Since 1971, the PSAT/NMSQT—or the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test—has been a standardized test given out every fall. Approximately 3.5 million students take the PSAT each year. The test consists of three sections: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing Skills. In all, the test takes approximately two hours and ten minutes to complete. The questions are multiple choice, except for ten open ended questions in the math sections. One math section allows the use of a calculator and the other does not. The test has changed frequently overtime. Before 1997, there were only two sections of the test: Math and Verbal sections. The Writing section was introduced in 1997. The format of the PSAT has been changed for 2016 to reflect
