The dreaded “PSAT” conjures up a negative image for many sophomore and junior students. Waking up dreadfully early on a Saturday, being seated for three and a half hours, furiously working against time to complete ten sections on Critical Reading, Writing, and Math. The anxious anticipation for the scores to arrive. Not the ideal way to spend a Saturday; however, for the first time in more than a decade, the PSAT/NMSQT is being administered during school at Hawthorne High School.

The PSAT/NMSQT (also known as the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is, in essence, a practice SAT, which serves to give prospective SAT-takers a feel for the format of the SAT. The test also serves as a scholarship qualification test for juniors, who receive a merit-based scholarship if their score exceeds the qualification cut-off in their state. In Hawthorne, for the past two decades, the PSAT has been administered on a Saturday morning.

This year, Hawthorne has chosen to do away with the traditional Saturday morning PSAT, opting for administering the test during school. This comes as a pleasant surprise to upperclassmen, who, in addition to freshmen, will come into school at a later time and follow a delayed-opening schedule.

“I think it is wonderful that the PSATs are being administered during the school day, as opposed to on a Saturday. This benefits both test-takers, who won’t have to wake up early on a Saturday, and non-test-takers, who get more time to rest,” remarked senior, Leah Matari, on the change.

Giving the test during school also allows for students to get the best practice out of it. Michael Galluccio, head of the Hawthorne High School Guidance Department, also highlighted the importance of the test, saying, “I think that it is a very good idea that juniors are taking the PSATs…in order for them to be prepared, they should be exposed to a practice test.” The test was administered on Wednesday, October 14^th.