The PSAT’s are coming up for freshmen, juniors and seniors. Freshmen will be taking the PSAT 8/9 and Sophomores and Juniors will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT. 

Students will be testing on Wednesday, October 13th, 2021. It will be an asynchronous day for seniors.

The PSAT’s are a Pre SAT test. They do not count against grades or GPAs; instead, they are used as a preparation for future college acceptance tests.

“The primary purpose of them is to try to get a baseline as to where a student is. [Students] can link their scores from the PSAT to a Khan Academy account, which is really useful because it creates an Individualized Study Guide for the SAT,” said Ms. Rebecca Shay, counseling department chair.

A majority of Virginia colleges and universities, including Mary Washington, VCU, CNU, and GMU, have made the SAT’s optional, whether permanently or temporarily due to the pandemic. While you can get opportunities such as scholarships from the test, scores will not define students worth.

“Just do your best, it has no impact on what you’re doing or your schooling at all,” Shay said. “It really is looking at where you are in your academics, and then it will be helpful for you to prepare for the future, so do your best, but don’t sweat it.”

If you need to opt-out of the test, there is a link on the Colonial Forge website. They are due October 1st.