<p>I took it sophomore year and did horribly because I simply did not care. But now i do. and i would like to know if taking it junior year, given that i score high enough, would qualify me to get the National Merit Scholarship. </p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>ps. I don't know how to word this better. It sounds wierd to me, too.</p>
<p>You can only qualify during your junior year...your sophomore psat score does not count.</p>
<p>the requirement is taking the psat NO LATER THAN the third year of ur high school, regardless of what kind of educational system u attend. that's what the official website of NMS says.</p>
<p>so it'd be definitely qualified.</p>
<p>PSAT can be taken sophomore year, or even freshman year, as a practice test. However, the other posters are correct; you can only qualify for National Merit SemiFinalist with a test score from your junior year in high school. Any other scores from freshman or sophomore years do not count, either for you or against you.</p>
<p>Unless you are finishing high school earlier, it's counted from Junior year.</p>