What is the PSAT test and what is it used for?
All year, your English teacher has been hounding you about scoring well on the PSAT test. Your mom lectured you yesterday about the importance of the PSAT test; your dad promised he’d ground you until you were 27 if you didn’t win a National Merit Scholarship with your score from the stupid PSAT test. You feel all this pressure to do well on the PSAT, but you really have no idea what it’s all about. Why does the PSAT test even matter? Here are the answers to some of your most burning questions about this necessary (if evil) standardized test. What Is the PSAT Test? A standardized pencil-and-paper test, just like the fifty you’ve taken throughout your elementary, middle and high school career. It gives students, usually juniors, an idea of how they’ll score on the SAT. Sources: http://testprep.about.com/od/psat/a/PSAT.
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It’s a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT®. It also gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools. The PSAT/NMSQT measures: * Critical reading skills * Math problem-solving skills * Writing skills You have developed these skills over many years, both in and out of school. This test doesn’t require you to recall specific facts from your classes. The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to: * Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice. * See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college. * Enter the competition for
The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, or PSAT, is used to tell which students should be taking advanced courses. Students use it to practice for the SAT. The College Board uses it to select recipients for its prestigious National Merit Scholarships. And county schools use it to get students thinking about college and to figure out which ones should be taking Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses.
