By Anthony Barrett
One test can make all the difference.
On October 14th, 2015 10th and 11th grade students at HHS had the option to take the PSAT exam. Most students decided to take the exam, but some students did not.
The PSAT is a practice exam that is supposed to help prepare students for the SAT. All high schools give students the option to take it. The cost is $20, with a $10 late fee. Upon payment, students receive a practice booklet with common questions that could appear on the test.
The scores from the PSAT are also used to determine eligibility and qualification for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
This year, more than 3.5 million students decided to take the PSAT. 318 of those students were from Hershey High School.
Lisa Maggio, a guidance counselor at HHS, recommends that all students take the exam. Maggio said, “The biggest advantage that the test provides is an indication of where you stand. Since you can see your results, you will get an idea of your strengths and weaknesses.” She also added that colleges can’t see your score, so if you do poorly it won’t affect you.
Sophomore Abby Shapiro opted to take the exam. She found the test beneficial and is more than happy she decided to take it. “The thing I found most helpful is it gave me an idea of the time restrictions,” Shapiro said, “Now I have an idea of how much time I should take on different sections on the real exam.”
In 2015, the SAT was updated. The PSAT will be updated to suit the changes made to the SAT, but that won’t be available for students until the spring of 2016. The current PSAT exam students have been taking hasn’t been updated since 1997.
Sam Cook, sophomore, decided not to take the exam. He cited his main reason was because the exam was outdated. “It was a waste of time to take it this fall. I can always take the newer version this spring when it becomes available.” Cook later added that he did not want an older version of the test confusing him before the new version comes out.
