(NAPSA)—Theearlier you prepare the better you'll do later on. That’s the premise of the new college preparation test programs available to high school students. A new service, called Score Report Plus, is being introduced by the College Board, which sponsors the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)”. High school students who take the PSAT/NMSQTtest to hone their pre-SAT skills and to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program, will receive detailed personalized advice from the College Board on how to improve their verbal, math and writing skills. The test results will reflect the student’s performance on each of the three parts of the PSAT/NMSQTtest. Examples will be given of steps a student can take to improve his or her skills. In addition, the new Score Report Plus report will include feedback on each test question, projected SAT scores and advice on how to prepare for an intended major and career. “Students want specific information on how they can get ready for college,” said Beth Robinson, who heads the PSAT/NMSQT program for the College Board. “It’s not enough to tell a student ‘improve your reading skills,’ ‘solve problems better’ or ‘plan your course work.’ “The earlier this information gets to students,” Robinson added, “the more time they have to Educators can use Score Report Plus to help students improve. improve their skills and prepare for college.” Sophomoresalso benefit this year from the addition of sophomorepercentiles on their reports, which will enable them to compare their test results to those of their peers—a comparison that in the past was only available to juniors. This year’s test dates for the 130-minute PSAT/NMSQTtests are October 16th and October 20th. Students must register for the test at their high schools. To prepare, the College Board urges students to take demanding academic courses and to read challenging literature. The Board also suggests students take the free practice test and pay attention to the tips in the materials they receive upon registration. It is also recommended that students practice answering questions and read relevant preparation information posted on the Website: www.collegeboard.com.
