By Alex Whitman
Staff Writer
The College Board held the preparatory SAT at the Mira Costa High School campus yesterday.
The PSAT is a practice SAT given by the College Board every year. The PSAT serves as a training test so students can prepared for the SAT. Students submit their SAT scores to colleges during the application process.
“It should be really helpful taking this exam,” sophomore Merrick Baldo said. “I’m aware of how much the test weighs on your college applications, so practice can’t hurt.”
Students from all grade levels are eligible to take the PSAT. If an individual places in the top 3 percentile on the PSAT, the college board will determine if the student is eligible for the National Merit Scholarship. The National Merit scholarship is an academic scholarship competition that gains students recognition from university schools.
“I’m eager to take the exam and see where I stand for the future,” sophomore Audrey Scott said. “Being a sophomore I still have a long road to go, but early preparation should help.”
The PSAT from start to end takes 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. The test contains three sections, the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section, The Math section, and the Optional Essay section. The optional essay section does not affect students’ score on the exam.
“Math is not my strong suit in school,” sophomore Lucy Rigler said. “So I have to make sure I work extremely hard for when the real SAT comes around.”
The test is out of 1,600 points with 800 points coming from both of the mandatory sections on the test. After taking the PSAT, the College Board carefully reviews the tests and sends the grades back within the next few weeks as there is no established timetable. The exam costs $19.95 to take.
“The SAT is essential to a student’s success and the PSAT is the first step to a solid future for an individual,”college guidance counselor Paula Cogan said.
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