Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) The PSAT/NMSQT is a practice test for the SAT. It measures verbal, reading, math , and writing skills. It is also the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. High scorers are identified, using regional score cutoffs, and invited to participate in the scholarship competition. PSAT/NMSQT scores are also used for the National Achievement and National Hispanic Recognition programs. The PSAT is offered in the fall and is school-based. (In other words, the school does not have to be a test center to administer it to its students, unlike the SAT and ACT tests.) A school can only administer on one of two dates, typically a Wednesday or a Saturday in mid-October. The tests are designed to be given to juniors as a preparation for the spring SAT, although many schools also administer it to sophomores for additional practice. The PSAT can be a useful tool, because the score report gives a customized analysis of the results for each student, indicating where their strengths and weaknesses lie and what they might do to improve. |