Thousands of Oklahoma high school students take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test each year. Officially, it’s called the PSAT/NMSQT^®.

Educators identify the PSAT as a dress rehearsal for the SAT, which is one of two nationally recognized, standardized college-entrance exams. The other is the ACT (or American College Testing). The PSAT exam is similar to the SAT too because it has the same number of sections and timing.

Less than 1% of each year’s graduating classes qualify as National Merit semifinalists. Three classmates have done so in Canadian Valley Technology Center’s afternoon Pre-Engineering program at the El Reno Campus.

Anjalina Thomas, of Yukon, Caleb Houston, of Piedmont and Micah Roberts, of Mustang, are classmates in CV Tech’s afternoon Pre-Engineering program.

Houston said he has not determined which engineering field to pursue at the college level. His recent perfect composite score of 36 on the ACT should help attract college suitors. Just one-quarter of 1 percent of all test-takers score a 36, according to PrepScholar, a for-profit e-learning platform which provides college admissions consulting, tutoring and entrance exam test prep materials.

Thomas said she plans to pursue mechanical engineering in college.

Roberts said he wants to become a video game programmer. He was first attracted to CV Tech’s Pre-Engineering program because of the advanced math and science it offers, he said.

Only Semifinalists have an opportunity to advance in the competition for Merit Scholarship^® awards, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.