This Wednesday, Oct. 12, students across the United States will take the PSAT. Most high school students, including Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors, will take the test. The PSAT is designed as a practice SAT for students to see how their score may look when they take the real thing, the SAT. The SAT is the score that is sent off to colleges when students graduate, so the PSAT is an opportunity for students to practice before the test really counts. 

The exam is roughly three hours long and has three sections: reading, writing and math. The scoring on the PSAT is slightly different from the SAT, as the highest score a student can get is a 1520. The SAT’s possible highest score is a 1600. 

For juniors, their score may allow them to become eligible for certain scholarships, including the National Merit Scholarship. Juniors take the SAT in March after they take the PSAT, so their score this year is crucial to telling how they may do on the spring test.  

For students taking the test this Wednesday, it is important to prepare. It is recommended to bring snacks that can be eaten during test breaks, a water bottle, a scientific or graphing calculator, and number two pencils.  

For more information on the PSAT, click the link below.  

https://www.kaptest.com/psat/what-is-the-psat#:~:text=The%20PSAT%20is%202%20hours,in%20place%20of%20other%20classes.