Every year the students here at AHS participate in the PSAT and SAT tests.

The SAT is a standardized entrance exam introduced in 1926 used by almost every college and university to make decisions on who will be allowed to attend their school.

The freshman, sophomores, and juniors take the PSAT test as a practice test to prepare them for the SAT test. Their W4 teachers hand out the testing packet during that class period and since it is a practice test, they are only given the amount of time in W4 and Pride Time to complete the test.

Each student has an option on whether they want to take the PSAT or not but, most students decide to take it so they know what to expect once it is their time to take the actual SAT.

The SAT test consists of four sections which are reading, writing and language, math, and an optional essay.  For the most part, the test is multiple choice other than some free response questions.

Although the entire test is three hours long, each section has a certain time limit that the students need to be done by. If you decide to write the essay you get an extra 50 minutes added onto your testing time.  

“Being timed on every section is probably one of the most stressful things about the SAT test,” senior, Aileen Obregon, stated.

There are some schools like New York University, Arizona State University, George Washington University, and many more that do not require you to hand in your SAT scores.

These schools focus mainly on the grades you have received during high school. Some students try to apply to these schools to avoid the stress of taking the SAT test.

The highest score you can receive from the SAT is a 1600 but most students average a score around 1060. “My goal is to get a 1300 on the sat test because that is what Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)  looks for,” said senior, Caitlin Naranja.

As the underclassmen prepare to take the PSAT, our upperclassmen are studying hard to do their best on the SAT.