Aliso Niguel High School held the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) on Oct. 26, 2024, to help prepare sophomores and juniors for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) that sometimes can be required for the admissions process.
Many Aliso Niguel students, along with neighboring high schoolers, took the test in the library under the supervision of proctors. Those who took the test are expected to receive their scores on Nov. 14. They can access the scores by speaking to their counselor or they can use the BigFuture School mobile app.
The PSAT is an exam that is offered by College Board and is meant to test students’ knowledge in subjects of reading, writing and math. The timed test is two hours and 45 minutes long and is scored up to 1520 points. There is a ten minute break between the math and English sections along with two additional five minute breaks between two parts of the test.
Students arrived at the test with a fully charged device, a pen or pencil and an approved calculator. Some optional items that were permitted are snacks, a watch and a bag. Those who came from differing schools were required to bring a photo ID.
The test is intended to be slightly easier than the SAT because it acts as a practice test, so PSAT scores will not be submitted to universities and are primarily used as an indication of progress. The SAT is a test that many universities require and acts as a baseline for students’ academic achievement and ability to answer critical thinking questions. Students can find their nearest PSAT testing date and location by using College Board’s search tool.
Sam Sicat (12) says “I remember taking the PSAT my junior year. It was similar to the SAT, except for the scoring. It was a great help for the SAT.”
Students who perform in the top percentiles may qualify for a National Merit Scholarship. These scholarships provide 180 million dollars each year to high school students for their education.
Ethan Coronado says (11) “I recently took the exam at the high school. It was pretty challenging because of the time limit but I need to practice for the SAT since I want to apply to colleges that will require it.”
The test offers evidence-based questions that are mainly multiple choice with a couple of written questions. The math portion covers algebra, problem-solving, data analysis, advanced math, limited geometry, trigonometry and pre-calculus; so, it is essential that students have prepared themselves with the topics before taking the test. This portion of the test has a possible score of 160 to 720 points.
The reading and writing portion covers 54 questions with about one minute and 11 seconds for each question and each module is divided and contains questions that increase in difficulty as they progress. Students may earn up to 720 points for these sections. The topics covered include craft and structure, information and ideas, standard English conventions and expression of ideas.
