You know how busy your student is – lots of homework, extra-curricular activities, time spent with family and friends, and more. Adding a test to the end of that list seems like a bad idea. But it really isn’t.
Though you (or your student) may not believe it, there are lots of benefits to taking the PSAT. Here’s a list of three of them that you should discuss with your student before signing them up and enrolling in PSAT test prep classes.
1. The PSAT helps students plan for college.
If your student is planning on going to college, then the PSAT is a helpful pre-requisite before they take the SAT or ACT. Your student can take these tests without doing the PSAT before. However, there’s no reason to skip the PSAT when it helps students prepare so well for the test-taking environment and test format (which they will encounter at a more rigorous level in college).
The PSAT also helps students qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, which looks great on a college application. Your student can also choose to receive information from colleges when they sign up for the PSAT, an option which may help them make a more informed decision on where to attend.
2. The PSAT doesn’t hurt your student’s grade – it helps it.
Unlike the scores your student will receive on the SAT or ACT, the PSAT score doesn’t have any effect on college entrance. It also doesn’t change any grades your student’s getting in school; if anything, the PSAT tells students the areas they need to work on the most, so they can focus on improving there before they graduate.
This is also really beneficial for your student because improving in their weak areas means they’re more likely to succeed on the SAT or ACT. So really, there’s no reason not to take the test, especially when there’s so much PSAT test prep help available now.
3. The PSAT is easy to study for.
Speaking of PSAT test prep, here’s another reason your student should take the PSAT. Sometimes students think that it’s going to be really difficult to study for tests like this, but fortunately this isn’t the case with the PSAT.
In addition to practice tests students can get online or even from their local school, getting ready for the test is incredibly easy with PSAT test prep classes like the ones we’re offering for free. Signing up for one of these classes will help students feel comfortable and prepared, and will make them less anxious about the test overall.
The PSAT might seem like an added task to your student’s already-busy high school career, but it has so many benefits that you or your student won’t regret taking the test in the end.
Once you’ve decided to sign up your student for the PSAT, make sure to also check out Method Test Prep’s free online classes – including a class just for parents. You can find more information and register for our free webinars at http://methodtestprep.com/psatweek/.
