorado

PSAT 8/9 is Colorado's Ninth-Grade Assessment in ELA and Math

The College Board’s PSAT 8/9 will be given as Colorado’s ninth grade state summative assessment in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Colorado Legislature passed HB 17-1181 that amended the state’s high school testing requirements. The intent of the legislation was to align Colorado’s high school ELA and math exams into a cohesive suite of assessments. When combined with Colorado’s existing 10th and 11th grade assessments, the PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10, and SAT will provide the state, districts, and schools with a longitudinal, evidence-based assessment system that measures growth in relation to essential college and career readiness and success outcomes from grade nine through eleven.

PSAT 10

The PSAT 10 tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT in a way that makes sense for 10th-graders. The PSAT 10 aligns with Colorado Academic Standards (CAS) and with the SAT that students will take in 11th grade.

The PSAT 10 focuses on the knowledge, skills, and understandings that research has identified as most important for college and career readiness and success. In addition to helping sophomores practice for the SAT, it can identify a student’s potential for success in advanced coursework. It provides more data than ever before about academic strengths and weaknesses as well as access to potential scholarships.

SAT

The SAT aligns with the high school Colorado Academic Standards focusing on the key skills and concepts for college and career readiness and success outcomes in mathematics, reading and writing. 

The SAT also serves as an admission test and is accepted by every college in the United States. At the time of testing, students can send their scores to up to four colleges for free. The SAT essay is optional and can be added at no cost to students as part of the Colorado school day SAT administration.  For more information, please visit the CollegeBoard website.

ACT

The ACT® test is a college entrance exam accepted by all universities and colleges in the United States. The ACT is based on what students learn in high school and provides personalized information about their strengths for education and career planning. Find everything you need to know about registration, test prep, scores and more, please visit the ACT website.