Jean Shankle's Profile

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT^®) is co-sponsored by The College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It is developed, administered, and scored for the co-sponsors by ETS. The PSAT/NMSQT measures critical reading, math, and writing skills that are important for success in college. Critical reading and math sections test a student's ability to reason with facts and concepts; the multiple-choice writing skills component assesses communication skills.

Most students take the test as high school juniors, but some take it as sophomores or in earlier grades. Information obtained for test results can help students plan their education beyond high school. PSAT/NMSQT scores can be used to estimate probable performance on the SAT Reasoning Test^TM.

The PSAT/NMSQT is used by NMSC as an initial screen of entrants in its annual academic competitions for recognition and college scholarships. NMSC receives the scores of all students who take the PSAT/NMSQT. Those who qualify to continue in the competitions receive applications from NMSC.

For more information, visit www.collegeboard.com.