This past Tuesday morning, freshmen had the chance to take the PACT (practice ACT), while sophomores and juniors took the PSAT (practice SAT). These 4-hour tests enabled students to practice and better understand the official SAT or ACT exams, which many will take during their college-application process.
This was the very first year that our high school offered a PACT for freshmen. While it was challenging, the freshmen valued the opportunity to take the exam.
“The PACT was hard because of limited time, and it was very new to me,” said Tali Winer (9th grade), “but I’m glad we took it because I know it will help me prepare for the future of taking these types of tests.”
The tenth-grade students took the PSAT, which was also new to them, and they too appreciated the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the SAT
“I feel like the PSAT prepares you very well because it tests what you know now, and your score shows you what you need to study and improve on before the actual SAT,” said Jonny Gad (10th).
Having taken the same PSAT exam last year, juniors were familiar with the PSAT while taking it on Tuesday morning as well.
“We took the PSAT yesterday. It was pretty difficult, but I learned most of the material which helped me,” said Eli Managed (11th). “It helped me know what to expect on standardized tests and also with choosing whether I’m going to take the SAT or ACT.
Depending on their scores, juniors taking the PSAT are eligible for the National Merit Scholarship, an academic competition for both recognition and university scholarships administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Students were grateful for the opportunity to take these exams and curiously await their scores.
By: Elizabeth Ebner (10th) and Miriam Cohen (10th)