When SAT, ACT and PSAT/NMSQT scores matter for college

Start with the college's current policy

An SAT® or ACT® score has different roles at different institutions. These examples were checked November 8, 2026:

• Required: MIT requires SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants. It evaluates scores in context and states no SAT or ACT cutoff or recommended score. MIT Admissions: tests and scores.
• Optional: Bowdoin lets applicants decide whether their SAT or ACT results will be reviewed. Submitted scores are considered with other academic evidence. Bowdoin: test-optional policy and superscoring.
• Not considered for admission: the University of California does not use SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions or scholarship awards. Scores can still have limited uses for eligibility alternatives or placement after enrollment. University of California: first-year application and test scores.

“Optional” and “not considered” therefore call for different actions. An optional policy gives you a submission choice; UC's stated policy does not turn a higher SAT into an admission or scholarship advantage.

Where the PSAT/NMSQT fits

The PSAT/NMSQT® (Preliminary SAT/National Merit® Scholarship Qualifying Test) is one exam, distinct from the SAT. PSAT™ 10 is the same test given to 10th graders in spring, but it does not count for National Merit; our names-and-differences guide also explains PSAT™ 8/9. The PSAT/NMSQT can qualify a student for National Merit. College Board: PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT comparison. Do not treat a PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 result as a substitute where a college explicitly asks for SAT or ACT scores.

See how the National Merit Selection Index works. Recognition and an eventual scholarship depend on additional requirements, so use the precise status you have actually earned rather than treating a score prediction as an award.

Ask the scholarship question separately

For a concrete example of a state award with its own rules, read Florida's Benacquisto and Bright Futures guide. A college's admission testing policy alone does not answer every funding question.

Before planning a retake, make a short list of the current requirements for each college and award: accepted exam, score use, permitted superscoring, reporting method and deadline. Check the linked official pages for your entry year. A test score is one piece of an application, not a guarantee of admission or funding.