Testing season rolls around every school year.
Some students loathe the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, also known as the PSAT exam while others take the opportunity to improve their testing performance.
At Potomac Senior High School, students are taught to use the PSAT to their advantage. The primary testing date was Wednesday, October 14.
Once the PSAT results are delivered, students can identify their strengths and weaknesses. This shows us which areas to spend more time studying on. By taking the PSAT we can become familiar with the types of questions asked as well as the overall process.
This school year, Potomac introduced a change to the PSAT. Instead of just sophomores and juniors taking the exam, freshmen were tested as well. Over 1,000 Potomac Panthers were taking the exam at once.
The PSAT is scored very similar to the SAT, and can help you students predict what their possible SAT score will be, according to the Official SAT Study Guide.
The math section is scored between 160 and 760. The reading and writing sections are scored together, ranging from 160 to 760. An overall score on the PSAT’s and SAT’s is known as the composite score. On the PSAT, your composite score will range from 320 to 1520, according to the Official SAT Study Guide.
Once the PSAT results are delivered, students can identify their strengths and weaknesses. This shows us which areas to spend more time studying on. By taking the PSAT, we can become familiar with the types of questions asked as well as the overall process.
Colleges will only be able to view students SAT scores. However, if students score exceptionally well on the PSAT, the top 0.3%, colleges will begin to show interest, according to the Official SAT Study Guide. To be recognized by the National Merit Scholarship program, students need to have scored within the top 2% of test-takers in their state.
Overall, the PSAT’s are beneficial to the student if they give it their best try. The exam is taken once as a sophomore and again as junior. This gives students the chance to work with their strengths and weaknesses.
Keep in mind that a specific amount of time is given for each section of the exam. If students get stumped on one question, experts say it’s best to proceed with the rest of the section. It’s best to get down what you know rather than getting stumped with what you don’t know, experts add.
Tayah Frye is a student reporter at Potomac Senior High School in Woodbridge.
