The PSATs. The only test that causes equal amounts of stress, excitement, and memes. It’s been so long since we’ve taken it that you may have forgotten. And that’s okay, because your score doesn’t count for anything! But if you do remember the test, and are curious about your score, you will be happy to hear that Oakton students can access their scores starting this Wednesday, December 13th. However, unlike all of the tests and quizzes you take in class, your score is not going to be posted to SIS, or told to you by a teacher. You have to seek out your score yourself. Luckily, all you have to do is follow the simple steps below.

Step One: Go to collegeboard.com

Step Two: Create an account, following the instructions on the screen.

Step Three: Once you log into your new account, the screen will read “Hi, (your name)!” Under your name will be links to scores from the different tests. Click on the link that reads “PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9 Scores” and your scores will appear!

What do the numbers mean?

Now that you see your score, you might be a little bit confused. Percentages? Luckily, it’s easier than it seems to decode. You can see your score, which will be anything from 160 to 760, for each of the categories (reading and writing, and math), and your total score, which will be anywhere from 320-1520. As you may recall, there weren’t 1,520 questions- each question is weighted differently in your score. The percentages above the number score are not what percent of the questions you got right, but the percent of the country that got a lower score than you. For example, if it says 50%, it means that you got a higher score than half the people who took the test this year. For a more detailed explanation of your score, you can read this booklet.

Not happy with your score? Don’t worry about it. The good news is, your PSAT score doesn’t count for anything. It’s not being graded; it won’t affect your GPA. Colleges don’t have to see it, either. It’s just for practice, for students to get used to taking a test like that, which is hard to do. So congratulations for taking it!