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In Guns & Gossip, Angela overhears Sharon saying, "And they know that he knows and I can't believe he didn't tell them. He got a perfect score on his PSAT's. Do you believe that? Math will be ruined."

Later in So-Called Angels, Brian tells "Jade" about his parents leaving him alone during the holidays, "I thought -- you know -- it'll be great. I'll -- work on my PSATs. It'll be like -- peaceful."

If he already got a perfect score on the PSAT, why would he study to take it again?!

I, as well as others in my high school, took the PSATs in preparation for the SATs several times in order to get a better score.

I took the PSAT too, and then I took the SAT so I get the whole evil that is the Educational Testing Services.

I don't understand why Brian would take the PSAT again if he already got a perfect score the first time. First of all, colleges don't really care about your PSAT scores. If he received a perfect score, he already had preliminary qualification status as a National Merit Scholar. Soooo why would he take the PSAT a second time?

Realistically, wouldn't he studying for the next step - taking the SAT?

candygirl wrote:I don't understand why Brian would take the PSAT again if he already got a perfect score the first time.

Because he's a sophomore. Sophomores often take the PSAT just as practice. But no matter how well they do, they are never allowed to use that score for National Merit. Only junior-year scores count. So Brian will definitely be taking the PSATs again, when he's a junior, to qualify for National Merit.

Still, if he already got a perfect score, why study more? Shouldn't he be able to replicate that, after a year of additional math and reading? I see three options, the first of which seems the least plausible to me:
1. Brian is really -that- neurotic.

2. Sharon was exaggerating when she heard he got a perfect score--maybe he got a perfect score on math but not on verbal, for example, and wanted to study verbal.

3. Brian wasn't really going to study for his PSATs (what's the context in which he says he will? Is it being alone on Xmas?) but it's a convenient thing to say. Even if he told Sharon his score, he might not assume that Angela would know. I imagine Brian might not want it common knowledge -- that's kind of awkward -- or he might forgot that he told Sharon, or whatever. In fact, I could maybe even imagine (this may be a heightened version of how out of touch Brian really is) that Brian was trying to sound more *normal* with this excuse, since it implies he did *not* get a perfect score--without realizing it's *completely* abnormal to study for your 11th grade PSATs over Xmas break of your sophomore year!

lizardcub wrote:Sophomores often take the PSAT just as practice. But no matter how well they do, they are never allowed to use that score for National Merit. Only junior-year scores count. So Brian will definitely be taking the PSATs again, when he's a junior, to qualify for National Merit.

I totally forgot about that - it's been a loooooong time since I was in high school so details like that slip my mind these days.

Now it makes more sense that he has to take it again, but if he got a perfect score before I think that studying some more is just his OCD.