All district 10th- and 11th-graders to take PSAT today, Wednesday | CORRECTED
Published 1:32 pm Tuesday, October 15, 2013
All Renton School District 10th- and 11th-graders will take the Preliminary SAT National Merit Qualifying Test on today, Wednesday.
Students began taking the test at their high schools beginning at 9 a.m.
The test is free for all students. The district is using funds from a federal grant to pay for the tests, which usually cost individual students $14 each.
The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to:
• Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice;
• See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college;
• Enter the competition for scholarships from NMSC (grade 11);
• Help prepare for the SAT. You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT; and
• Receive information from colleges when you check “yes” to Student Search Service.
Hazen High School senior Emma Tuschoff did so well on last year’s PSAT that she has been named a NAtional Merit Scholarship semifinalist and could win more than $2,500 in scholarships.
Tuschoff offered the following advice for those taking the test:
• Visit the College Board (the company that administers the PSAT and SAT exams) regularly to take their practice tests at sat.collegeboard.org/home;
• Take the College Board’s “Question of the Day” at their website or on Twitter;
• Focus on your test-taking skills, not the actual test: “Knowing how to take a test, reading questions and figuring out the answers is better than simply knowing answers on the test,” according to Tuschoff;
• Bring a graphing calculator to the test;
• Show up on test day a bit early so you’re not rushed;
• Get some sleep the night before; and
• Don’t stress. “If you’ve really prepared and know how to take a test, have confidence that you’ll do well,” Tuschoff said.
This story has been corrected. Due to an error in the release from the district, this story initially reported that the tests would be Thursday.
