The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test administered by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation that assesses reading, writing and math.

If the student takes the test in the 11th grade, the scores from the PSAT/NMSQT are used to determine eligibility and qualification for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

The scores are also good indicators of how the student will perform on college entrance exams such as the SAT.

PSAT Structure and Format

The PSAT measures performance in reading, writing and math. The test consists of 5 sections.

The two 25-minute reading sections include reading passages and sentence completion.

The one 30-minute writing section includes multiple-choice questions on identifying errors and improving grammar and usage.

The two 25-minute math sections include questions on arithmetic, algebra and geometry. The total test time is 2 hours and 10 minutes.

The PSAT has a possible score of 240.

The scores for each section range from 160- 760, adding up to a maximum score of 1520.

The test is mostly multiple-choice, but there are 4 grid-in math questions at the end of each math section that require takers to enter their responses on a grid.