SOPHOMORE
PRESENTATION
SEPTEMBER, 2015
PSAT/NMSQT
● Wednesday, October 14
● NDP
● Two #2 Pencils
● Scientific or Graphing Calculator
● Good night’s sleep and hearty breakfast
What is the PSAT?
● Measures academic skills you’ll need for college
● Co-sponsored by the College Board and National Merit
Scholarship Corporation
● Serves as an entry point to National Merit Scholarship
Corporation competitions (as a junior) and practice for the SAT
● Approximately 3.5 million students participate each year (44%
eleventh-graders and 56% tenth-graders or younger)
National Merit Scholarship
You will be taking a practice PSAT as a sophomore, however you will take the PSAT to qualify
for the National Merit in the Fall of your junior year. If you meet some basic requirements and
score in the top 1%, you will be named a National Merit Semifinalist.
What does being a Semifinalist mean? First, it means you scored higher than 99% of all
juniors who took the PSAT! Of the 1.5 million students who take the PSAT, 16,000 become
Semifinalists. Being named a Semifinalist is a huge academic achievement and will enhance
your college applications.
It also means that you can apply to be a Finalist and potentially win a scholarship from the
National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) or Special Scholarships sponsored by
corporations and businesses.
Benefits of the PSAT
● Preparation for the junior PSAT and SAT
● Scholarship and recognition opportunitiesNational Merit
● College and career planning tools
● Admissions and financial aid information
from colleges
● Feedback on academic skills
What Skills Are Tested on the PSAT?
● Measures reading, writing and language, and
math skills developed over many years, both in
and out of school.
● Measures your reasoning and critical thinking
skills.
Changes to the PSAT
Changes in Format
The new redesigned PSAT is 35 minutes longer than the old
PSAT. It clocks in at 2 hours and 45 minutes, rather than 2
hours and 10 minutes.
Instead of 5 multiple choice answers, the new PSAT offers only
4. This means you have a better chance of getting the answer
right if you guess!
Changes Continued
The following chart breaks down the time and number of questions per section:
Section
Time
Number of Questions
Reading
60 minutes
47 questions
Writing and Language
35 minutes
44 questions
Math
70 minutes
47 questions
Total
165 minutes
138 questions
Reading Section
● All Reading Test questions are multiple choice and
based on passages.
● Some passages are paired with other passages or
informational graphics, such as charts, graphs, and
tables.
● No mathematical computation is required.
● Prior topic-specific knowledge is never tested.
Math Section
There are 40 multiple-choice questions and 8 student-produced response
questions.
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Allotted Time-no calculator: 25 minutes
Allotted Time-calculator: 45 minutes
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Measures Math skills across four areas:
-Heart of Algebra
-Problem Solving and Data Analysis
-Passport to Advanced Math
-Additional Topics in Math (such as Pythagorean theorem)
WRITING AND LANGUAGE SECTION
● 44 passage-based revising and editing questions with
multiple-choice responses
● You will be asked to make revising and editing
decisions to improve the text within a passage.
Sample Question
MATH:
A babysitter earns $8 an hour for babysitting 2 children and an additional $3 tip
when both children are put to bed on time. If the babysitter gets the children to
bed on time, what expression could be used to determine how much the
babysitter earned?
A) 8 +3 x , where x is the number of hours
B) 3 +8 x , where x is the number of hours
C) x(8 + 2) + 3, where x is the number of children
D) 3 + (8 + 2) x , where x is the number of children
ANSWER:
Item Difficulty: Easy
Content: Heart of Algebra
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. Let x be the number of hours that the babysitter
worked. Since the babysitter earns money at a rate of $8 per hour, she earned
8x dollars for the x hours worked. If the babysitter gets both children to bed on
time, the babysitter earns an additional $3 tip. Therefore, the babysitter earned
a total amount of 8x + 3 dollars.
Choice A is incorrect since the tip and the rate per hour have been
interchanged in the expression. Choices C and D are incorrect since the
number of children is not part of how the babysitter’s earnings are calculated.
How is Your PSAT Scored?
There will be two scores: one for math and one for reading/writing, each on a
scale from 160-760.
●
The PSAT and SAT will share a common score scale. The PSAT score is designed
to predict a future SAT score. The top score for the PSAT is 1560 while the top
score for the SAT is 1600.
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Subscores and cross-test scores will be added for greater insight.
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THERE WON’T BE A PENALTY FOR GUESSING - so it makes sense to give the
best answer you can to every question, even if it is your best guess.
Prepping for the PSAT
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College Board website - www.collegeboard.org has now teamed up with
Khan Academy for free test prep
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PSAT Practice Exam Booklet or free online tests through collegeboard
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Kaplan Test Prep is offering FREE PSAT cram sessions for students
looking to learn about the new PSAT prior to the October test. These 90
minute long sessions include information about test content, test-taking
strategies, and help students prepare a study plan prior to test day.
Register online and choose a cram session at kaptest.com/psatcram.
When Will You Take the SAT/ACT?
Most students take the SAT/ ACT starting in Spring of Junior year and make
take additional tests through senior year depending on college deadlines.
* Consider taking SAT Subject Tests Sophomore and Junior year
ACT TEST DATES
SAT TEST DATES
TEST DATE
*Collegeboard does not have official dates yet
September 10, 2016
October 22, 2016
December 10, 2016
February 11, 2017*
April 8, 2017
June 10, 2017
TEST DATE
October , 2016
November, 2016
December, 2016
January, 2017
March, 2017
May, 2017
June, 2017
COLLEGE FAIRS
Scottsdale College Fair
Saturday, September 26, from 1-3 p.m.
Saguaro High School
Phoenix National College Fair
Sunday, September 27, from 11-3 p.m.
Phoenix Convention Center
Brophy/Xavier College Fair
Monday, September 28, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Brophy Prep
Phoenix Area Christian College Fair
Monday, October 19, from 6-8 p.m.
Valley Christian High School
Phoenix National College Fair
The Phoenix National College Fair
Sunday, September 27, from 11-3 p.m.
Phoenix Convention Center
Over 200 schools will be there
Pre-register at:
https://www.gotomyncf.
com/Registration/EventSelectForState?
stateName+All&grdSelectEvents-page=1
How to Sign Up for College Visits
STEP 1: Log in to your Naviance
account and click the COLLEGES
tab towards the top of your screen.
SOPHOMORES ARE ALLOWED
TO SIGN UP FOR 3 VISITS!
*Red Passes will be sent A period
*Must sign up 24 hours in advance
STEP 2: On the right hand side, locate the section labeled
“UPCOMING COLLEGE VISTS”... Click VIEW ALL
STEP 3:Search for the colleges you are interested in and click SIGN UP
STEP 4: Once on the sign-up confirmation page click the SIGN ME
UP button one more time to confirm your registration.
Naviance continued …
EVERYONE TAKE OUT YOUR IPADS!
You can choose to attend up to 3 Rep visits...choose them now!
Add schools of interest to your “colleges I am thinking about” list.
If a school is coming to visit or if they have any enrichment or
summer programs you will be notified!
College Visit Etiquette
Just like learn-ing about table man-ners, proper introductions, and social graces, there are
some things you can do to make your college visit expe-ri-ence as success-ful as possible.
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Remember you are representing Notre Dame Preparatory! Be courteous, kind, and
respectful.
Make sure to turn off your cell-phones and give your undivided attention.
Introduce yourself! Remember that first impressions are important. The representative
visiting is usually the person who reads your application for admission!
Come prepared with questions to show the representative that you are interested in their
school.
Thank the representative for their time and ask for their business card… in case you have
any other questions.
Sophomore Year Timeline
Academics
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Focus on your grades
Evaluate your course load and take appropriate level of coursework that you can be successful
in
Increase your commitment in extra-curricular activities and keep a resume
Meet with your counselor
Testing
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Take the PSAT on October 14th
Look ahead and start to develop a standardized testing plan…Will you need to prep?
College
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Get familiar with college planning and the admissions process so you'll know what to expect
before college
Expand your knowledge about prospective schools by attending college fairs and information
sessions
Get onto Naviance and start researching!
GET INVOLVED!!!!
As a sophomore you should be engaging in extra-curricular activities both inside and outside of school!
If you are not involved yet, there is no better time than now!!
Join/Start
Clubs
Summer
Enrichment
Sports
Leadership!
Volunteer and
Service
Opportunities
Chick
Fil-A
HOBY