If you live in the United States in your sophomore or junior year of high school you will typically take a series of tests called the PSAT. This test measures your critical reading skills, your math ability and your writing skills. It is referred to as the PSAT because if is the preliminary test that is associated with the SAT that most seniors in high school take. The PSAT can give the student a fairly good idea of what to expect when they take the SAT. The SAT is the college admissions test, that plays a significant factor on which college you can get accepted into. The higher your score on the SAT the more likely you are to get into the college of your choice.

The PSAT is often disregarded and not considered that important since it is just the preliminary test for taking the important test, the SAT. However, the PSAT is very important when it comes to applying for scholarships, grants and other financial awards. The SAT may determine which college you are able to attend, but the PSAT may determine if you are able to pay for that college with financial aid. Certain financial aid programs such as the National Merit Scholarships rely heavily on the PSAT.

The PSAT, or Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test has 3 sections of 80 questions each, making a total of 240 questions or points available. If an individual scores over 200 they are then placed in the 99th percentile of all students across the United States and they have the opportunity to qualify for a National Merit Scholarship. Those students who achieve this high level of achievement on the PSAT are recognized for their outstanding academic achievement. The offer of the scholarship, however, is the grand prize that makes everything worthwhile. If you are able to score high on the PSAT it can be extraordinarily helpful to you when it comes down to applying for scholarships. The National Merit Scholarship is just one opportunity that relies on the PSAT scores, but many different scholarships use this test as a basis for qualification.

For the National Merit Scholarship, if you reach the semi-final stages by passing your PSAT with a score of 200 or higher, you will then be required to fill out an application form for the funding. A panel of judges select the winners of the scholarships. The application gives you an opportunity to express why you should be selected for this scholarship. It consists of a regular scholarship form, as essay about yourself and a complete list of important achievements as well as other extracurricular activities that you may have participated in both in school and outside of school. This application is then reviewed along with your academic record. The winners are then chosen and they are awarded a valuable scholarship that they can use at any approved college that they wish to attend.

The National Merit Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarship awards that you can get. You are actually competing with other students from across the United States to get this scholarship. It can be competitive but you must remember the goal is to get the scholarship so that you can further advance your studies at a good University or college. The prestige of the National Merit Scholarship can give you access to any college that you ever dreamed of. The money for the National Merit Scholarships comes from various large American corporations. While many of them also offer their own scholarships, this one has them grouping together to help the very best students in the United States.

So the PSAT is very important and you should not take it lightly. A good score on this important test can give you an edge on getting scholarships and other financial aids that can assist you with the costs involved in going to college.