Last Saturday brought an early wake-up call for the junior class, and the PSAT proctors were at NASH to greet them. Students who voluntarily took the exam were expected to be ready inside of the test room at approximately 7:15 in the morning. The PSAT exam ended around 11:30, lasting about four hours.  

The exam itself brought mixed feelings.

For most, the PSAT is a practice test, measuring students’ strengths and weaknesses in advance of the SAT.

With the pressure at a minimum, NASH junior Ariana Schiller chose not to study for the exam.

“I wanted to see how well I would do with my own knowledge, so I can find what I need to study for the real SAT,” Schiller said.  “The test was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be.”

Schiller did admit, however, that, at times throughout each section of the test, she felt “very timed-stressed.” 

NASH junior Thomas Thirkella studied in advance for the PSAT, but when he left NASH around noon on Saturday, he was disappointed.

“I regret the amount of time I put into studying,” he said. “I could have focused more on my schoolwork rather than worrying about another standardized test. I think I did terrible anyway, so my efforts didn’t really matter.” 

For a select few juniors, however, the PSAT holds much importance. For test takers with the potential for a high score, the PSAT is an opportunity to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship.

Junior Yuvan Suresh has been studying for the PSATs since his sophomore year.

“Although my parents played a huge role in pushing me [to make an attempt at earning a National Merit Scholarship], I, on my own, was the most determined to work for it,” Suresh said.

If he were to receive the award, Suresh added, “I would apply to all of my dream schools, and assuming I get accepted to at least one, I can hopefully be able to pay for some of my education.” 

Suresh was thrilled with his PSAT performance on Saturday.

“My long hours of preparation, I feel like they definitely paid off,” he said.