The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is a co-sponsored program by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). This voluntary standardized test provides firsthand practice for the SAT Reasoning Test. It also gives students a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs. This test is usually administered in mid-October for 10th graders. Early registration is critical. For more information on the PSAT, see the College Board website.