The PSAT and College Admissions
Test Preparation and National Merit Status for High School Students
Sep 1, 2008
The Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test, or PSAT, is a standardized assessment which has a twofold purpose: preparing for the SAT assessment and entering into the National Merit Competition. The PSAT is usually given to juniors in high school across the United States; however, sophomores can take it for practice. Testing is only available once a year in October, and many high schools across the country will administer the test for a small fee.
PSAT and Preparing for College
The PSAT is an incredible tool for prepping for the SAT. The test is constructed to mimic the SAT by testing students in three areas: reading, math, and writing. This shorter test version takes roughly two hours to complete. Once the student takes the test, the results are usually available in December.
The PSAT score report is sent to the student's home high school and distributed by the school. In addition to acquiring their report, the student will also receive their PSAT test booklet used during the test. Both the results and booklet are incredible study tools to prepare for the actual SAT test. The score report will provide students with the student's answers, correct answers, and question difficulty. Students can use these tools to identify academic strengths and limitations. Additionally, the report will also provide individualized testing strategies based on the test results.
In recent years Collegeboard, the company that produces the SAT and PSAT, has developed an online site called My College Quickstart. The site is a complementary service for PSAT test takers. Features include an online score report, SAT customized study plan, college matches, and career/major matches.
PSAT and the National Merit Competition
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) uses the PSAT as a qualifier for the competition. The corporation selects students with the top score results and offers the students an opportunity to enter the competition. The competition takes almost a school year to complete and identifies winners under the categories of commended, semifinalist, and finalist. Finalist can receive scholarship awards to apply towards college tuition. This is referred to merit based scholarships, which is dependent on academic ability and not financial need.
The PSAT is a great tool for college bound high school students. The test can provide a detailed outline of testing areas of strengths and limitations. Students then can use this information to study for the SAT, which can lead to higher assessment results for college admission. Besides the test preparation feature, the PSAT can offer students the opportunity to enter the National Merit Competition, which can lead to financial gain for tuition. For a cost of around $15, the test is an incredible value for college admission preparation.
For more information on college preparation during high school, please view the article Course Prerequisites for College.
