The SAT is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States.  It is intended to assess students’ readiness for college.  The test is a multiple-choice, computer-based test.  La Porte ISD offers an School Day SAT in the spring for juniors at no cost.

The Preliminary SAT, also known as the PSAT/NMSQT® (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test), is a practice version of the SAT exam. You can only take the PSAT once per year, and many students take the test in both 10th and 11th grade. If you earn a high score on the PSAT your junior year, you could qualify to receive a National Merit Scholarship—$180 million dollars in merit scholarships are awarded to students each year. The PSAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes long and tests your skills in reading, writing, and math. Unlike the SAT, the highest score possible on the PSAT is 1520.

The PSAT is a predictor of a student's score on the SAT.  Students may use the results of the PSAT to identify strengths and weaknesses in preparation for a higher score on the SAT. La Porte ISD offers the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall to eligible 10^th and 11^th graders for no cost.

he PSAT 8/9 is the first exam in the College Board's "SAT Suite of Assessments" and is offered to eighth and ninth graders. The purpose of the PSAT 8/9 is to establish a starting point in terms of college and career readiness as students transition to high school. It's a way for students to practice for the PSAT 10, the PSAT/NMSQT, and the SAT. Like those other exams, as of 2024, the PSAT 8/9 is fully digital and taken on computer.  La Porte offers the PSAT 8/9 to eligible 8^th graders in the fall each year at no cost.