The PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is administered by the College Board for high school students primarily in the fall of their sophomore or junior year. Its three basic sections mirror those of the SAT; students receive scores in Math, Critical Reading, and Writing Skills. Each section is scored on a scale of 20 to 80, with a maximum possible composite score (or Selection Index) of 240.

The PSAT is worth taking seriously for two main reasons: it constitutes a solid practice round for the SAT, and it qualifies high-scoring juniors for the coveted National Merit Scholarship. Each state determines its own Selection Index cutoff based on the top one percent of scores. Students above this cutoff become National Merit Semifinalists and may apply to become Finalists. (This process is by and large a formality, since about 15,000 of 16,000 Semifinalists become Finalists.)

There are a few important differences between the PSAT and the SAT. The PSAT is by far the shorter test, completed in a brisk two hours and ten minutes. Unlike its more advanced sibling, the PSAT does not include higher-level math concepts from Algebra II and Pre-Calculus. The essay section, a prominent portion of the SAT Writing, is nowhere to be found on the PSAT.