Priscilla Rodriguez of College Readiness Assessments discusses #PSAT #NMSQT for #highschool students
September 30, 2025 • 6 mins
Host Cyrus Webb welcomes Priscilla Rodriguez, Senior Vice President, College Readiness Assessments to Conversations LIVE to discuss PSAT/NMSQT and what high school students should know about its importance and what it can do when preparing for the future.
www.psat.org
www.bigfuture.org
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www.psat.org
www.bigfuture.org
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cyrus-webb-s-tracks--1422267/support.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Conversations Live. I'm your
host servers webs so I'm glad you guys could join
us once again. And it is also International Podcast Day
for the joining us be of the podcast that I
heard radio on Amazon Music. Be glad you all could
be with us as well. This is part of our
news you can Use segment here at WYAD and today
we're talking about helping our students when it comes to
their academic career. And this is a big one for
(00:22):
a lot of people today and that includes testing, taking
the PSAT and the NMSQT is a write a passage
from millions of high school students across the country, especially
in October, connecting them the opportunities and success for life
after high school. Here to talk to us more about
the importance of these tests and exactly what these acronyms
stand for. I had to look it up myself. That's
(00:43):
why we're excited to welcome Priscilla Rodriguez to our podcast today.
Priscilla is a senior vice president for College Readiness Assessments. Priscilla,
thank you so much for the time, really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Well, this is an exciting topic for our audience. I
have to admit, Priscilla, I had to look up the
nms QT. I'd never heard of that one before. So
why don't we start there? What is the PSAT in
MSQT and why is it's so important?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, we're at an important moment, meaning this time of
year for high school students. Throughout the month of October,
millions of tenth and eleventh grade students across the country
are going to take a test called the PSAT MSUT
long name for one test. It stands for Preliminary SAT
National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. So let me kind of
(01:30):
unpack a little bit that why this one test taken
in tenth and eleventh grade matters so much. There's a
few reasons. The first is about the first part of
the name. It is really a great way for students
to prepare for the fat right, the test that they
take a little later in high school as they start
to think about applying to college. The second is about
the second part of that long name, which is about
(01:53):
National Merit, the National Merit Scholarship program. This is the
only test students can take to qualify for that scholarship
and Recognition program and in addition, taking this test can
connect students to talk to three hundred million dollars in
scholarship opportunities. In addition, it's a great way halfway through
high school for students, parents and teachers to see where
(02:14):
students are in their reading, writing, and math learning while
they still have time to focus and improve. And lastly,
it can help identify students who have potential to succeed
in AP or Advanced placement classes. Those are those advanced
classes offered in many high schools where students can get
college credit for them.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Love that and I'm so glad that you talked about
especially the grades there, Priscilla, the tenth and eleventh grade,
so especially for a audience there in high school for
them to be thinking about this. You mentioned, of course
that this test can help in preparing for the SAT.
Talk to us more about that. How can the PSAT
and nms QT help students prepare for the SAT?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah, the PSAT and MSQT is a great way for
students to prepare. Both tests PSAT and FAT are They're
identical in their length, in their structure, in the kinds
of questions, and in the skills they assess. So the
PSAP and them SUT is a great way, a lower
stress way for students to find out what they're going
(03:20):
to see when they take the SAT. And that's because
both are tests of foundational reading, writing, and math skills.
So students get this opportunity in tenth thorugh eleventh grade
to see where they are in their learning, where they
should focus and keep practicing and improving. And then they
get that opportunity a little bit down the road to
take the SAT, which can help them in their college applications.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
And I love and we referenced this, and I'd love
for us to talk a little bit more about this, Priscilla,
about how this can be adored opportunities, especially when it
comes to connecting with colleges. Are you going to talk
more about that the role it plays in college and
career planning.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
That's exactly right. So, as I said, it's great practice
for the SAT, but it's more than just that. The
PSAT and MSUT is really a doorway to opportunity and
to starting conversations about what a student may want to
pursue after high school. So specifically, when students take the
PSAT and MSUT, they get connected to a bunch of
(04:20):
resources and information that we at college Board offer primarily
through a website called Bigfuture dot org. On Big Future,
we have college, career and scholarship search tools that take
students' interest, what they're looking for, what their skills are,
(04:41):
and can really start recommending some different options again college
and career that they may want to look into while
they're in high school, and can connect them to scholarships
to help pay for it.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Now, I'm going to be linking up for audience on
our Facebook page and also for the podcast Priscilla the
Big Future dot or. But where can our audience go
and even their families go for more information about what
we discussed here.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
It's a great question. So the PSAT and MSQT is
a test that's offered to students by their high school.
So parents who have ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders should
ask their high school if they're going to offer the
PSAT and MSUT. And for parents and students who want
more information on the test, what to expect, how to
practice and prepare, how to start connecting with scholarship programs
(05:27):
and colleges, they can go to tsat dot org.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
All right, and we'll make sure that we linked that
up as well. Again everyone, Priscilla Rodriguez has been our guest.
Priscilla's senior vice president of College Readiness Assessments, helping you
guys to get ready when it comes to not only
your student's academic career, but also where they can get help. Priscilla,
thank you so much for the great work you all
are doing and for the time that they really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I do too. Thanks so much more.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Than welcome, and we thank your audience for tuning in
to another great segment of Conversations live again part of
a music and youth segment here at WYAD. Until next time,
I'm your host. Service websiting is always enjoy your day,
enduring your life, enjoy your world. Thank you all for
chusing conversations lives and it's go make today amazing. Take
care
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Conversations Live. I'm your
host servers webs so I'm glad you guys could join
us once again. And it is also International Podcast Day
for the joining us be of the podcast that I
heard radio on Amazon Music. Be glad you all could
be with us as well. This is part of our
news you can Use segment here at WYAD and today
we're talking about helping our students when it comes to
their academic career. And this is a big one for
(00:22):
a lot of people today and that includes testing, taking
the PSAT and the NMSQT is a write a passage
from millions of high school students across the country, especially
in October, connecting them the opportunities and success for life
after high school. Here to talk to us more about
the importance of these tests and exactly what these acronyms
stand for. I had to look it up myself. That's
(00:43):
why we're excited to welcome Priscilla Rodriguez to our podcast today.
Priscilla is a senior vice president for College Readiness Assessments. Priscilla,
thank you so much for the time, really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Well, this is an exciting topic for our audience. I
have to admit, Priscilla, I had to look up the
nms QT. I'd never heard of that one before. So
why don't we start there? What is the PSAT in
MSQT and why is it's so important?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Yeah, we're at an important moment, meaning this time of
year for high school students. Throughout the month of October,
millions of tenth and eleventh grade students across the country
are going to take a test called the PSAT MSUT
long name for one test. It stands for Preliminary SAT
National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. So let me kind of
(01:30):
unpack a little bit that why this one test taken
in tenth and eleventh grade matters so much. There's a
few reasons. The first is about the first part of
the name. It is really a great way for students
to prepare for the fat right, the test that they
take a little later in high school as they start
to think about applying to college. The second is about
the second part of that long name, which is about
(01:53):
National Merit, the National Merit Scholarship program. This is the
only test students can take to qualify for that scholarship
and Recognition program and in addition, taking this test can
connect students to talk to three hundred million dollars in
scholarship opportunities. In addition, it's a great way halfway through
high school for students, parents and teachers to see where
(02:14):
students are in their reading, writing, and math learning while
they still have time to focus and improve. And lastly,
it can help identify students who have potential to succeed
in AP or Advanced placement classes. Those are those advanced
classes offered in many high schools where students can get
college credit for them.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Love that and I'm so glad that you talked about
especially the grades there, Priscilla, the tenth and eleventh grade,
so especially for a audience there in high school for
them to be thinking about this. You mentioned, of course
that this test can help in preparing for the SAT.
Talk to us more about that. How can the PSAT
and nms QT help students prepare for the SAT?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah, the PSAT and MSQT is a great way for
students to prepare. Both tests PSAT and FAT are They're
identical in their length, in their structure, in the kinds
of questions, and in the skills they assess. So the
PSAP and them SUT is a great way, a lower
stress way for students to find out what they're going
(03:20):
to see when they take the SAT. And that's because
both are tests of foundational reading, writing, and math skills.
So students get this opportunity in tenth thorugh eleventh grade
to see where they are in their learning, where they
should focus and keep practicing and improving. And then they
get that opportunity a little bit down the road to
take the SAT, which can help them in their college applications.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
And I love and we referenced this, and I'd love
for us to talk a little bit more about this, Priscilla,
about how this can be adored opportunities, especially when it
comes to connecting with colleges. Are you going to talk
more about that the role it plays in college and
career planning.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
That's exactly right. So, as I said, it's great practice
for the SAT, but it's more than just that. The
PSAT and MSUT is really a doorway to opportunity and
to starting conversations about what a student may want to
pursue after high school. So specifically, when students take the
PSAT and MSUT, they get connected to a bunch of
(04:20):
resources and information that we at college Board offer primarily
through a website called Bigfuture dot org. On Big Future,
we have college, career and scholarship search tools that take
students' interest, what they're looking for, what their skills are,
(04:41):
and can really start recommending some different options again college
and career that they may want to look into while
they're in high school, and can connect them to scholarships
to help pay for it.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Now, I'm going to be linking up for audience on
our Facebook page and also for the podcast Priscilla the
Big Future dot or. But where can our audience go
and even their families go for more information about what
we discussed here.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
It's a great question. So the PSAT and MSQT is
a test that's offered to students by their high school.
So parents who have ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders should
ask their high school if they're going to offer the
PSAT and MSUT. And for parents and students who want
more information on the test, what to expect, how to
practice and prepare, how to start connecting with scholarship programs
(05:27):
and colleges, they can go to tsat dot org.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
All right, and we'll make sure that we linked that
up as well. Again everyone, Priscilla Rodriguez has been our guest.
Priscilla's senior vice president of College Readiness Assessments, helping you
guys to get ready when it comes to not only
your student's academic career, but also where they can get help. Priscilla,
thank you so much for the great work you all
are doing and for the time that they really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I do too. Thanks so much more.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Than welcome, and we thank your audience for tuning in
to another great segment of Conversations live again part of
a music and youth segment here at WYAD. Until next time,
I'm your host. Service websiting is always enjoy your day,
enduring your life, enjoy your world. Thank you all for
chusing conversations lives and it's go make today amazing. Take
care
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