Both Sophomores and Juniors are invited to take the PSAT. The test costs $16 and student will register with our testing coordinator, Jeannie Maready. JeannieMaready@johnston.k12.nc.us by completing this form: Click HERE for Form
TEST Date: October 16th
The Preliminary SAT, also known as the PSAT/NMSQT® (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test), is a preparatory version of the SAT exam. You can only take the PSAT once per year, and most students take the test in both 10th and 11th grade. If you earn a high score on the PSAT your junior year, you could qualify to receive a National Merit Scholarship—$180 million dollars in merit scholarships are awarded to students each year! Testing your skills in reading, writing, and math, the PSAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes long. Unlike the SAT, the highest score possible on the PSAT is 1520. (www.kaptest.com)
It happens that the “P” in “PSAT” officially stands for “preliminary,” but it could just as well stand for “preview” or “preparation.” The PSAT offers students an opportunity to sharpen their skills in preparation for the actual SAT, which is understandably held at a level of importance high above the preliminary test.
But it’s not just a “preliminary” look at what’s ahead. Taking the PSAT has its own unique set of benefits for students beyond just serving as a trial run for the SAT.
The truth of the matter is that yes, the SAT is obviously important, but the often-overlooked PSAT is a fantastic stepping stone for any student planning on sitting the actual exam. It is vital for every student in the college application process to take the PSAT for many reasons, but four stand out (and happen to form a convenient acronym).
“Practice makes perfect.” Students have heard the expression thousands of times, from parents, friends, or characters on television shows. The phrase is used so often because it’s true. The only way to truly improve one’s skill at something is to go through the motions of the process enough times until it becomes second nature.
By the time a student is ready to take the SAT, they will have likely taken preparatory classes, gone over questions with a private tutor, sat around the lunch tables with their friends discussing the test, or even taken practice versions of the test. All these experiences are important, but until a student sits down at a desk with a timer in front of them, it’s impossible to get a sense for what it’s like to actually take the test.
It is critical that the student is able to apply their knowledge to the test in front of them, fill in the bubbles, sign the honesty statement in the required cursive, and manage their time wisely. This practical application of their SAT test-taking knowledge is perhaps the most effective way to prepare for the actual test.
The strategies surrounding test taking are an academic discipline on their own. Over the years, the scoring scale has changed from two sections, at 800 points a piece, to three; from 1600 to 2400. The change in scoring has led to a more tactical approach to the exam.
It is very important for students to carefully consider the way they approach the test. For example, non-answers are not counted against their score, but wrong answers are. It is repeated that leaving a question blank is better than guessing. Additionally, multiple choice scoring for the verbal portion has its own unique strategies, such as eliminating one answer at a time or looking at the roots of words for help. It may be easy to discuss these strategies in theory, but the PSAT is the only opportunity prior to test day to try them out in a practical setting.
One of the most important outcomes from taking the PSAT is qualifying for the National Merit Scholarship Program. According to 2014 figures, 3% of the 1.5 million students who sat the PSAT exam–around 50,000–qualified for the NMSP. These students scored the highest in critical reading, mathematics, and writing.
Of these 50,000 students, 34,000 received letters of commendation to include in their college applications. Of the commended students, 16,000 were selected as semi-finalists. From that number, 7,440 students were ultimately selected for National Merit Scholarships.
National Merit Scholars can look forward to receiving hefty scholarships–even a full ride in some cases–from some of the country’s most prestigious colleges. In this way, it can pay (literally) to take the PSAT.
While it is a tough hill to climb, the PSAT does give every single student that sits the test an opportunity to receive a prestigious scholarship, regardless of previous academic performance.
Ultimately, the reason it is so important to take the PSAT has little to do with the academic importance of the test. Rather, the PSAT prepares students for the physical act of taking the test, something which can stress out even the most-prepared student.
The typical SAT test is three hours and forty-five minutes long. Many junior year students have never sat still for this long, let alone took a test that will help decide their future. Sitting for the PSAT allows a student to become more comfortable with the setting and environment surrounding these types of exams–it’s less of a mystery and more of a routine. Students become accustomed to the silence, the shuffling of papers, and the proctor speaking in a clipped tone, informing them that their time is up for a certain section.
When a student goes into the SAT exam, no matter how vigorously they will deny it, they have undeniable anxiety. This anxiety can usually be reduced if the student goes in knowing what to expect. Those who have taken the PSAT and have an understanding of the situation they are entering will have, at the very least, a psychological advantage over their peers.
(www.collegeraptor.com)
All 10th graders will take the PreACT at CHS for free: Date TBA
The PreACT has the same four multiple-choice sections as the regular ACT: English, Math, Reading, and Science. There is no Writing section. The test is also scored the same way as the regular ACT, on a scale from 1-36. The main difference is that it's considerably shorter. While the regular ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes long (3 hours 35 minutes if you add the Writing section), the PreACT is only 1 hour and 55 minutes long.
The questions on the exam will be questions from past ACTs that have been reformulated, so the difficulty level of the test is on par with the regular ACT. The point of the test is to help students get a better sense of where they would score on the real ACT and how much more they need to prepare before taking it. (https://blog.prepscholar.com)
Students will sign up for SAT on their own through www.collegeboard.org. Students applying to competitive universities and scholarships are encouraged to take the SAT during their junior year and again at the beginning of their senior year. Although you self-report on many college applications, YOU MUST send the official scores from the testing website!
The SAT is a standardized test meant to show schools how prepared you are for college by measuring key skills like reading comprehension, computational ability, and clarity of expression. Because so many students take the test, it also provides schools with data about how you compare to your peers nationwide.
You'll almost certainly need to take the SAT or ACT if you're applying to any colleges or universities in the United States, since most require you to submit test scores with your application. Depending on where you want to apply, your ACT or SAT score can account for as much as 50% of the admission decision, so a strong standardized test score is vital.
The SAT has ten sections: the first is always the essay, followed by two reading, two math, one writing, and one experimental section of 25 min each (in a random order), and then one 20-min reading, one 20-min math, and one 10-min writing section. The test is mostly multiple choice, with the exception of the essay at the beginning of the test and 10 grid-in questions in one of the 25-minute math sections.
All juniors will take the ACT at CHS for free on February 20th. This test is an official ACT and the test scores may be sent to colleges and universities. IMPORTANT: If you plan on taking additional ACT tests, you MUST use your ACT ID number, located on your test score report, to register for future tests at www.act.org. Although you self-report on many college applications, YOU MUST send the official scores from the testing website!
There are four sections:
The ACT also includes an optional 40-minute Writing Test. Some colleges may require that you complete the ACT Writing Test. You can confirm each college's admissions policies on the school website.
The ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes long. If you choose to take the ACT with Essay, the test will be 3 hours and 35 minutes long.
Each section of the ACT is scored on a 1 to 36 point scale. Your composite ACT score is the average of your four section scores, also on a scale from 1 to 36. If you take the ACT with Writing Test, you will receive a separate score on the Writing Test.
At a glance, the two tests aren't that different. Both the ACT and SAT are nationally recognized standardized tests and common admission requirements for US schools. Catering primarily to high school juniors and seniors, each test measures students’ proficiency in various critical skill areas — such as problem solving and reading comprehension — that are necessary for college success.
Additionally, because all US colleges and universities accept scores from either the ACT or SAT, there's no advantage in taking one test over the other. This means you can apply to the same schools, regardless of which test you decide to take!
But what about the actual content of the two tests? Though not identical, the ACT and SAT are more closely related than ever before as a result of the SAT’s massive redesign in 2016. Now, both exams:
Despite all of these similarities, there are still many ways in which the ACT and SAT differ from each other. For one, the SAT is overall slightly longer than the ACT. What's more, the number of questions and time limits are different for corresponding sections. (https://blog.prepscholar.com/act-vs-sat)
You can find more specifics on the differences at: https://blog.prepscholar.com/act-vs-sat