School-wide testing is quickly approaching on October 15 for all students at Sandpoint High School.

Freshmen will be taking a test called the “ReadiStep”  that serves as an earlier preliminary test for the SAT. The ReadiStep is also designed by The College Board, which produces the SAT and PSAT, but is geared toward entry-level high school students as a first step on the path to college readiness.

In addition, the sophomores and juniors will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT test. For the sophomores, taking the PSAT is mainly a learning experience that will help prepare sophomores to take the test as a junior.

As juniors, the PSAT is “a high stakes test…that can qualify [juniors] for the National Merit Scholarship,” said Debra Nusbaum, the junior class guidance counselor. Juniors who score in the higher percentiles on the PSAT may qualify for several types of scholarships offered by The College Board or may become National Merit Semifinalists or Finalists.

With underclassmen and juniors in school taking tests, the senior class will be off-campus on this day at the Bulldog Finance Fair, and seniors should prepare to dress in business-casual attire for this event.

As with any school day, and testing days in particular, Nusbaum encouraged students to “get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast (include protein) and drink plenty of water.”