On Oct. 29, the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) will hold the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT). Redwood High School, Tamalpais High School, and Archie Williams will host testing, free of charge for students for the first time in district history. All registered Archie Williams sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT at Archie Williams from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Archie Williams students should arrive at the Devonshire building at 8:15 where they will take the test in room 601. Registration for the test closed on Sept. 15th, but students who missed the deadline may find an alternative means of taking the PSAT through different providers.
The College Board’s fall Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)/PSAT test administration works with schools offering the PSAT and SAT during the school day, with TUHSD SAT administration taking place Wednesday, Oct. 30. Archie Williams students will take both the PSAT and the SAT digitally. Test takers may come equipped with a sharpened pencil and calculator, but both will be provided.
Traditionally, the PSAT is a resource for students looking to set a benchmark for improvement before the SAT. The College Board provides test takers with a comprehensive report of their performance, which highlights areas of weakness and necessary study topics to improve their future PSAT or SAT scores. High PSAT scores can also qualify students for a National Merit Scholarship.
Archie Williams College and Career Specialist Lisa Neumaier has seen many students work through the PSAT testing process during her time working in education. Neumaier believes that the test offers helpful insight for future standardized testing decisions for juniors, and a basic study plan for sophomores wanting to take the PSAT again next year.
“The concept [of the PSAT] is to give students an opportunity to see what kinds of questions are on the tests like this and see where they’re at, see how they are doing knowledge-wise, and if they want to take the [SAT] down the road,” Neumaier said.
The College Board has administered the PSAT to American high school students every fall since 1971. The PSAT includes the same content as the regular SAT and uses slightly different scoring. Content-wise, it is identical to the PSAT 10, which is offered for sophomores in the spring. Similar to the SAT, the PSAT went digital during the fall of 2023.
The PSAT includes a total of 98 questions and takes two hours and 14 minutes to complete, which is 15 minutes shorter than the SAT. Students are given 64 minutes for the Math section and 70 for the Reading and Writing section.
The PSAT is graded on a scale of 320-1520, while the SAT is graded on a scale of 400-1600. TUHSD students will receive their scores on Nov. 14. According to the College Board, the average score for sophomores and juniors is 920, and a score between 1210 and 1520 will place students in the 90th percentile of test takers.
For Archie Williams students looking to take the SAT or qualify for merit scholarships, the PSAT this October will serve as a helpful benchmark for sophomores going into blindly. Sophomore Sola Striebeck hopes the PSAT will give her a feel for the formatting of other exams like the SAT or ACT.
“My mom encouraged me to do the [PSAT as a sophomore]…that way next year, I can be more successful in passing the PSAT, [and get a higher score],” Sola said.
In addition to serving as a practice test for the SAT, students’ PSAT scores determine their qualification for the National Merit Scholars Program, which offers college undergraduate scholarships. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a non-profit organization, hosts the annual academic competition. This allows the PSAT to determine if students qualify for one of the 7,580 scholarships available nationwide in 2026.
Neumaier rarely recommends students take the PSAT junior year, unless they plan on applying to a college that requires taking the SAT, where it can be good for practice.
“[When] I am having meetings with students and they’re talking about testing, one of my first questions is, ‘Are you applying to a school that needs testing?’” Neumaier said.
Now that the PSAT is free to TUHSD students, Archie Williams students feel the process of standardized testing has been helpfully simplified. Sophomore Zoe Levi will take the PSAT this October and has a healthy attitude towards preparing for the test. She aims to gain experience by taking the test rather than through studying.
“It’s really great that [the PSAT is] free this year, because it’s my first time [taking the PSAT], so I really haven’t had to deal with paying for a test before,” Zoe said. “My sister’s taking the SAT, and she took the PSAT last year, and she’s studying every weekend. Whether or not the score matters… it’s just good to get the gist of that for college-run essays.”
If anyone wanting to take the PSAT missed the deadline for registration, there are other providers. For those looking for standardized test practice, Lisa Neumier will host an unofficial “mock” SAT test program that provides students with a detailed score report later in the year.
Not all sophomores taking the PSAT may benefit from taking extra steps to study, as it is not guaranteed to increase their official PSAT score. However, studying is a valuable learning opportunity. When unprepared, the personalized study plan given to students post-test will more accurately display their strengths and weaknesses, showing students what they need to do to improve future scores.
