Getting Ready For the PSAT
October 12, 2012
Tests you’ll be taking this year
• PSAT is October 12th from 1st through 4th periods. Students
will eat during 5th period
• (Bring a check for $22.00 made out to Clayton High School
to the counseling office and give it to Mrs. Hellwig)
• Sophomores – PLAN (Practice ACT) is Nov. 10
• Juniors -Practice ACT is January 11th
• Juniors -Free District-Choice ACT is April 25th
What to bring to the PSAT
• A couple of # 2 pencils
• Calculator
• ID
• Social security # and Email address are
optional
Collegeboard.com
a free resource for students
QuickStart
• 1. Online score report with questions, answers, and
explanations
• 2. Free practice tests
• 3. Personality test
• 4. College majors
• 5. Career matches
• 6. College matches
• Sign up for a SAT
to your email
sent
How is the PSAT scored
• Three subtests with a scale scores of 20 – 80
• Average junior scores are:
Reading – 47
Math – 43
Writing – 46
Total score is the sum of the three: R&M&W
Average of juniors – 136
National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT)
Average NM for Missouri score is 205 - 214
Short-Term Approaches and Strategies
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* Take the practice test in the Official Student Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT.
* Learn the directions for each type of math and critical reading question.
* Try sample questions from past tests.
* Earn as many points as you can on easy questions.
* Read all the answer choices before marking your answer sheet.
* Do your scratch work in the test book.
* Don't feel you have to answer every question.
* Work steadily -- don't waste time on hard questions. You can always go back to
them later.
* Check your answer sheet regularly to make sure you're in the right place.
* Write your answers to grid-ins in the boxes above the ovals.
* Try educated guessing when you can eliminate at least one answer to a
multiple-choice question. Be sure you understand the difference between
educated and random guessing. See below.
* Take a calculator.
About Guessing
• Educated guessing means guessing an answer
whenever you are able to eliminate one or more
of the choices as definitely wrong. Educated
guessing may help you.
• Random guessing probably won't help you
because of the way the test is scored. Random
guessing means that you have no idea which
answer choice is correct. Don't waste time on
that kind of question. Move on to the next one.
Sentence Completions
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1. Read the entire sentence to yourself.
2. Watch for introductory or connecting words
and phrases like "but," "not," "because," etc.
3. In sentences with two blanks, make sure the
words for both blanks make sense in the
sentence.
4. Start by working with one blank at a time.
5. Stay within the meaning of the sentence.
6. Before you mark your answer, read the
complete sentence with your choice filled in.
Passage-Based Readings
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1. Don't skip introductions to passages.
2. Read each passage and any accompanying information
carefully. Follow the author's reasoning and be aware of
features such as assumptions, attitudes, and tone.
3. You may find it helpful to mark the passages as you are reading,
but don't spend too much time making notes.
4. Read each question and all the answer choices carefully.
5. When a question asks you to compare an aspect of a pair of
passages, don't be misled by choices that are correct for only
one of the two passages.
6. Select the choice that best answers the question asked. Don't
select a choice just because it is a true statement.
7. You may find it helpful to read the questions first to get an idea
of what to look for. Or, you may prefer to read the passage and
try to answer the questions.
Math Multiple Choice
• 1. Look at the answer choices before you begin
to work on each question.
• 2. Read each question carefully, even if it looks
like a question you don't think you can answer.
Don't let the form of the question keep you from
trying to answer it.
• 3. If your answer isn't among the choices, try
writing it in a different form. You may have the
same answer in a different mathematical format.
Grid-Ins
Student-Produced Response
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1. Since answer choices aren't given, a calculator may be helpful in avoiding
careless mistakes on these questions.
2. It's suggested that you write your answer in the boxes above the grid to avoid
errors in gridding.
3. The grid can hold only four places and can accommodate only positive
numbers and zero.
4. Do not worry about which column to begin gridding the answer. As long as the
answer is gridded completely, you will receive credit.
5. Unless a problem indicates otherwise, an answer can be entered on the grid
either as a decimal or as a fraction.
6. You don't have to reduce fractions like 3/24 to their lowest terms.
7. Convert all mixed numbers to improper fractions before gridding the answer.
8. If the answer is a repeating decimal, you must grid the most accurate value the
grid will accommodate.
9. Some questions may have more than one right answer.
10. You don't lose any points for a wrong answer.
Identifying Sentence Errors
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1. Read the entire sentence carefully but quickly.
2. Look at choices (A) through (D) to see whether
anything needs to be changed to make the sentence
correct.
3. Don't waste time searching for errors. Mark (E) No
error, on your answer sheet if you believe the sentence
is correct as written.
4. Move quickly through questions about Identifying
Sentence Errors. The other kinds of questions
(Improving Sentences and Improving Paragraphs) will
probably take more time.
5. Mark questions that seem hard for you and return to
them later.
Improving Sentences
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1. Read the entire sentence carefully but quickly. Note the
underlined portion because that is the portion that may have
to be revised.
2. Remember that the portion with no underline stays the same.
3. Mark choice (A) if the underlined portion seems correct. Check
the other choices quickly to make sure that (A) is really the best
choice.
4. Think of how you would revise the underlined portion if it
seems wrong. Look for your revision among the choices given.
5. Replace the underlined portion of the sentence with choices (B)
through (E) if you don't find your revision. Concentrate on the
choices that seem clear and exact when you read them.
• Eat a good breakfast on the morning of the
test.
• Get plenty of sleep the night before.
• Do not “stress” over standardized test-taking.
Prepare yourself for the kind of questions that
will be asked by reviewing the PSAT prep
booklet that we are handing out today.