Hi friends! I've seen the term 'NMSQT' thrown around and I'm not sure what it stands for. Could someone explain what NMSQT is and how it's related to the PSAT?
NMSQT stands for National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It is administered in conjunction with the Preliminary SAT, or PSAT. Essentially, when you take the PSAT in your 11th grade year, you are also taking the NMSQT.
This test serves two primary purposes. First, it provides students with a practice opportunity for the actual SAT. The scores you receive can help you understand potential areas of improvement before you take the SAT.
Second, by taking the PSAT/NMSQT, you get a chance to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship program. This program is highly competitive and recognizes top performers on the PSAT/NMSQT nationwide. If you score within the top 1% of students in your state, you could become a National Merit Semifinalist, and then you can potentially move on to become a National Merit Finalist and qualify for scholarships.
While the score cutoffs vary from year to year, CollegeVine's blog can give you a general sense of how you'd need to do on the PSAT in your particular state to be named a Semifinalist: https://blog.collegevine.com/national-merit-cutoffs/. Best of luck!
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