Sophomores and juniors at McLean High School took the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) this Wednesday, Oct. 17. Although it is thought to be just a form of preparation for the real SAT, which is usually taken between Junior and Senior years, it is way more important than what is imagined. 

The PSAT was a chance for Sophomores and Juniors who plan on taking the SAT to get used to the format of the test and how to manage time during it.

“It was a very stressful day, because I didn’t know what to expect, and time management was definitely an issue,” sophomore Hannah Vicenzo said.

The test consists of four parts, one for reading, one for grammar and writing, and two for math. On the first math section, students were not allowed to use their calculators.  

The PSAT is also a classifier for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which chooses 50,000 students every year who got the highest Selection Index Scores. To be eligible to take the PSAT, a student must be enrolled in high school between grades 9 and 11. These students are broken down into two groups: Commended Students and Semifinalists. 

Commended students are the ones who got scores lower than what was necessary to be a Semifinalist. On the other hand, Semifinalists are the students who got the highest scores, and are able to become Finalists if they achieve the high academic standards defined by the National Merit Scholarship Program. Finalists (usually around 15,000 students) are then considered to receive a scholarship, which can vary according to different factors.

The different scholarship types are the National Merit $2500 Scholarships, and every finalist competes to get one of them. These scholarships are chosen by a committee of college admission officers, high school counselors and somewhat influenced by family financial conditions. The second type is the Corporate-sponsored scholarship, which usually goes to students who want to follow a career path and are sponsored by a corporation in the field. Lastly, the College-sponsored scholarship selects students who were accepted for admission in sponsor schools, when the college is a student’s first choice. 

On the day of the test, class started in the usual time, and students had to go to their first period classes to be dismissed to go to their PSAT rooms. The test ended around 12:30pm and students had a thirty minute lunch break before the buses left.

As previously mentioned, the PSAT is a very significant form of preparation for students who plan on taking the SAT on following years.

“As it is a way to practice for the real SAT, it is a very important test and taking it was very worth it.” Vicenzo said.