With the start of the 2024-’25 school year, SIS changed the PSAT exam from mandatory to optional for sophomores.
Previously, SIS had enrolled sophomores to take the PSAT exam automatically. However, due to the redundancy of the PSAT for students who have already taken the SAT and for those without US citizenship, SIS fixed the policy so that only interested students could sign up to take the exam.
“The biggest reason behind the change is because there are a decent number of people in grade 10 that either do not need to or are not interested in taking the PSAT,” Chris Del Vecchio, High School Assistant Principal, said. “That reflects in the fact that we had about 38 students that signed up to take it, which is slightly more than half the class. This means that if we had done it like we did in the past and had automatically registered everyone, then about 50% of students would not have a reason for taking the exam.”
The new policy of the PSAT becoming optional also provides students with the freedom of choosing between whether to take the PSAT or to stay in class. Despite the change, SIS still affords the students the same opportunities.
“The change doesn’t disadvantage anybody that wants to take it,” Mr. Del Vecchio said. “It provides flexibility for students who do not want to take it. By making an opt-in situation, we are preserving access for everybody and paying the test fee for sophomores who still want to take the exam. But for sophomores that know that there is no benefit for them taking it, then we give them the option of staying in class.”
Many students voiced satisfaction about the implementation of the new policy.
“I think the PSAT exam becoming optional is nice,” Kevin Kim (10), a sophomore planning on taking the PSAT, said. “It gives students a chance to focus on things they want to do. A lot of times when the PSAT had been mandatory, it forced students to take the exam, leading to some students not trying as they did not want to take the exam.”
The newly modified system of the PSAT exam marks a dynamic change from the past and a testament to the future. Although many students show approval of the new system, its effectiveness remains to be seen.
