PSAT Requirements
The PSAT is a practice version of the SAT exam for high school students who plan to take the SAT to enter college. The PSAT is also referred to as the NMSQT exam because students who take the test are automatically entered into the National Merit Scholarship program to be eligible for scholarships the year they enter college. There are few requirements to take the PSAT, but once a student takes to PSAT a new set of requirements exist to make them eligible for the available scholarships in the National Merit Scholarship program.
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When to Take the Test
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A student must be enrolled in high school with a normal progression towards graduation after four years of attendance. As a four-year high school student, the test must be taken in the junior year, grade 11 if the student wants to take advantage of the scholarships available through the National Merit Scholarship Program. A student can take the test in the sophomore year, grade 10, however they would need to retake the test in the junior year to be eligible for a National Merit Scholarship. The test cannot be taken by high school seniors, as this is the year the student should be taking the SAT. Some exceptions are made for students who plan to finish high school in three years to attend college early. If a student can prove that they are on an academic track to attend college full time by the senior year, the student can take the test as early as the sophomore year and still be eligible for entry in the National Merit Scholarship Program, or as late as early in the student's junior year before they have applied for college.
Citizenship
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A student must be a citizen of the United States. If the student is not a citizen but is a lawful permanent resident or has applied for permanent residency and has not been denied previously application can be accepted with the correct paperwork. If not a citizen of the United States, the student should send in the green card or passport with the I-551 stamp showing proof of permanent residency. A student who has applied for permanent residency and has not been denied can send a copy of form I-797 with the application to show proof that the application to register as a United States citizen has been received by Immigration Services.
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Submit Application
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The application must be made through the student's high school, not on an individual basis. The student should contact their counselor to let them know that they are interested in taking the PSAT to receive the application form. The application form must be returned to the school early in the year the student plans to take the test so that the student can be entered to take the test at the testing time in October of that year.
Award Requirements
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To be eligible for the scholarships and benefits of the National Merit Scholarship Program, which a student is automatically entered into when the PSAT is taken, the student must meet test score requirements. All students who take the test in a given year will be graded on a curve. The highest scoring students will be awarded accordingly. Two-thirds of the students, based on score, will receive a letter to their college commending their outstanding potential and ability. Less than 1 percent of seniors will be placed in the semifinalist category, based on test score, and will have an opportunity to continue through the scholarship competition, which includes essays, documentation of continuation of high grades, and high scores on the SAT, validating the PSAT test results. The students who will receive an award are in the top 0.06 percent of the initially entered students, nationwide.
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References
- Photo Credit taking test image by Petro Feketa from Fotolia.com
