Many people think the psat is a "throwaway." But did you know that a high score can mean money for college?

It pays to score high on the PSAT

High school juniors who take the PSAT are automatically eligible for the National Merit Scholarship program. The top-scoring 50,000 students are recognized with letters of commendation. Approximately 14,000 are selected as fnalists and fnally, 8,500 receive National Merit Scholarships—which award up to $2,500 a year toward your college education. Visit nationalmerit.org for more information.

The PSAT/NMSQT stands for the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Besides being a mouthful to say, the test serves three main functions.

1. Practice for the SAT.
We realize that this sounds about as desirable as practicing to go to the dentist. However, the PSAT has many of the same types of questions you'll see on the SAT. And, juniors who took the PSAT scored an average of 127 points higher on the SAT than those who didn't take it. It appears that practice does make perfect.

2. Compare Your Scores.
Taking the PSAT also allows you to gauge how you're performing relative to your peer group. These are the same people with whom you'll be competing for admission spots. Will you be ahead of the national average or behind? It's better to fnd out early with the PSAT.

3. Earn Money for College.
Finally, taking the PSAT gives you the opportunity to qualify for several scholarships, most notably the National Merit Scholarship program. National Merit Scholars earn up to $2,500 a year for school, plus the recognition is an impressive addition to any college application.

The Facts on the PSAT

Is Prepping Worth It?

You won't exactly fnd it shocking that Kaplan—the world's leading test prep company—recommends that you prep for the PSAT. However, you really should.

Even if you don't choose Kaplan, think of the PSAT as low-hanging fruit. A small investment in preparation not only sets the stage for success on the SAT or ACT, it could pay for itself in scholarship money.

Register for the PSAT.
The PSAT is administered on the third Saturday of October and the preceding Wednesday. Registration is completed through your high school guidance offce.

Kaplan's 3 Top PSAT Strategies

1. Know When to Guess.
   On the PSAT, there's a ¼ point penalty for each wrong answer. So, if you can determine that one or more of the answer choices are wrong, then the odds are in your favor and guessing makes sense.
2. Look for Quick Points.
   Your goal on the PSAT is to earn as many points as possible. If the clock starts ticking down, jump to the easy questions and knock them out of the way.
3. Circle the Questions You Skip.
   It sounds silly, but one of the most common mistakes on the PSAT is to fill the right answers into all the wrong spots. Circling any questions you skip prevents you from making costly mistakes on the answer sheet.