It was rise and shine on an early Wednesday morning for ODA students. Wednesday, October 24th students took the PSAT.

The PSAT is a two hour and 45 minute journey of a test taken by 3.5 million Sophomores and Juniors in the United States every year.  The PSAT tests the students ability on reading, writing, and mathematics.

The PSAT is run by the College Board. Though the PSAT is a practice test for the SAT, scores determine candidates for the National Merit Scholarship which consists of rewards of $180 million in scholarships to students.

Some students like to blow it off and rush through the test while others take it very seriously to get an advantage on the SAT.

“You get to see what the questions are like,” says Senior Hayden Kennelly.

Although the PSAT is only a practice test that does not mean you should not prepare for it. Websites like Khan-academy and RevolutionPrep are great resources to come out on top of the competition.

“We take the PSAT to help be prepared for the real one,” says Junior Max Munroe.

So why do specifically ODA students take the PSAT?

“Students take the PSAT because of the National Merit scholarship and it gives college counseling some insight on where you stand,” says teacher Ken Sommers.

Every year the PSAT is different from the last. The prompts and topics change. A big part of how well you do on a particular section is how well you can comprehend what is given to you. If you do not understand what is given you will not be able to answer the questions.

“It was easier than last year, the prompts given to us were more relatable,” says Junior Tina Alvarez.

Your PSAT scores will reveal what skills you need to improve upon before the SAT.

The scores will be released on December 12th in your College Board account.