College Entrance Exams

The ACT and SAT are college admissions tests. Many colleges and programs use ACT or SAT scores in their admission decisions, although some do not, and some specifically require one test or the other. So check the requirements for the colleges in which you’re interested. Universities also often use your ACT or SAT score in specific subject areas to determine freshman year course placement, particularly for math.

The PSAT (Preliminary SAT), also known as the PSAT/NMSQT® (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test), is a practice version of the SAT exam. You can only take the PSAT once per year, and many students take the test in both 10th and 11th grade. If you earn a high score on the PSAT your junior year, you could qualify to receive a National Merit Scholarship; $180 million dollars in merit scholarships are awarded to students each year. The PSAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes long and tests your skills in Reading, Writing, and Math. Unlike the SAT, the highest score possible on the PSAT is 1520. Check with your school counselor to see if the PSAT is offered at your school and what the cost would be (fee waivers might be available).