<p>Pardon my ignorance, but I'm new at this.</p>
<p>When does a high school student typically take the PSAT and SAT?</p>
<p>Are there any review books specifically geared towards the PSAT or does the PSAT cover the same material as the SAT?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>The PSAT can be taken for practice in 10th grade but usually in 11th, when scores can compete for national Merit awards. The SAT can be taken by younger kids for talent search programs, but most take it beginning in 11th grade- 12 grade. For good info about all these tests, the College Board itself has its own website, with a pretty comprehensive overview. </p>
<p>Review books: can be gotten in any library, so you can see them before deciding whether to buy them. Yes there are PSAT review books as well as SAT books. Your reference librarian can show you whole shelves of books about testing and college admissions. The neat thing is that the larger libraries usually have the latest editions because there is such a demand for them. To start getting a background about the whole college thing, ask your child's school is they have programs for parents on college admissions- also libraries do this as well.</p>
<p>The PSAT is similar to the SAT, but it's shorter and has no essay (at least that's how it was when I took it). There is no need to study for the PSAT, but scores above a certain level (the exact score varies by state) qualify one to be a National Merit Semifinalist, after which one may be able to win a scholarship. The PSAT is typically taken twice, once at the beginning of Junior year and once at the beginning of Sophmore year. The SAT, if taken twice, is often taken in the winter or spring of Junior year and then fall of senior year.</p>
<p>PSATs are only offered in Oct. Juniors have to take them then to be elibible for National Merit Scholarships. Many school also have sophomores or freshmen take them for practice. There are many schools of thought about the best times to take the SAT and/or ACT. If I had it to do again I'd have had my son do the SAT in Jan. of Junior year and retake in May or June if the scores weren't as good as I hoped, with a final slot available in the fall of senior year. SAT2s are ideally taken in May or June of the year you take the course corresponding to the material. The problem with the SAT is that they will send your colleges all the scores. With the ACT you can choose the best score.</p>
<p>the psat is given every october to sophomores and juniors. however, i recently took it as a freshman</p>
<p>the psat is practically the same thing as the SAT</p>
<p>Thanks! Got it!</p>