On Wednesday, October 14, all 10th and 11th grade students at Columbia High School have the opportunity to take the Preliminary SAT (also known as the PSAT) for free.
Here is more information from CHS:
- The PSAT will be useful in helping to prepare your 10th and/or 11th grade child for the SAT exam. Although the PSAT is a practice test for the SAT, it has been identified as a substitute assessment for the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) for students in the classes of 2016, 2017, and 2018 who meet the “cut score” of 40 in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.
- All testing conditions (no food, no cell phones, no talking, etc.) are in place during the test and violation of them requires us to void a student’s test. It will not be scored by the College Board.
- The results of PSAT will be used to guide you, your family, and your child’s guidance counselor in the planning for the rest of his or her school career. By participating in the exam and completing the appropriate requirements, your child will become eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Program. The scores are also useful in helping to determine student readiness and potential placement in Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
- All 10th and 11th grade students have been encouraged to take 10 to 15 minutes each day to review the contents of the PSAT student guide. Reviewing the guide will help your child become familiar with the guidelines and organization of the test. Students should also take the full-length practice test. As with all tests, students are encouraged to take their time, read carefully, and thoughtfully select responses. We have found that the best way for students to prepare for this exam is to get an appropriate amount of sleep, eat good meals, and maintain a healthy balance of school and extracurricular activities. Doing these things provides an overall positive cumulative effect and positions them for academic success.
- Finally, students have been encouraged to check with their guidance counselor if they have any questions and to sign up at www.collegeboard.org for daily updates, questions of the day, and practice questions.
All 10th and 11th grade students should report to school by 8:00am on October 14th because the test will begin promptly at 8:15am. All 9th and 12th grade students should report to school at 11:00am for 5th period. Classes for all MMS and SOMS 8th grade math students will be held that day.
Once testing begins, the school cannot admit students.
More information about the PSAT can be found on the College Board’s website, including practice tests.
