Prepare for the PSAT/NMSQT®:
A Step to the Future
• Skills Tested on the PSAT/NMSQT
• Sample PSAT/NMSQT Questions
• Scoring the PSAT/NMSQT
• Test Preparation Strategies
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD
• Preparation for the SAT®
• Scholarship and recognition opportunities (11th grade)
• College and career planning tools
• Admissions and financial aid information from colleges
• Feedback on academic skills
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD
The test assesses the academic skills that you’ve developed
over the years, primarily through your course work.
These skills are considered essential for success in high
school and college:
• Critical Reading
• Mathematics
• Writing Skills
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD
• 35 Passage-Based Reading
Questions
(100- to 800-word passages)
• You will have 25 minutes to
complete the passage based
section.
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD
LET’S TRY ONE……
It may look like I do not know how to begin my
tale. Funny sight, the elderly gentlemen who
comes lumbering by in a valiant dash for the bus,
which he eventually overtakes but is afraid to
board in motion and so, with a sheepish smile,
drops back, still going at a trot. Is it that I dare not
make the leap? It roars, gathers speed, will
presently vanish irrevocably around the corner, the
bus, the motorbus, the mighty motorbus that is my
tale. Rather bulky imagery, this. I am still running.
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD
LET’S TRY ONE……
In context, the actions of the “elderly gentlemen”
(line 2) are best understood as
(A) a sign that the narrator fears he will miss an
appointment
(B) a reference to the narrator’s physical skills
(C) a symbol of the narrator’s social status
(D) a metaphor for the narrator’s literary struggles
(E) an allusion to the narrator’s artistic reputation
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD
And the answer is……
Choice (D)!
Choice D is the correct response because
the actions of the gentlemen are best
understood as “a metaphor for the
narrator’s literary struggles”. This
question invites the reader to see the
similarity
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD
And the answer is……
Choice (A) is incorrect because….
Choice (B) is incorrect because….
Choice (C) is incorrect because….
Choice (E) is incorrect because….
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD
A Tip…..
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.
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD
And the answer is……
Choice (B)!
Choice (A) is incorrect because….
Choice (C) is incorrect because….
Choice (D) is incorrect because….
Choice (E) is incorrect because….
We will identify and practice test taking strategies for success on the PSAT/NMSQT October 15, 2014.
Klein Forest High School
Klein ISD