The PSAT, or preliminary SAT, is a smaller version of the SAT exam that students will take during their high school career. The exam itself can be taken every year, but will only count during the junior year. The PSAT is a shorter exam and doesn’t have an essay. The exam is also out of 228 index score and 1520 points. Unfortunately this exam will only be significant for a student if he/she achieves a PSAT national merit score his junior year. If he/she fails to achieve such a score his PSAT score is not reported to colleges. Students who do achieve such a score though have earned a great distinction as very few students from each state actually do meet this score benchmark, helping to distinguish applicants from each other.