Don't kill me!! I know it's still summer vacation time, but the truth is that in early October most of you will either be taking the HSPA or the PSAT...if you want to do your best you need time to get ready. In reality you have about 6 weeks to prepare!!! I put together some info. on the PSAT that can help (this will also help those who are going to take the SAT). I highly recommend the links at the end for practice tests!! Hope this helps....Ms. A
PSAT / SAT HELP
Q: Why do I have to take the SAT at all?
A: Colleges make you. - If you want to go to
college, you pretty much have to take the SAT (or the ACT).
Q: But why do colleges put you through this
ordeal? Why do they require you to take the SAT? Two reasons:
• Colleges
consider the SAT a standard by which they can evaluate students from high
schools across the country.
• Colleges
have considered SAT scores valuable in predicting how students will perform in
the first semester of college.
PSAT Facts
• 5
sections
• 3
major topics: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing
• Two
25-minute critical reading sections
Two 25-minute math sections
One 30-minute writing skills section
Q: What is critical
thinking?
A: Critical thinking
is a way of deciding whether a claim is always true, sometimes true,
partly true, or false.
Q: How can I use
Critical Thinking?
A: Know how to use
the W? words = who, what, where, when, why, how
Critical Thinking
Key Words:
Recognize,
Understand, Gather, Comprehend, Interpret,
Draw a conclusion,
Reconstruct
**The key to the PSAT = Know how to use CRITICAL
THINKING!
The Critical Reading Section
• Two
25-minute critical reading sections = 48 questions
Hints for answering
Sentence Completion questions:
• Read the entire sentence to yourself.
• Watch for introductory or connecting words
and phrases like "but," "not," "because," etc.
• In sentences with two blanks, make sure the
words for both blanks make sense in the sentence.
• Start by working with one blank at a time.
• Stay within the meaning of the sentence.
• Before you mark your answer, read the
complete sentence with your choice filled in.
Hints for answering
Passage-Based Reading questions:
• Don't skip introductions to passages
• Read each passage and any accompanying
information carefully. Follow the author's reasoning and be aware of features
such as assumptions, attitudes, and tone.
• You may find it helpful to mark the passages
as you are reading, but don't spend too much time making notes.
• Read each question and all the answer choices
carefully.
• 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.
• Select the choice that best answers the
question asked. Don't select a choice just because it is a true statement.
• 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.
The Math Section
• Two 25-minute math sections = 38 questions
• 10
Student-produced responses or grid-ins
• Students are advised to bring a calculator
with which they are comfortable. Students should have basic knowledge of 4 math
categories:
• Numbers
and Operation
• Algebra
and Functions (but not 3rd year level math that may appear on the new SAT)
• Geometry
and Measurement
• Data
Analysis, Statistics and Probability
Hints for answering
Regular Multiple Choice questions:
• Look at the answer choices before you begin
to work on each question.
• 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.
• 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.
Hints for answering
Student-Produced Response questions, also called Grid-Ins:
• Since answer choices aren't given, a calculator
may be helpful in avoiding careless mistakes on these questions.
• It's suggested that you write your answer in
the boxes above the grid to avoid errors in gridding.
• The grid can hold only four places and can
accommodate only positive numbers and zero.
• Do not worry about which column to begin
gridding the answer. As long as the answer is gridded completely, you will
receive credit.
• Unless a problem indicates otherwise, an
answer can be entered on the grid either as a decimal or as a fraction.
• You don't have to reduce fractions like 3/24
to their lowest terms.
• Convert all mixed numbers to improper
fractions before gridding the answer.
• If the answer is a repeating decimal, you
must grid the most accurate value the grid will accommodate.
• Some questions may have more than one right
answer.
• You don't lose any points for a wrong answer.
• Know the gridding rules before taking the
test.
Writing Skills
• One 30-minute writing section = 39 questions
These
multiple-choice questions on writing skills measure a student's ability to
express ideas effectively in standard-written English, to recognize faults in
usage and structure, and to use language with sensitivity to meaning.
Hints for Identifying
Sentence Errors:
• Read the entire sentence carefully but
quickly.
• Look at choices (A) through (D) to see
whether anything needs to be changed to make the sentence correct.
• Don't waste time searching for errors. Mark
(E) No error, on your answer sheet if you believe the sentence is correct as
written.
• Move quickly through questions about
Identifying Sentence Errors. The other kinds of questions (Improving Sentences
and Improving Paragraphs) will probably take more time.
• Mark questions that seem hard for you and
return to them later.
Hints for Improving
Sentences:
• Read the entire sentence carefully but
quickly. Note the underlined portion because that is the portion that may have
to be revised.
• Remember that the portion with no underline
stays the same.
• Mark choice (A) if the underlined portion
seems correct. Check the other choices quickly to make sure that (A) is really
the best choice.
• Think of how you would revise the underlined
portion if it seems wrong. Look for your revision among the choices given.
• 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.
Hints for Improving
Paragraphs:
• Read the entire essay quickly to determine
its overall meaning. The essay is meant to be a draft, so don't be surprised if
you notice errors. Don't linger over those errors.
• Make sure that your answer about a particular
sentence or sentences makes sense in the context of the passage as a whole.
• Choose the best answer from among the choices
given, even if you can imagine another correct response.
PSAT Scores
• PSAT scores are reported on a scale of 20 to
80 for each section
• In
2012 the average score for tenth graders was about 43 in Critical Reading, 44
in Mathematics, and 42 in Writing Skills.
• Also listed on your score report is the
Selection Index, which is used to determine eligibility in National Merit
Scholarship Corporation programs (NMSC)
• score reports include national percentiles,
which allow you to compare your scores with other students in your grade level
who have taken the PSAT
Resources used:
