A. Students interested in attending college should become familiar with three exams associated with college admissions. Students who are already in college and preparing to go on to graduate, business, law, or medical school need to prepare for and take additional exams. Check with your high school counselor or the schools you're interested in attending to find out what test or tests are required for someone in your situation. Also, ask your counselor, contact the testing agencies, or check your local bookstore for samples of past tests to familiarize yourself with the content. You may also want to check out some Internet resources available on testing.
Most people take the PSAT in the fall of their junior year in high school.
Some students choose to take it during their sophomore year. Scores on the PSAT are used to determine National Merit Scholars, students who qualify for merit-based scholarships distributed throughout the United States. The SAT is one of two standardized tests used by colleges as part of their admissions criteria. I is a three-hour exam that measures verbal and math reasoning skills used for admission. Scores on each section range from 200-800 points.