PSAT/SAT/ACT

Please note: the College Board and ACT Testing Procedures have changed after COVID and can vary according to colleges and universities.

The Preliminary SAT®/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is a co-sponsored program by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). 

PSAT/NMSQT stands for Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It's a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT Reasoning Test™. It also gives you a chance to enter National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) scholarship programs.

The PSAT/NMSQT measures: critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills, and writing skills. 

The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are:

• to receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice.
• to see how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college.
• to enter the competition for scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (grade 11).
• to help prepare for the SAT. You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT.
• to receive information from colleges when you check "yes" to Student Search Service.

The PSAT is usually given given on the 2nd or 3rd Wednesday in October  Sophomores and Juniors will automatically be signed up for the test.  
9th graders will take the 9th grade test in the spring.

Who should register?
All junior and senior, college bound students. Juniors should register for the Spring test. 

How do I register? 
For the SAT and SAT Subject go to www.collegeboard.org
For the ACT go to www.actstudent.org. Registration will take about 1 hour. If you register on the web, you will need a credit card (to pay for the test) and an email address (for confirmation). You also need to create a login and password, as well as upload a picture, so do not wait until the last moment. 

Which test should I take? What is the difference between the SAT and the ACT?

Both are equally accepted, last about three hours, and cost about the same, but they are formatted a little differently. The SAT has three parts: English, English Writing, and Math. The ACT has four parts: English, Math, Reading and Scientific Reasoning, as well as an optional writing portion. Students should take the Writing portion of the ACT test.

What does the SAT Subject consist of? 
The SAT Subject has three parts. This test is optional and would be chosen in case you want to show mastery in a particular subject. You must now take at least two tests, preferably 3 tests, which you choose (Literature, History, Science, and Foreign Language). If you take the math, it must be Math 2C.

When should I register?
Seniors should have already taken at least one test last spring. If not, they should register for the SAT and/or ACT as soon as possible. Juniors should register for the test in the Spring on the Junior year.

What is the cost?
 The SAT costsaround $85. The ACT costs about the same. If you qualify for free lunch, then you may receive a fee waiver (if you will receive a fee waiver, fill out all of the info on the computer registration. When it asks for the credit card number, click save, and then go see your counselor for the secret code).

What info will I need in order to register?
Most of the information is simply data on yourself (name, social security, address, what type of classes you’ve taken, etc…).

You will need to know your school code 052390, testing center (look it up, it is not offered at Muir), and college numbers (to send the info to 4 colleges for free).

You will need a digital picture, so send one to your email to be able to retrieve it. 

What do I need to bring to the testing site?
Bring a valid ID, printed ticket, pencils, eraser, a calculator, and a snack. 

What happens if I don’t register for the test?
The test is optional for most schools, but if you are applying to a four-year college that requires it, that college might not accept you. 

When registering for the ACT and SAT, you must enter your high school CEEB code number.

Blair: 052373 • CIS: 054294 •  Muir: 052390 • Marshall: 052388 • PHS: 052401• Rose City: 052382

Score reports for CSU can be sent to the code 3594 through collegeboard. 

UC website:
Be sure to have your ACT and SAT scores reported by the testing agency. If you have your official score report sent to one campus, it will be available to all campuses to which you applied.

https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/applying-as-a-freshman/after-you-apply/