QUESTION

Is the PSAT counted for college?

ANSWER

The Preliminary SAT, also called the PSAT, does not count towards college the same way your child’s SAT or ACT scores will. Taking this test will not get your child into college. But that doesn’t mean the test isn't a valuable thing for them participate in.

The role of the PSAT is to serve as a practice test for the actual SAT, giving your child the chance to take the SAT under simulated test conditions without being penalized for the score they receive. Taking the PSAT can also help determine whether or not the SAT is the right test for your child to be taking.

Even though your child’s scores from the PSAT will not count with college admissions, it’s still an important test for your child to take. If they do well on it, they could quality for the scholarships such as the National Merit Scholarships or even corporate-sponsored scholarships for being “commended” or a “finalist” in the the running for one of the National Merit Scholarships. This looks great on a college application and can help pay for college.

Getting a good score on the PSAT can also be a strong indicator for how your child will perform when sitting for the actual SAT. And making them eligible for potential scholarship money is a pretty good reason for them to take it as well.

LINK

To learn more about the PSAT itself, I suggest reading this article from CollegeBoard, the company responsible for putting out the PSAT and the SAT. If you want to learn more about the National Merit Scholarships, I recommend reading this page for more information.

We offer a PSAT/SAT prep program is a private tutoring program to help get your child ready for the pretest and the actually sitting. Our tutors have all scored in the top 1% of scores for the PSAT and SAT, which means your child will be learning from the best while increasing their chances of earning a National Merit Scholarship.

Stuck on whether or not the PSAT is worth your child’s time? Check out this article for more information on why taking this test impacts your child’s future.