Sophomores and juniors take on the PSAT

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The cover of the PSAT.

On Oct. 11, sophomores and juniors walked into school ready to take the Preliminary SAT. The PSAT is a standardized test administered by the College Board, given to prepare students for the SAT. Students taking the PSAT missed their first, third and most of their fifth period class time.

The scores the students get show them a good example of what they would get if they were to take the actual SAT with the knowledge they already have. “The test was easier than last year because I knew what to expect this time,” said junior Jackie Aftandilian. “I’m happy I took it since it will help me prepare for the real thing,”

The practice test was considered very important by school administrators as it gave students a feel of what the real test will be like.“The PSAT is important for us for two main reasons,” said Armene Mkrtchian, Clark’s assistant principal. “It gives us preparation for the SAT test which is a requirement for many schools in terms of admissions. Additionally, the second reason why it is important is the National Merit Scholarship. If you score well enough on the PSAT in your eleventh grade year, it is a qualifier for a scholarship that’s awarded your senior year. Those two reasons make the PSAT super important for our students.”

The PSAT has also inspired students all over America to create memes that poke fun of the questions in the test. Since the test questions are the same for every student, all test takers will understand the inside jokes surfacing on social media. Meanwhile, those who do not take the test will find it strange and confusing. The College Board’s Twitter responded to a few of the memes saying, “Can you delete this tweet? We ask that students not share test content on social media. Thanks.” Although the College Board is not fond of these memes, students continue to create and share them online.