PSAT 2016

This past Saturday, Homer High School administered the annual PSAT/NMSQT, otherwise known as the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The test was available to any sophomore or junior who wished to take it. The test serves as a precursor to the SAT, the scores of which are critical when applying to colleges during senior year.

The main purpose of taking the PSAT is to practice for the SAT; thus, it is a good idea to take it so that you can familiarize yourself with the test’s unique format. There are other possible benefits for juniors, however. While sophomores choose to take the PSAT purely for practice, juniors are eligible for National Merit Scholarships. In fact, $180 million dollars in scholarships are awarded to students who take the PSAT every year. Therefore, this test is more than just practice, and it should be taken seriously. That being said, the stakes are nowhere near as high for the PSAT as they are for the actual SAT.

The PSAT went through a series of modifications in 2015. One of the most notable changes was a total testing time increase. The old version of the PSAT was two hours and ten minutes long, while the new version is two hours and forty-five minutes long. The new version includes evidence-based reading and writing sections and a mathematics section. The reading section is split into two subsections. One revolves around answering questions based off of a series of short passages, and the other involves answering grammatical questions based off of a series of short passages. The math section is also split into two subsections. The subsections are very similar; however, one permits a calculator and the other does not. The College Board, the corporation that develops and administers the PSAT, aims to emphasize individual skills with the new PSAT that are found to be most useful for college and career readiness. These skills include greater emphasis on word meaning in extended contexts and a focus on how word choice shapes meaning, tone, and impact. Another major change is the elimination of guessing penalization. A student no longer receives a score reduction for guessing incorrectly. Only correct answers are counted. Lastly, the number of choices in the multiple choice sections were reduced from five choices to four.

The PSAT is a very useful test, and it is imperative to take. Some students choose to skip the PSAT, but this is not a very wise decision. First of all, taking the PSAT opens the door to possible scholarships, which are always helpful to pay for college. Most importantly, however, the PSAT is an excellent way to practice for the SAT, which is a vital test. The SAT has a unique format. Most tests do not have a format like the SAT and most tests do not cover such a broad range of topics. The PSAT is one of the best, if not the best way to prepare for the SAT.

The PSAT also grabs the attention of colleges, whether or not you get a scholarship. If you wish to do so, you can give colleges permission to look at your PSAT scores and send you emails, mail, and text messages. The benefit of this is that you may find out about a college that you may not have known about beforehand.

In summary, the PSAT/NMSQT offers several unique benefits that make it a must for any high school student. You can be rewarded for getting a high score with scholarships or other awards. You can gain the attention of colleges from across the country and open the door to opportunities that you may have never known existed. Most importantly, you can prepare for the crucial SAT, which can heavily dictate your future education, and thus your future career.