Why should I take the PSAT as a sophomore AND a junior?

I know most people take the PSAT in their junior year, but I've heard of some taking it as a sophomore too. Is there a benefit to this, or is it just extra practice? Like, does it look good for college, or help with scholarships in any way? Would love some insight here, feeling a bit confused.

The idea of taking the PSAT as a sophomore is mainly for practice and to get a sense of the areas where you might need to improve before you take it again in your junior year. The PSAT you take in junior year is the one that qualifies for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which is why it's more significant.

However, taking the test as a sophomore gives you a head start in test preparation and reduces anxiety for the junior year test, since you'll be familiar with the format and the types of questions asked. Additionally, it can serve as a good indicator for how you might perform on the SAT. As for college admissions, the PSAT scores themselves aren't typically a factor in their decisions, yet doing well as a junior can lead to National Merit distinctions, which do garner positive attention and potentially scholarship opportunities. But remember, National Merit recognition is quite competitive, so if you're shooting for that high bar, taking your sophomore year PSAT seriously is probably a good idea, to start building a strong foundation for the real thing as early as possible.

I hope this helps clarify the differences between taking the test sophomore vs junior year for you!