1. It is Time for the PSAT at Patapsco High School

2. Introduction On October 12, all 9 th, 10 th, and 11 th graders will be required to take the PSAT’s. PSAT is a standardized test that prepares you for taking the SAT. SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is a standardized college entrance test to identify possible students that would succeed at certain universities.

3. Introduction Most students will take the PSAT’s 3 times while in high school (9 th, 10 th, and 11 th grade). The SAT’s are typically taken at the end of your junior year of high school and the beginning of your senior year.

4. What is the PSAT? The PSAT is mainly a practice test. It is very similar to the SAT, but without the essay and some algebra. It is a standardized test administered by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

5. Who Takes the PSAT? PSAT is taken by approximately 3.5 million high school students each year. Most students who take it are either 10 th or 11 th graders.

6. When is the PSAT and How long? The PSAT is offered Wednesday October 12 th. The test takes 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete.

7. What subjects are tested? The PSAT tests 3 areas: critical reading, writing and math. The PSAT does not include upper level math (Algebra 2) and does not have an essay in the writing section.

8. What do you do if you don’t know the answer? Should you guess or leave it blank? –Yes! Leave it blank. –Random guessing will not help you because of the way the test is scored. –If you can make an educated guess by eliminating one or more choices, then this may help.

9. How is the PSAT Scored? Each section is graded on a scale of 20 to 80. There is a total of 240 points possible.

10. What is the National Merit Scholarship program? It is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the program by taking the PSAT and by meeting other requirements. The sum of the three PSAT scores is known as the Selection Index and is used, along with four general criteria for eligibility for both preliminary and primary selection in the National Merit Scholarship Programs.

11. Resources http://www.princetonreview.com/college/sat- information.aspxhttp://www.princetonreview.com/college/sat- information.aspx http.//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSAT/NMSQT http://www.gocollege.com.admissions/preparing /tests/sat/psat.htmlhttp://www.gocollege.com.admissions/preparing /tests/sat/psat.html www.collegeboard.com