Junior Aaron Councilman didn’t study for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test when he took it last year. He doesn’t plan on studying this year either, instead choosing to see what happens on test day.

He said he wants to use the test as a practice for the SAT, which he plans to take later in the year.

“I took it because my counselor advised it and it is a good practice for any standardized test,” Councilman said.

According to Councilman, he plans to take the SAT later in the year and took the PSAT as a way to study.

“(The PSAT) has given me an idea of what I need to study in order to prepare for the SAT,” Councilman said.

According to counseling department head Barb Nelson, the PSAT has two direct purposes.

“When juniors take it, it’s the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship competition and that’s why it gets so much attention, but it really is a practice SAT,” Nelson said.

According to Nelson, the National Merit Scholarship competition looks at the top performing students in the nation, and these students can qualify for different levels based on their results.
Sophomore Savannah Kjaer said she plans to take the test for the first time because her counselor said it would prepare her for future standardized tests.

“I think it’s a good way to get prepared for the SAT so you know what you will be tested on,” Kjaer said.

According to Nelson, the test is a way for students to become comfortable in a testing situation so they can excel at future standardized tests.

“For the most part, it is a really good practice test,” Nelson said. “Any time you can take a practice test in a standardized test setting it helps prepare for the actual test.”

Students can study for the PSAT, which takes place at the high school Oct. 14, as well as other standardized test, by logging into their Naviance Family Connection account and visiting the counseling office’s page on the school website.