Sophomore and junior year approaches quickly and conversations about students’ plans for post-graduation become more common among peers, teachers and parents. Students begin to feel the pressure of graduation, testing and grades creating stress and fears about the future.
One way to help ease the stress of college and testing is to practice, for those who want to better prepare themselves for college, the PSAT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test). The PSAT is a practice test to help prepare sophomores and juniors for future SAT testing and allows them to get an understanding of standardized testing under time restraints.
GlenOak will hold the PSAT on Oct. 17 and 18, a link to register for the test was sent out via email and Google Classroom between late August – Sept. 11. To register there is a fee of 18 dollars, the fee is added to the student’s fees and can be paid for through PaySchoolsCentral.com.
GlenOak requires every junior to take the ACT which is a different type of test but similar to the PSAT/SAT, the test is timed and

students need to be able to effectively utilize that time to answer all the questions to the best of their ability. Timed tests can become stressful but the PSAT helps students get used to the stress in a non-pressured environment.
The PSAT also gives junior test takers the chance to receive scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program depending on the score they receive.
This year the test will be taken online instead of on paper so students should come to school with a fully charged device. To ensure success on the test students can use practice material accessible on the College Board website and Khan Academy. Also, make sure to eat a proper breakfast and get a good night’s sleep prior to the test.