This Year’s PSAT/NMSQT Will Be Online

Starting this year at High School West, the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test will be online as the Digital PSAT/NMSQT. The Digital PSAT is more than simply a practice test; it’s a terrific introduction to the Digital SAT and even the ACT. To choose National Merit Scholars and distribute merit awards, digital PSAT results will be employed for the class of 2025 and all other younger classes. 

With the sudden change to online standardized testing, students who are taking this new test feel both fearful and excited about how their scores will be affected. For sophomore Shafaa Musassar, she thinks the change to the PSAT is both beneficial and non-beneficial. “ Although it is not my preferred way of taking tests, I feel as though the change will better my score because as you go the test adjusts to the level of what you know.” For juniors, this year’s test is especially crucial as their results will count toward the National Merit Scholarship. Junior Emmanuel Saintjean expresses that he “thinks it will have a positive impact on my [his] score because it is a shorter test as a whole, but it will definitely be an adjustment to taking the test with something students have not used much before”. While this is a common thought, several juniors, like Orinthia Burgher, feel that it will negatively impact their score because of a “difficulty paying attention to a screen for a long period of time”. With the risk of possibly losing scholarship money due to a format change, many juniors are anxious.

Due to the mixed emotions regarding this year’s test, many students are anxiously waiting to see how the test will play out and how their scores will be affected. Good luck to everyone who will be taking the PSAT this Saturday!