The SAT is the one of the most important and anticipated tests of any high school student. It would be hard to find a school that doesn’t apply to, and North Atlanta only adds to that precedent. So, it makes sense that there are many options for students to use in order to prepare for the test. This includes SAT prep classes, mock tests, guides, packets, and of course, the PSAT. For one day during late October, both sophomores and juniors took upon the task of completing this big practice test. Now that some time has passed since they have done so, do these students feel that it has really left them more prepared for the real thing? Did they find it easier or harder than expected? Do they have an idea of what the next step is after seeing their scores?

Some students think that taking the PSAT has helped them greatly. They feel they better know how to tackle the SAT after taking the practice version of it. “Well, I know how the test looks now. So, now I think I’ll know how to pace myself when the time comes,” said sophomore Chance Crain.

There are also those who were able to identify exactly what areas they need to improve on. They knew what they were both better and worse in. “The reading sections were pretty easy to me, but I was struggling on the math,” said sophomore Tauren Scott.

On the other hand, there were students who felt they didn’t gain much from it. They felt a bit overwhelmed from the scale of the test. “There was so much I just randomly bubbled, I don’t even know where to start. I feel like I’ve never seen a lot of the stuff,” said sophomore Jacob Nelson.

While the experience that students have with the PSAT may vary, it does serve to at least show students what to expect when they take the official SAT. Even if it doesn’t help them specify exactly what they need to study or work on, they won’t have to go in blind after taking it. That’s the overall goal of a practice test, after all. It is to prepare students and give them a taste for what’s to come.