PSAT
The PSAT/NMSQT, or "Pre-SAT"/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, is a multiple choice standardized test generally taken by juniors and some sophomores in U.S. high schools. The test is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) for the College Board and mathematical, verbal, and writing. Each section is worth eighty points, which add up to a maximum composite score of 240 points. The scores on the math and verbal roughly predict those on the corresponding sections of the SAT; the predicted SAT score is centered about 10 times the PSAT score on the section.
Each year about 1.3 million U.S. high school students take this test. High scorers among juniors only on this test are recognized in two main categories based on their scores.
Commended Students are the first category. This group comprise about 35,000 of the top 50,000 students.
The highest scorers are designated National Merit-Semifinalists. This group numbers around 15,000. Designations are made on the basis of equitable state representation. Therefore, each state has different cutoff scores.
With the exception of about 1000 students, all Semifinalists advance to Finalist standings based on external (non PSAT score based) qualifications (which in the past have included items like explicit application for finalist designation, principal recommendation, etc.).
Finalists are eligible to receive National Merit Scholarship awards. This group consists of approximately 6,000 students.
In a small number of cases, students who are offered National Merit Scholarships will be unable to accept them due to acceptance at a university or college outside the United States. If this is the case the student is not given a scholarship (as the scholarship money is meant only for use in the United States) but is instead designated an Honorary Merit Scholar (acknowledging achievement without any financial assistance).
