The word most dreaded by students of all ages: tests. While most people don’t necessarily look forward to them, tests are often an integral part of college applications, and practice tests like the PSAT or PLAN be invaluable preparation when taking the SAT or ACT is required. The PSAT and the PLAN are separate exams, but can helpful for when students prepare for the real SAT or ACT. At least one of these exams is usually offered through your high school. But what exactly are they?
What’s the PSAT?
The PSAT is the practice version of the SAT. There are sections for Evidenced Based Reading, Writing and Language, and two math sections (one with a calculator and one without a calculator). The highest possible score is 1520, which is lower than the SAT maximum score of a 1600. Depending on how a student does on the PSAT, they may be eligible for a National Merit Scholarship in their junior year of high school. Being the recipient of a National Merit Scholarship can look excellent on a resume, in concert with other qualities like strong academics and participation in extracurricular activities.
What’s the PLAN?
The PLAN is the practice version of the ACT. It is also occasionally referred to as the PACT and colloquially called the “Pre-ACT,” and consists of math, reading, science and English sections. The PLAN exam — administered to tenth grade students — is meant to help students measure their academic development and make plans their high school and post-high school years. Most students take the PLAN to prepare for the ACT.
Why should I take them and how will it go?
Resources exist to help students prepare for both exams, but preparation is not required in order to do well. These exams can be helpful to students by illuminating areas to focus on while preparing for the SAT or the ACT. It is difficult to predict how a student will do on the SAT or ACT based solely on their PSAT or PLAN score. Some students’ predicted scores correlate closely with their actual scores, while others do markedly better or worse.
There are many factors that may affect a student on test day, including but not limited to nerves, hunger, or extraneous circumstances. But for many students, taking either test is useful practice for the SAT, ACT, and other exams. Some students take the PSAT/PLAN or the SAT/ACT before their junior year and many others wait until their junior year, so everyone’s testing journey is a bit different.
Tests can be easy, hard or a bit of both, but preparation is always a massive help. Even though the UVA admission team does not use students’ PSAT or PLAN scores, some outside scholarships can be linked to them — so if taking them fits into your journey, then go ahead and give it a shot! Don’t be afraid to ask your guidance counselor for help or to look up other options; you can also use the following official resources provided by CollegeBoard and the ACT: