Administration has begun more specific preparations for the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, or the PSAT/NMSQT, on Oct. 22 to help sophomore and junior students succeed by providing numerous practice opportunities and study materials for the exam. Preparations have been happening since the beginning of the year, but they will continue to further assist the students as the date gets nearer.
“Everything that the teachers are doing is already preparing our students for the PSAT and SAT,” Assistant Principal Daniel Horton said. “When we get closer to the PSAT, they might spend a little bit more time talking about the structure of the test or looking at specific examples like sample questions or past questions, but when we’re talking about the skills and the content that’s needed to be successful, we’re always working on that.”
When the date gets closer, Horton will begin setting up testing plans such as which rooms to be used, which teachers to be proctoring and making sure that accommodations are turned on for students who are supported by those.
“As testing coordinator, it’s my job to just make sure that the test runs as smoothly as possible,” Horton said. “I like to talk a little bit about what the scores indicate when they come out, what they mean and how they can continue to grow those scores for the next year.”
According to TestInnovators, students who continue to take practice tests and study improve by an average of 36% from their first practice test to their sixth. Many study opportunities are currently and have been available to students, such as PSAT practice sessions for juniors during Falcon Hour and online resources such as Khan Academy and PSAT practice tests.
“The biggest thing is that you know you’re more prepared than you think you are,” Horton said. “We don’t sit there and we say this is a PSAT. We genuinely give it our all and prepare our students to the best of our ability, whether they know it or not.”
According to a study by the National Institute of Health, around 75% of students become stressed during exams, with many of them facing difficulties in their academic performance due to test anxiety. The campus is no different, as some students are worried about how they will perform academically.
“ Well, it’s kind of nerve-wracking when the test is really important, like the PSAT or the AP Exams, because then it matters a lot more what score I get,” sophomore Sara Herrera said. “They’re already helping us with the MasteryPrep, so that’s been helpful in helping me prepare for the test. I’ll probably keep using the program they gave us to give me more confidence.”
Despite some students’ worries, the campus has always performed well on the PSAT/NMSQT. Besides studying, getting good rest and a healthy breakfast the day before the test is ideal for excellent performance during the exams.
“We always get a lot of information year after year about our school’s performance and about that achievement,” Horton said. “And historically, our students do perform very, very well, and I have no reason to believe that this year will be any different.”
