Why and When should students take the PSAT exam?

High school students throughout the country will soon be facing the PSAT exam, but many don’t understand its significance.  Students and parents often believe the “P” in PSAT stands for practice and that the test is merely a trial run for the all-important SAT exam.  In reality, the “P” does not stand for “practice,” or anything else, and it is so much more than a student’s first attempt at a college entrance exam.

Another name for the PSAT is the NMSQT, which does stand for something – National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.  High school juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT are on the official route of entry to the National Merit Scholarship Program. Fifty thousand high scoring students will ultimately qualify for program recognition – which carries considerable prestige.  Of these students, two-thirds will receive Letters of Commendation, but will not be awarded scholarship money.  One-third of these students will qualify as Semi-finalists and will move on to compete for a National Merit Scholarship which will ultimately be awarded to 7,500 students.

The PSAT/NMSQT will be offered this year on Wednesday, October 10th and Saturday, October 13th.  The choice of these two test dates is up to each high school which hosts the test for its own students.  There is an alternate test date of Wednesday, October 24th.  Advanced registration is required.   

The vast majority of high school juniors take the PSAT/NMSQT, not only to be eligible for recognition/scholarship money, but also to get on the radar of colleges nationwide.  The College Board, which produces the PSAT (and SAT exams), shares information provided by students, such as their current GPA and potential college major, with colleges and universities.  These schools often send informational material, and sometimes college application fee waivers, to students whom they identify to be potential applicants.  It’s encouraging for students to receive unsolicited information from colleges that seem eager to attract them.  

High school sophomores, and even freshmen, often choose to take the PSAT exam.  But the exam is strictly a trial run for them as their scores are not eligible for National Merit consideration.  Since the PSAT is simply a shorter version of the SAT exam, with the same level of difficulty, covering the exact same academic material, students find it extremely helpful to do SAT preparation prior to their PSAT as it then benefits them for both exams.

Susan Alaimo is the founder of SAT Smart. For the past 25 years, SAT Smart’s Ivy League educated tutors have prepared students for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, Subject Tests, AP courses, and all high school subjects. Visit www.SATsmart.com or call 908-369-5362.