On Wednesday October 12th, 79 students from the sophomore
\nand junior classes, along with 7 homeschool students, took the 2 hour
\nPreliminary SAT\/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.\u00a0 So why would 86 students take 2 hours out of
\ntheir day to take a test???<\/p>\n
The PSAT is a preliminary SAT test as well as a qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship.\u00a0 It is given to all 10th graders here at Faith Christian School, and 11th grade students who elect to take the exam.\u00a0 The PSAT is a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT.\u00a0 Created to test students on the knowledge they have gained over the years, the PSAT \u00a0measures critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills, and writing skills; it\u2019s not meant for students to recall specific facts from classes or to be exhaustively studied for.<\/p>\n
The state of Indiana has decided it is so beneficial for sophomores to take the PSAT that they actually pay for each sophomore to take the test!\u00a0 Why is the state of Indiana willing to pay for all these tests? They believe that several benefits are a result of students taking the PSAT as sophomores.\u00a0 One of those benefits is that students and
\nparents receive an earlier and better gauge of their post-secondary
\npreparation.\u00a0 The PSAT gives students a good guide of what they need to work on in preparation for the SAT they will take their junior and senior year, which will be used for entrance into colleges.\u00a0 Another benefit is that students are able to adjust their 11th and 12th grade schedules to be best prepared for their future plans.\u00a0 It also gives the
\nschool an opportunity to use the Summary of Answers and Skills tool to help inform instructional practices based on student skills.\u00a0 Finally, students are signed up for College Board, a college search opportunity that can help students begin planning their future.<\/p>\n
Students are encouraged to take the PSAT as juniors for multiple reasons.\u00a0 Students who take the PSAT in their junior year are\u00a0automatically enrolled in the National Merit Scholarship, a scholarship opportunity available to students around the country.\u00a0 Students are also able to qualify for other scholarship and recognition competitions based off their PSAT scores.\u00a0 Another reason an eleventh grader might take the PSAT is to prepare for the SAT later in the year.\u00a0 The PSAT is given annually in the fall, and
\nresults are given back to students usually by December.\u00a0 This permits students to take the test and analyze where they struggled, and hopefully bulk up their aptitude in that area before taking the SAT, which will be used for college applications.\u00a0 It is noted that on average students who take the PSAT in their junior year score higher on the SAT later that same year.\u00a0 The PSAT is administered by the College Board, who also administers the SAT.\u00a0 One of the services that they offer when students take the PSAT as juniors is access to My College QuickStart, which is an online college and career planning tool.\u00a0 This is a good resource for students to have when planning their future once they leave high school.\u00a0 The last benefit to taking the PSAT as a
\njunior is the opportunity it gives to access free information from
\ncolleges.\u00a0 Students have the opportunity to sign up to receive materials from schools that fit the criteria of interested majors, religion and opportunities when they take the PSAT.\u00a0 This is a great opportunity to find out about different schools that might not have ever been on the radar but are a good fit for the student.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"