PSAT/NMSQT
Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/
National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
SUMMARY OF REGULATIONS
FOR ASSOCIATES & PROCTORS
Security of Test Materials
 Security measures are designed to prevent any
student from having an unfair advantage over other
students.
 Safeguard test books at all times – before, during,
and after the test and during breaks.
 Keep test books in sealed plastic bags until you
distribute them to students at the beginning of the
test.
 No test proctors may be a member of the household
or immediate family of a student taking the test on
the same date, even if the student is taking the test in
a different school.
Test Day Checklist
 Remove (or cover) any visible classroom materials




related to the test content.
Establish a seating plan in advance or assign seats
randomly . Do NOT allow students to choose their own
seats.
All students should be seated in the same direction,
spaced at least four feet apart (measured from center of
desk to center of desk).
Display at least one visible clock. (Online timers:
http://www.online-stopwatch.com)
If you are administering tests to students with
accommodations, review the procedures for testing
special groups with your supervisor (test coordinator).
Testing Procedures
 Close the test room door
 Distribute test materials as indicated in the Supervisor’s
Manual:






Remove the test materials from the plastic bags and give one test book
and one answer sheet to each student.
Keep one answer sheet and one test book for use in giving instructions.
Make sure that no one opens a test book until told to do so.
Allow enough time for students to read the information on the front
cover.
Have students write their name clearly on the front of the test book.
Ensure that all students write the Certification Statement.
 Read aloud all test directions, exactly as they are printed in
the Supervisor’s Manual, pages 8 – 13.
 Do not answer any questions from students about the test
content.
Calculator Use
 Math questions can be answered without a calculator.
 Scientific or graphing calculators are allowed.
 Students may not use: pocket organizers; laptops and
handheld electronic devices; cell phone calculators; or
calculators with a QWERTY keypad, with paper tape,
that make noise or “talk,” or that require an electrical
outlet.
 If students have calculators with large (characters of 1
inch or more) or raised displays, seat them apart from
other test-takers.
 Students may not share calculators.
 Students are advised to bring their own calculator that
they are familiar with.
Prohibited Aids
 During the test (including breaks), students may have
nothing on their desks but a test book, an answer sheet,
No.2 pencils with erasers, and, for math sections only, a
calculator.
 Use of the following is prohibited:

Watch alarms; handheld electronic devices (including cell phones,
MP3 players, PDAs and pagers); devices that can access the internet;
protractors; compasses; rulers; cutting devices; dictionaries or other
books; pamphlets; papers of any kind; highlighters; pens or colored
pencils; listening, recording, copying or photographic devices
(including watches that contain cameras); pocket organizers;
laptops; digital cameras; smartphones; Blue-tooth enabled devices;
email messaging devices or any other electronic or communication
devices.
During the Test
 Walk around the room during the test to
make sure each student is working alone and
on the proper test section
 No one involved in the test administration
should read, grade papers, or engage in any
activity unrelated to the test administration.
 Notify the supervisor (test coordinator) of
any unusual situations that occur as soon as
possible.
Post-Test Activities
 Collect all answer sheets first and then collect all test
booklets.
 No one, except the student taking the test, is to have the
opportunity to examine any test book, at any time.
 Confirm that students wrote their names on their test
books; store test books in a locked location until student
score reports are received in December.
 Count the materials to make sure you have one answer
sheet and one test book from every student. Do not
dismiss the students until this is verified.