Students to take the PSAT Wednesday, Oct. 16
Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT will receive a diagnostic which will highlight the student’s strengths and weaknesses.
October 15, 2019
Participating juniors and sophomores will take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) Wednesday, Oct. 16. Students should report to the small gym by 8:15 a.m. Students will be released in time for second lunch and will attend their afternoon classes.
Students may bring a water bottle to have with them at their seats, and calculators will be provided for those who do not have their own. All backpacks will be placed at the back of the gym, and students are asked to make sure their phones are turned off or left in their car.
“The first section is reading and it is 60 minutes long, with a five-minute break after,” testing coordinator Allison Kleman said. “Then there will be a writing and language section that lasts 35 minutes. It goes straight to a math section where students can not use a calculator, which lasts 25 minutes and then there is another five-minute break. Students will then do another math section using their calculators. Although that seems stressful, this test is just practice, so students should not worry too much.”
Students can study and take practice tests through LearningExpress or by reviewing the provided booklet. Juniors taking the PSAT/NMSQT can qualify to be entered into the National Merit Scholarship Program.
“When students get their scores for the PSAT they also get a diagnostic telling them their strengths and weaknesses,” Kleman said. “On average, students who take the PSAT and work on those skills they need score 60 points higher on the SAT. For students interested in the scholarship program, there is a lot of money they can earn, even if they are just finalists or semifinalist in the program.”
For any additional information or unanswered questions, students can contact Kleman in the learning commons or email her at [email protected].
