The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).  It’s typically taken in your Junior year (because Juniors are eligible to be named National Merit Scholars), but many people take it in their Sophomore year, too.

The PSAT is terrific practice for the SAT Reasoning Test, and also lets you identify areas where your skills might need strengthening.  It’s structured like, and covers the same type of material as, the SAT: critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills, and writing skills.  It measures skills you’ve learned to use over your lifetime, not specific facts from a class, one course, or a single year.

Taking the PSAT also gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain early access to college and career planning tools.