The Preliminary SAT (PSAT) is a standardized test that is typically taken by high school students in their sophomore and junior years. It is a precursor to the SAT, one of the standardized tests widely used for college admissions in the United States. There is a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to the purpose of the PSAT. The PSAT is not considered in college admission. So… why should a student take it? And should every student take it?
If the test is being administered at a student’s school (or elsewhere) for free, there’s no reason not to take it. It provides:
- Practice for the SAT: The PSAT mirrors the format and content of the SAT, so taking it can help students become familiar with the test and reduce anxiety on the day of the actual SAT.
- Scholarship opportunities: Scoring well on the PSAT in 11th grade can qualify students for scholarship opportunities, including the National Merit Scholarship Program.
- Identification of strengths and weaknesses: Students receive a report that breaks down their performance by section, allowing them to evaluate their testing strengths and weaknesses and then focus on the areas that need improvement.
If you will be paying to take the test, however, consider the following:
- If you’re a junior and have a good chance at qualifying for a National Merit Scholarship, go for it!
- If you’re only taking the PSAT as a way to see how you would do on the SAT (regardless of grade), skip it. Save your time, money, and energy and take a practice SAT instead. (Bonus: you can take these for free online!)
About the PSAT:
- Beginning in October 2023, the PSAT is in a digital format, taken on a computer or tablet.
- The PSAT consists of two sections -Reading & Writing, and Math- which assess specific skills and knowledge relevant to college readiness.
- Most questions are multiple choice, but some math questions ask the student to enter an answer.
- The test takes a little over 2 hours:
- 64 minutes to complete the Reading & Writing modules (at 32 minutes each), and
- 70 minutes to complete the two Math modules (35 minutes each)
- The test is adaptive, meaning that the difficulty of the questions adjusts based on the student’s performance on previous questions.
- There is no penalty for guessing.
- Calculators are allowed for the math section.
- Students typically receive their scores within a few weeks of taking the PSAT.
- Scores do not go on a student’s high school transcript, and are not used for college admissions.