PSAT stands for Preliminary SAT. It is offered once a year in October. Most students take them their sophomore and junior year.

“They’re a good way to practice for the SATs and other important tests,” sophomore Alex Lee said.

This test prepares students for the SAT, but it is also the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship. This is a scholarship awarded to “academically talented” students. According to The Washington Post about four million students took the PSATs last October.

“I took mine on Wednesday with everyone else,” said sophomore Andrew Lord.

There are three big scores, total score, math score and reading score. This is very similar to how the SATs are scored. The PSATs are scored on a scale of 320-1520. 320 is the minimal score and 1520 is the maximum. At Kaplan University, a “good” score is considered to be anywhere from 950 to 1060.

The PSAT lasts two hours and 45 minutes, covering math and evidence-based reading and writing. While this test isn’t used in college admissions, reportedly earning a high score can bring in scholarships.

The PSATs is not a required test, but the practice is seemingly helpful.