What Is The PSAT And How To Prep For It?

Wed, August 23, 2023 11:30 AM

Some families look at the PSAT as just a practice test for the SAT, but it is way more significant than that. The PSAT takes about 3 hours and includes four timed sections: Evidence-Based Reading, Writing and Language, Math (no calculator), and Math (with a calculator). Students can only take the PSAT once per year, and some students take this test in both 10th grade (as a practice test if their school offers it) and officially in the 11th grade. Taking the PSAT will definitely help your student discover if they need to do SAT test prep to boost their score for college admissions, assuming they decide to submit their SAT test scores to the colleges they are applying to in the future.

The results of the PSAT/NMSQT are used to determine if students are National Merit Semifinalists and Finalists. Being a Finalist can lead to additional scholarships and sometimes full-ride opportunities at certain colleges. In addition, receiving this recognition looks great on a High School Resume or College Application, especially if your student is hoping to get a scholarship or get into a competitive college. It’s important for your student to take this test seriously, and even better, prep in advance for it.

Please note only a certain percentage of students are selected as National Merit Semifinalists and even fewer are Finalists each year, from each state. The cutoff is based on how other students perform on this test. Since student performance can vary from year to year, be sure not to rely too heavily on past state cutoffs as the minimum your student should score.

Are you and your student struggling to figure out where to start prepping for the PSAT? I can help! Schedule a FREE Discovery Zoom Meeting with me to get your student on track to achieve a high score on the PSAT.