For the first time, the administration is requiring juniors to take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, or PSAT. In previous years, the school had mandated that all sophomores must take the PSAT 10, a version of the test designed for sophomores, not juniors.  Juniors, however, had to register to take the PSAT, which doubles as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. As in prior years, when sophomores were required to take the PSAT and did not have to pay to do so, juniors are now able to take the PSAT for free.

“The College Board has two tests, the PSAT and the PSAT 10,” said Attendance, Truancy, and Student Services supervisor Melanie Falls. “Juniors take PSAT in the fall of their junior year to prepare them for the SAT in the spring of their junior year. Sophomores take the PSAT 10 in the spring of their sophomore year, so in March of this year, we will be giving the PSAT 10 to any sophomore who would like to take it.”.

The scheduling change comes from the College Board. Through the official shift was made in 2015, many schools were hesitant to offer the new PSAT 10 to their students.

“We have just been slow to make changes here to meet that,” said Falls. “I think it’s because of the math. The math on the PSAT 10 assumes that kids are in Algebra II, and a lot of sophomores are still in Geometry, so the PSAT 10 is more geared towards the math component.”

For juniors who had already planned to take the PSAT, the change was not much of an issue.

“It doesn’t really affect me,” said junior Claire Moreschi. “I was planning on taking it again anyway, but it’s nice not to have to pay for it this time.”

This new option gives sophomores a chance to practice for the exam much closer to the exam’s date, as opposed to waiting a full year.  

“I like how sophomores have a chance to take the PSAT 10 in the spring,” said sophomore Hunter Grist. “It makes more sense than taking it in the fall because we will have a better memory of the test for the PSAT. The PSAT is important, too, because it’s the qualifier for the National Merit Scholarship.”  

College Board has released several study tools for the SAT, including a free online resource at Khan Academy.  

“”Juniors have to opt out of the PSAT; sophomores have to opt in to the PSAT 10. The PSAT 10 is just an extra preparatory step in the SAT process,” said Falls.