PSAT/NMSQT

Standardized Tests | PSAT

PSAT/NMSQT® is short for "Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test." It has approximately the same format as the SAT Reasoning Test, except it is shorter, somewhat easier, and does not include an essay.

The PSAT/NMSQT is administered to sophomores and juniors once a year in October. You will usually take the PSAT at your own high school, and you will need to sign up to take the PSAT through your high school, and not through the College Board. If you are home-schooled, you will need to contact the principal of a local school and arrange to take the test there.

Each component of the test is scored on a scale of 20 to 80, which is essentially equivalent to the SAT Reasoning Test's scale of 200 to 800 divided by 10.

Taking the PSAT/NMSQT helps you become familiar with the format of the SAT Reasoning Test and can give you an idea of how well prepared you are for it.

For juniors, the PSAT/NMSQT is used as a qualification test for the National Merit Scholarship Program, the National Achievement Scholarship Program for Outstanding Black American Students, and the National Hispanic Recognition Program. Taking the PSAT also lets you participate in the College Board's Student Search Service, through which you can receive information from colleges about educational and financial aid opportunities.

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n. a small design or portrait; a brief scene (as from a movie) or literary sketch

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SAT Reasoning and Subject Tests Oct-4 (37 days)
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