The PSAT, which stands for Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, is a practice exam for the SAT, which is an admissions test that measures college and career readiness. Offered only in the fall once a year at Granada, the PSAT covers junior level reading and mathematics skills. Writing also used to be a component of the test, but was made optional in 2016, lowering the point system from 2400 to 1600, and was officially removed in 2021 during the pandemic.
Open to all registered freshman, sophomores, and juniors, the exam will begin on Wednesday, October 1st, 2025. Due to this, the bell schedule for that day will be altered to allow time for testing during school hours. Rather than the usual Wednesday block schedule, registered students will begin their exam at 8:35 AM and finish at 11:20 AM, with a short break provided in between sections for students to eat or rest. At the same time, seniors will be completing their SAT’s. Afterwards, all non-registered students will begin their school day at 11:25 AM and attend all classes for 26 minutes. Their school day will end at 3:05 PM, and the odd block schedule will be switched to Friday.
Here at Granada, our district offers the PSAT/NMSQT, the latter standing for National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which could qualify those who do well enough for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an initiative that can help students who score high enough on the PSAT their junior year of high school qualify to be a National Merit Commended Scholar.
“This means you’d get a certificate that you can put on college applications or you can be a National Merit Semi-Finalist,” explained Danielle Watson, College and Career Specialist for Granada high school, “The National Merit Semi-Finalists go through an application process with their counselor to apply for finalist standing. So, if you become a National Merit Finalist, it’s a really high achievement and you can earn a $2,500 scholarship.”
The NMSQT, which is included in the PSAT, can not only set you up for a wide range of scholarships, but also looks highly impressive on college applications. However, students can only qualify junior year. If you’re taking the PSAT your freshman or sophomore year, it’s simply just a practice test. According to Watson, this year, the senior class at GHS has 8 National Merit Semi-Finalists and 23 Commended Scholars.
The PSAT is offered to all grade levels for a fee of $25, but the Alameda County District automatically registers all juniors for free, considering it is the most important year for high schoolers to take it to prepare for the actual exam in the spring.
However, students can also make the decision not to take the SAT at all based on where they hope to attend college. The SAT is strictly a college admissions test, but not all colleges require it. For example, the CSU’s and the UC’s no longer consider it a necessity for admissions or scholarships, and since the Covid 19 pandemic and distance learning, lots of other schools have moved away from using it as well.
“It’s completely optional freshman and sophomore year, but I would recommend starting sophomore year if you really want to get extra practice,” said Watson, “Of course you always want to aim higher if you want to go to top tier level schools. Since requirements between different colleges vary, I would recommend looking at the college’s freshman profile to see what the average score is of the students who were admitted the previous year and use that as a baseline because every school has their own expectations.”
Private schools and Ivy leagues have recently started moving back to using SAT scores for admission, so if you’re looking at schools like Stanford, Harvard, or Yale it’s a good idea to start preparing.
But where do you start? Although the exam seems daunting, Watson reassures there are several good ways to set yourself up for success.
“Bluebook practice tests can only be used if you’re already signed up, however you can take practice tests on the College Board website,” expressed Watson, “We partner with Revolution Prep (a test prep company) so that four times a year students can do a digital full length test from home and get their scores instantly.”
Princeton Review and some other test prep companies are also good resources to use when studying for the SAT.
Another positive regarding the exam are its alternative test dates. Granada only offers it to seniors in the fall and again for juniors and seniors in the spring, but there’s also national dates where students can sign up to take the test elsewhere if needed. Whether you can’t make the GHS test date or completely bomb your first try, these extra dates can be a good make-up opportunity.
“For the SAT, you’d register directly through College Board and select the test center where you want to take it. It would not be Granada because those are Saturday test dates,” explained Watson.
With PSAT day just around the corner and SAT’s coming up in the spring, students may be starting to feel the pressure. Watson ensures that, especially for underclassmen who might not know what the exam’s all about yet, resources like the ones listed above can aid in understanding and preparation, and ultimately help you do well enough junior year to get you into the college that’s the best fit for you.
