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This week, millions of high school sophomores and juniors took the PSAT. Now what ?
PSAT score report contains a total score, section scores, percentiles and question-level feedback. A student’s percentiles help gauge where they stand compared to all other students who took the test. The total and section scores allow students to judge general areas of weakness, as well as proximity to a student’s target scores.
Our friends at Compass Prep have some insights into how to use the PSAT experience to your advantage, which we'll outline below.
The primary purpose of the PSAT for juniors is as the National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test (that's where the NMSQT part of the PSAT/NMSQT name comes from). By taking the PSAT, students are automatically entered into the National Merit Scholar competition, and if your score is in the top ~3%, you'll get recognized. Even though the score itself doesn't matter, this recognition looks really good on a college application.
The PSAT score can help juniors decide whether to take the ACT or SAT when it comes time for the official college entrance test. This concordance can help students determine whether the SAT or the ACT is a better fit for them.
For sophomores, the PSAT score is a different beast. It's more about getting a sense for which academic areas need some work and getting some test-taking practice under their belt early in their high school careers. Students can also use their scores from sophomore year to compare to their junior year scores to see where they were able to improve and where they're still struggling. That will help them identify which study strategies were successful for them and which they should continue to adjust.
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