The PSAT, given in October every year, is always an important test for high school juniors, and to a lesser extent, sophomores.

But this year, it’s even more critical — so much so that I recommend that every eligible high school student who’s even thinking about attending college really should take the PSAT this fall.

The PSAT is the “baby sibling” of the SAT, and like that standardized test, is administered by the College Board. But while the SAT is the most commonly used college admissions test for U.S. colleges, the PSAT has a different purpose.

It’s intended to help younger students practice for the SAT, and those who score highly on the PSAT are eligible for scholarships awarded through the National Merit program.

There are now three tests in the PSAT suite: The PSAT 8/9 for eighth-graders and freshmen; the PSAT 10 for sophomores; and the PSAT/NMSQT, the test used for the National Merit program. (See the sidebar for quick descriptions of these tests.)

Both the SAT and the PSAT are unveiling long-awaited redesigns this fall. And as the first one out of the gate, the PSAT will present an excellent chance for students to get their first look at how the SAT is likely to change.

They’ll also be able to develop a sense of how they may need to prepare for that test down the road — or for sophomores, an idea of what they may need to work on before they take the PSAT as juniors hoping for college scholarships.

The entire suite of SAT exams, including the PSAT, is being redesigned to better test the skills and knowledge that students will need in college and career. The questions are designed to more closely reflect the material covered in high school classrooms, both in information covered and the way questions are asked.

So how do students prepare for a test that no one has taken yet?

Get online: The College Board has already posted PSAT sample questions and a PSAT practice test on its website, collegeboard.org. This is an excellent way to start familiarizing yourself with the new format.

Be ready to focus: The new test is longer — 2 hours and 45 minutes, or 35 minutes longer than the old test. Students need to be ready to be on top of their game for the entire length of the test, so taking sample tests or scheduling longer study sessions may be important.

Practice educated guessing: For the first time, the PSAT won’t penalize wrong answers, so it’s good to take a swing even at a question you can’t easily answer. Try to eliminate obvious wrong answers and use context clues to make the best choice possible. And instead of five choices on each multiple choice question, the new PSAT will have just four, putting the odds more in your favor.

Get some formal prep: The PSAT will still be slightly less complex than the SAT, but it’s expected to be more rigorous in many respects than the previous version.

For instance, on the PSAT math test, students should be prepared to solve many questions that require two or more steps and may need to use common geometric equations and spatial reasoning.

(In contrast, the new SAT will heavily emphasize multi-step problems and expect students to understand statistics topics such as sampling and inferring correlation and causation.)

A PSAT-specific prep course can help students strengthen their problem-solving skills, ability to interpret data, and understand vocabulary through context clues, all of which are expected to count heavily toward success on the new test. A formal PSAT prep course also can help students feel more confident on test day — in my experience, a well-prepared student tends to stress less and score better.

COMING NEXT WEEK:The changes in the SAT

 

Donna Spann is the CEO of Capstone College and Career Advising in Tyler. A college advisor for 12 years, Donna leads a team of professionals who take a personal approach to advising that helps students navigate through career and college exploration and admissions and find the college that’s right for them.