That daunting test is over. Juniors have completed their PSATs.

On Oct. 12, students in grades 9 through 11 came to school to take the PSAT. Whether it be your first or third time taking it, the process is still the same. We all sat through almost five hours of testing–but for what? Most people are aware that the PSAT helps prepare you for the SAT you take later in your junior year, but how exactly are you supposed to improve on your weak points?

1. Register for a College Board Account: If you’re enrolled or plan to enroll in an AP class, you’ll need an account to register for AP tests. Besides that, it displays the results of any PSAT test you’ve taken from 8th to 11th grade, along with your SAT score when you take it senior year (many take it junior year). To create an account, go to http://collegeboard.org, click on the “Create an Account” button and it’ll walk you through the whole process.
2. Accessing Your Scores: After logging into or creating your account, you should be able to see a tab on the homepage titled “PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 Scores.” Here, there’s a display page of scores you’ve gotten in your PSAT history. Your most recently taken test is what you want to focus on. If you click on that score report, it’ll redirect you to your scores overview, an in-depth page of score details and section specifics. Using the gray tabs, you can explore overall skill scores to see what you can work on, test questions you missed, skill suggestions for general use and your scores’ NMSC Selection Index, which is mostly used junior year for the National Merit Scholarship program.
3. Connecting With Khan Academy: Well now you know the specifics, but what can you do to improve on those weaker skills? Personally, my favorite tool has always been http://KhanAcademy.org. This website and College Board work together to help you build on skills needed to receive a better score on the SAT. After creating an account, you’re able to link your College Board one and give permission for your scores to be shared to Khan Academy. Following this, you can enroll in the SAT Test Prep course. Taking your scores into account, the website will give you a custom test prep that hones in on those weaker skills needing improvement. You can even create a practice schedule to keep yourself on track and be the most prepared before the real SAT day comes along.

It’s never too early to start preparing for the SAT. If you’re planning to go to college, it’s vital to have at least a decent score. Along with college acceptance, these scores may help with receiving scholarships, such as The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship. Practice makes perfect, so getting started as soon as possible will guarantee your success at the test which we all dread taking.