PSSAs 101

What does PSSA stand for? 

• Pennsylvania State School Assessment

• Pennsylvania State Standards Assessment 

• Pennsylvania System of School Assessment 

Which type of question will I see the most on the PSSAs? 

• Multiple choice (MC) 

• Short answer (SA) 

• Open ended (OE) 

• Text dependent analysis (TDA) 

What performance level is the minimum I need to “pass” the PSSA? 

• Below Basic 

• Basic 

• Proficient 

• Advanced 

Is the PSSA a timed test? 

• Yes

• No

How many sections does the ELA PSSA have? 

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

How many sections does the Math PSSA Math have? 

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

*How many sections does the Science PSSA have? (8th grade only) 

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 3.1412

Do I get to take the PSSA from the comfort of my spaceship? 

• Yes

• No

Does my performance on the PSSA matter? 

• Yes!

• No

In which way will my PSSA results NOT be used? 

• Identifying my strengths and weaknesses 

• Identifying my strengths and weaknesses 

• Included in my course grades