The PSATs may not be the real deal, but students put their best effort into the exam on October 17. These exams help prepare and assess student’s strengths and weaknesses before taking the SAT.
Too many students don’t take the PSATS seriously. Many students think that because it is an assessment and does not count, there’s no need to study or actually take it like the real deal. However, there are many advantages in taking the PSAT.
“They are important to me because they gave me a good idea of where I stand on taking the actual SATs,” junior Mikey Fountos said.
“The PSATs are very beneficial to students. It gives them a good idea of where they’re at academically. It also tells students what type of questions are going to appear on the actual SATs and what areas they need to work on,” science teacher and PSAT proctor Ms. Douvres said.
The PSATs also give test takers an opportunity for early scholarships. Students with high scores often receive many scholarships from different colleges.
“At first, I took it as a joke because I didn’t really take it seriously. Later on during sophomore and junior year, I found taking the PSATs to be helpful,” senior Naomi Whyte said.
The PSATs are a great way to practice for the real SATs. Students can work on pacing themselves so that when they take the actual SAT, they don’t struggle with the timing.
“The PSAT has been helpful, as the PSAT had given me a similar test to that of the SAT. Because the PSAT gave me similar questions to that on the SAT, I was able to boost my grade by a few points,” senior Francesco Amadeo said.
For freshman taking the PSATs for the first time, this could be a great way to see what they’re up against. Freshman should seize the chance and actually see where they stand.
“I found the exam to be helpful because now I know what to prepare for the next two years,” freshman Justin Watkins said.
