The entire Sophomore class and a decent percentage of the Junior class will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT on October 15th. The PSAT testing session will begin after first period.

The PSAT/NMSQT will cost junior students $20 in order to take the tests. Juniors Emma Greenleaf and Jordan Ramirez complained that they had been told PSAT testing would only cost $14, and the College Board website also states the assigned cost as $14. However, Lincoln charged an additional fee for administering the test, which is common in many high schools.

PSAT/ NMSQT is an acronym for Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Although only Juniors are able to qualify for scholarships, it is great practice for sophomores to get a taste of the standardized testing world before the SAT.

Many students stress over their test results but it is important to remember that colleges do not see your score unless you qualify for the National Merit Scholarship or the National Hispanic Recognition Program. According to College Board’s website, the average PSAT score total is 143 out of 240.

Tips for taking the PSAT:

1. Know when to pass and when to guess! According to College Board’s website, “getting only half of the questions right and not answering the rest will earn an above average score.”
2. Manage your time wisely! Hard questions are worth the same as easy questions.
3. Come prepared! You are allowed to bring No.2 pencils, erasers, and an approved calculator, which can be a Scientific calculator, Graphing calculator, or Four function calculator.