CRACKING THE
CODE
“It’s
ELEMENTARY!”
Mastering PSAT
Sentence Completions
PSAT = Power Test
st
--1
1/3 Easy
nd
--2 1/3 Medium
rd
--3 1/3 Killer
All points
on a
are
created
EQUAL!
General TIP #1:
Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each blank
indicating that something that has been omitted.
Beneath the sentence are five lettered words or sets of
words labeled A through E. Choose the word or set of
words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the
meaning as a whole.
EXAMPLE:
A
B
C
D
E
Medieval kingdoms did not become
constitutional republics overnight, on the
contrary, the change was ___.
(A) UNPOPULAR
(B) UNEXPECTED
(C) ADVANTAGEOUS (D) SUFFICIENT
(E) GRADUAL
Gen. Tip #2:
TIP #1
Look for & mark
KEY WORDS
KEY PHRASES

1. The woman told the man,
“You’re very _______.”
A. RICH
B. CORRECT
C. PREPOSTEROUS
D. CLOISTERED
E. SICK
The QUESTION is PREPOSTEROUS!
REMEMBER:

The correct choice is
ALWAYS inarguably
RIGHT!

The incorrect choices
are ALWAYS
inarguably WRONG!
1. The doctor told the man,
“You’re very _______.”
A. RICH
B. CORRECT
C. PREPOSTEROUS
D. CLOISTERED
E. SICK
Let the “DOCTOR”
prescribe
your
answer!
TIP #2:
Use
Punctuation
Plus


feng shui (ˈfʌŋ ˈʃweɪ) — n the
Chinese art of determining the most
propitious design and placement of a
grave, building, room, etc, so that
the maximum harmony is achieved
between the flow of chi of the
environment and that of the user,
believed to bring good fortune
Chi (chee)- n the vital force of life
The general feeling in the high
school was _____., SINCE EVERYONE
EXPECTED TO WIN THE BIG
GAME!
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
CONFIDENT
CONFUSED
SERIOUS
GLOOMY
UNCERTAIN
1. The play’s organization is ___.,
that is, each scene is presented
in the order of its occurrence.
DRAMATIC
(B) MINIMAL
(C) TOPICAL
(D) CHRONOLOGICAL
(E) CONFUSING
(A)
2. Their mutual teasing seemed ____.,
SINCE THE TWO NEIGHBORS
ENJOYED POKING FUN AT EACH
OTHER.
(A) AIMLESS
(B) BITTER
(C) FRIENDLY
(D) INSINCERE
(E) ORIGINAL
2. Their mutual teasing seemed ____.,
SINCE THE TWO WERE SWORN
ENEMIES.
AIMLESS
(B) BITTER
(C) FRIENDLY
(D) INSINCERE
(E) ORIGINAL
(A)
REMEMBER:
When there’s no picture,
visualize!
REMEMBER
to AVOID
x
The bat is a ____ animal, coming
out at night when it’s______
chilly and inhabiting
more northern
latitudes than the _____
cold_______________
blooded alligator.
________
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
x
NOCTURNAL
DIURNAL
CARNIVOROUS
HERBIVOROUS
WARM-BLOODED
To ESCHEW
Sucker Bait:
Q: XXX XXXX XX
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
SUPERFLUOUS
MUNDANE
JEJUNE
TRENCHANT
MULTITUDINOUS
1 . ______
Although computers appear to be
bewilderingly complex,
_____ they operate on
principles that are actually quite
________.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
PUZZLING
ELEMENTARY
FRUSTRATRING
ADVANCED
AMORAL
At school
SENTENCE
COMPLETION
=
_________________
Pick a WORD – any word or
phrase – and hold an audition!
The nasty ole judge slapped me with a
_________________________.
SUBPOENA
 MISTRIAL

LITIGATION
 INJUNCTION

Using his own home as ______________,
Marlowe obtained a private ____
loan that enabled him to _________his financial
obligations to the other partners and
emerge free of debt.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
PROFIT…ENDORSE
INTEREST…AUGMENT
COLLATERAL…DISCHARGE
PRINCIPAL…EVADE
SANCTUARY…INCREASE
The onset of the earthquake was gradual,
_________
the tremors occurring________________
at first, then with greater
frequency.
___________________
CONTINUOUSLY
(B) INTENSELY
(C) SPORADICALLY
(D) UNEXPECTEDLY
(E) CHRONICALLY
(A)
REMEMBER:
Never “buy” an answer
without a
“test drive”!
DEFINITION
 SUPPORT
 CONTRAST
 CAUSE & EFFECT
