What is the PSAT and How Does it Help Prepare for the SAT?

If you've heard of the SAT exam then it is likely that you've also heard of the PSAT exam. Many students choose to take this exam as a form of preparation for the SAT within the same school year, or possibly in the following year. If you've never heard of the PSAT, or are just curious about what it is, take a few moments to learn more about it and how it can help you prepare for the SAT.

What is the PSAT?

The PSAT is also known as the Preliminary SAT or National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It is co-sponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Students in high school have probably already heard about the test in their freshman year, as many schools begin to prepare them for it so that it can be taken in the sophomore year.

The main objective of this test is to give students an idea of what to expect on their SAT exam. It gives them an opportunity to take all of the steps involved in the actual test (testing on the same sections and being timed) without suffering any true penalties. The test is free and offers a great building block to the SAT that is usually taken in the junior or senior year. So students who want get some of the SAT test jitters out of their system can benefit well from taking the PSAT.

How Does the PSAT Help Prepare for the SAT?

As mentioned previously, the biggest way that taking the PSAT helps to prepare for the SAT is that they are virtually identical tests. The PSAT has the same types of sections, including critical reading, math, and writing skills, and all questions are multiple choice. This works out well in giving students a clear idea of what the real experience will feel like.

In preparing to take the PSAT, it's not much different than preparing for the actual SAT exam. However, it's not uncommon for schools to make preparation a part of the school curriculum since it is tied with the National Merit Scholarship. With training in the classroom setting to prepare for the PSAT, you can take some of this knowledge with you as you sit down and prepare for the real exam in the following semester or year. To learn when the PSAT is available in your area, visit the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's website.

Getting Additional SAT Help

It's great to know that the PSAT is an excellent tool for SAT preparation; however, it's not the actual SAT test. In other words, it's still a good idea to get specialized help to prepare for the actual exam. This help can come in the form of study groups or SAT preparation courses offered locally. Also, students are finding that online SAT preparation courses are equally capable of preparing them efficient - and with these online courses comes the convenience of preparing from home.

There's no doubt that the PSAT is a great exam to take if you're serious about eventually taking the SAT. So before diving into the big test, it doesn't hurt to consider how you can benefit from this useful preparatory test.