My school has students take the PSAT in 10th grade and only the SAT in 11th. I read earlier online that for the Merit Scholarship Program, you must take the PSAT as a junior in fall. Am I missing some correlation here or will I not have a chance at the Merit Scholarship since I only take the PSAT as a 10th grader?
@steve0615 no you aren’t messing any thing. Only the PSAT in 11 grade will count for National Merit. Double check with your school that won’t let you take it in 11th grade, if they won’t make arrangements to take it at another school.
The year before last our school refused to let my then 10th grader take the PSAT and I really wanted him to take it for practice since it was the first year of the new test. I pulled him out of school for half the day and had him take the test with the district homeschoolers.
I’m pretty sure you can only be eligible for National Merit if you take the PSAT as a junior. My school does the same thing - PSAT in 10th, SAT in 11th. But we have the option as juniors to take the PSAT (and pay $15 I believe? the district paid for sophomores) on the off chance that we qualify for the scholarship. My advice would be to talk to guidance or whoever is in charge of testing and ask them if you can pay to take the PSAT as an 11th grader. If not, it’s no big deal. But it is good practice for the actual SAT, so if you have the opportunity to take it a second time, do so.
I expect your school does let you take the PSAT in 11th, it is 10th that is a real treat IMO. Schools don’t have to do that, so if your school does, it would seem highly unlikely there is no 11th option.