A Step to the Future Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT This material was produced solely by the College Board for its organizational purposes; National Merit Scholarship Corporation was not involved in its production.

2 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT What is the PSAT/NMSQT ® ? PSAT/NMSQT ® stands for Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test The PSAT was first administered in 1959; it became the PSAT/NMSQT in 1971 when National Merit Scholarship Corporation began to cosponsor the test. The PSAT/NMSQT has kept pace with all the changes to the SAT ® over the years, even moving ahead of the SAT when it added the multiple-choice Writing Skills section in In 2004, over 2.9 million students took the PSAT/NMSQT: 49% were juniors, 51% were sophomores or younger students.

3 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Benefits of taking the PSAT/NMSQT The test provides: the best practice for the SAT Reasoning Test ™. the option to receive information from colleges and scholarship services through the secure Student Search Service the entry point to compete for National Merit Scholarships (juniors only), including the National Achievement Program. It also provides recognition via the National Hispanic Recognition Program. information about college major interests motivation for students to think actively about preparing for college.

4 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Benefits of taking the PSAT/NMSQT Additionally, when you take the test, you receive: personalized feedback on critical reading, math, and writing skills, including suggestions for improvement. information about each test question, including correct answers with full explanations online; students also have their actual test book returned with their score reports. insight into how students’ academic skills compare to their college- bound peers. free access to MyRoad, a dynamic Web-based career, major, and college exploration tool

What is on the PSAT/NMSQT? What is it testing?

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11 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT What does the PSAT/NMSQT actually test? Like the SAT, the test assesses the academic skills that students develop over the years, primarily through their academic course work. It measures reading and math reasoning and writing skills that are critical for success in college.

12 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT What does the PSAT/NMSQT actually test? Critical reading skills—using content from: humanities, social studies, natural sciences, and literature. Math reasoning skills—using content from: number and operations; algebra and functions; geometry and measurement; data analysis, statistics, and probability. Writing skills—focus on editing, grammar, usage, and organization.

13 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT PSAT/NMSQT Critical Reading Questions 13 Sentence Completions 35 Passage-Based Reading Questions (100- to 800-word passages)

14 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT PSAT/NMSQT Math Questions 28 Multiple-Choice Questions 10 Student-Produced Response Questions (”Grid-ins”)

15 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT PSAT/NMSQT Writing Skills Questions 20 Improving Sentences Questions 14 Identifying Sentence Error Questions 5 Improving Paragraph Questions

16 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT How does the PSAT/NMSQT compare to the SAT? Same question types, except the SAT includes an essay assignment. PSAT/NMSQT is 2 hours, 10 minutes; the SAT is 3 hours, 45 minutes. SAT will have a few math questions from third- year math courses; PSAT/NMSQT will not. (Samples of third-year math questions are available on after you receive your score report in December.)

Sample PSAT/NMSQT Questions

18 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Critical Reading Section Sentence Completions Roger said the report was significant; Heather contradicted him, saying that all the information presented was (A) contemporary (B) scintillating (C) objective (D) irrevocable (E) immaterial

19 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Critical Reading Section Sentence Completions Roger said the report was significant; Heather contradicted him, saying that all the information presented was (A) contemporary (B) scintillating (C) objective (D) irrevocable (E) immaterial Because Heather is contradicting Roger, the correct response is the word that is most nearly the opposite of "significant.“ Choice (E) is correct. "Immaterial" means inconsequential or irrelevant. Information that is immaterial is by definition not significant.

20 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Critical Reading Section Passage-Based Reading Excerpt from reading passage: After I left the room, I began to sift my impressions. Only the day before, an acquaintance had warned me to watch carefully for sleight-of-hand tricks, especially as the man had earlier been a stage conjuror.

21 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Critical Reading Section Passage-Based Reading The “acquaintance” mentioned in line 2 can best be described as a (A)skeptic (B)hypocrite (C)hoaxer (D)confidant (E)mystic

22 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Critical Reading Section Passage-Based Reading The “acquaintance” mentioned in line 2 can best be described as a (A)skeptic (B)hypocrite (C)hoaxer (D)confidant (E)mystic The acquaintance mentioned in line 2 warns the author to "watch carefully for sleight-of-hand tricks." Choice (A) is correct. In warning the author to watch out for tricks, the acquaintance is showing that he is skeptical about the telepathist's supposed powers.

23 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Math Section Multiple Choice If ax + bx = 36, what is the value of x when a + b = 12? (A)3 (B) 6 (C) 12 (D) 24 (E) 48

24 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Math Section Multiple Choice If ax + bx = 36, what is the value of x when a + b = 12? (A)3 (B) 6 (C) 12 (D) 24 (E) 48 The expression ax + bx is equivalent to (a + b) x, so the equation ax + bx = 36 is equivalent to (a + b) x = 36. When a + b = 12, the equation becomes 12x = 36, which can be solved to get x = 3.

25 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT If — + — = —, what is the value of h? h 1 5h Math Section Student-Produced Response

26 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT If — + — = —, what is the value of h? h 1 5h Math Section Student-Produced Response 4 /7 Multiply each member of the equation by 12 (the common denominator) to get 3h + 4 = 10h Subtract 3h from both sides to get 7h = 4 Divide by 7 h = 4/7.

27 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Math Section Know the Student-Produced Response Directions Read and understand the directions ahead of time.

28 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Math Section Student-Produced Response Practice Grids

29 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Math Section Calculators are encouraged A scientific or graphing calculator is recommended. Bring one with which you are familiar.

30 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT A few barges still move oil up to Hartford, but in the old days they had more traffic then. (A)but in the old days they had more traffic then (B)but in the old days traffic was heavier (C)but in the old days they had a lot more (D)whereas the traffic was a lot more in the old days (E)whereas then there was more traffic in the old days Writing Section Improving Sentences

31 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT A few barges still move oil up to Hartford, but in the old days they had more traffic then. (A)but in the old days they had more traffic then (B)but in the old days traffic was heavier (C)but in the old days they had a lot more (D)whereas the traffic was a lot more in the old days (E)whereas then there was more traffic in the old days Writing Section Identifying Sentence Errors Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the errors of the original by eliminating both the unnecessary adverb, "then," and the vague pronoun, "they."

32 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT The electronic computer is a technological triumph that scientists have developed, mastered, and then put it to constantly increasing use. No error. Writing Section Identifying Sentence Errors A BC DE

33 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT The electronic computer is a technological triumph that scientists have developed, mastered, and then put it to constantly increasing use. No error. Writing Section Identifying Sentence Errors A B C D E The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where an unnecessary pronoun is used. The object of the verb "have... put" (like the object of the verbs "have developed" and "have... mastered") is the relative pronoun "that," which refers to "technological triumph." The pronoun "it" is therefore unnecessarily inserted after "put."

34 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Writing Section Improving Paragraphs (1) The last century was a time of great technological progress. (2) Life is more convenient, comfortable, and efficient today than ever before. (3) Yet this has created new concerns. Which of the following versions of sentence 3 (reproduced below) is most effective? Yet this has created new concerns. (A)Although this has created new concerns. (B)Yet this progress has created new concerns. (C)Yet these have created new concerns. (D)Yet this has created new concerns to worry about. (E) New concerns have been created.

35 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Writing Section Improving Paragraphs (1) The last century was a time of great technological progress. (2) Life is more convenient, comfortable, and efficient today than ever before. (3) Yet this has created new concerns. Which of the following versions of sentence 3 (reproduced below) is most effective? Yet this has created new concerns. (A)Although this has created new concerns. (B)Yet this progress has created new concerns. (C)Yet these have created new concerns. (D)Yet this has created new concerns to worry about. (E) New concerns have been created. Choice (B) is correct. The vague pronoun "this" is replaced by "this progress," which clearly refers to the progress mentioned in sentence 1.

36 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Writing Section Practice for the SAT Essay A practice SAT essay assignment will be printed on the PSAT/NMSQT Student Score Report. Students can go online to to see sample papers written for that essay assignment and learn about how the SAT essay will be scored.

Scoring the PSAT/NMSQT

38 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT How is the PSAT/NMSQT scored? Multiple-choice questions: 1 point for each correct; 1/4 point deducted for each incorrect Math grid-ins: 1 point for each correct; 0 points for each incorrect (nothing deducted) 0 points for omitted questions (nothing added, nothing deducted)

39 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT How is the PSAT/NMSQT scored? Scores are reported on a scale of 20–80 for each section: critical reading, math, and writing skills. For juniors, 47–50 is about average; for sophomores, 43–46 is about average.

40 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT How does a PSAT/NMSQT score compare to an SAT score? Some students add a “0” to the two-digit PSAT/NMSQT score to give a rough estimate of a three-digit SAT score. A more reliable SAT projected score range will be on your PSAT/NMSQT Score Report. SAT writing score = approximately 1 / 3 essay scaled score + 2 / 3 multiple-choice score. Students who have taken the PSAT/NMSQT average higher scores on the SAT than those who have not.

41 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Personalized Skills Information Lists skills that have the best chance of improvement with additional work. Includes advice, written by teachers, on how to improve those skills. The PSAT/NMSQT Score Report has helpful information to help students improve their skills.

Getting ready to take the PSAT/NMSQT Long-term and short-term preparation

43 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Long-Term Test Preparation Developing Skills Students should: READ improve vocabulary and develop skills through continuous reading read more books than just those required for class

44 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Long-Term Test Preparation Developing Skills (continued) Students should: exercise, develop, and strengthen critical thinking, higher-order reasoning, and problem- solving abilities take the most challenging courses they can

45 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Short-term Test Preparation Students should: take the full-length practice test in the Official Student Guide and get comfortable with the test format. Take time to score it, to better understand the scoring process. Visit for additional practice test itemswww.collegeboard.com/psat Sign up to receive the SAT Question of the Day at Understand “formula scoring” and “educated guessing” Become familiar with the types of test questions, the directions, and test format

46 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Test-Readiness Strategies Learn the directions beforehand Read all the answer choices Do scratch work in the test book Work steadily If you skip a question, be sure to note it in the test book, and leave it blank on the answer sheet. Return to it if you have time. Remember: students don’t have to answer every question to score well

47 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Be sure to take the Practice Test in the 2005 Official Student Guide

48 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Test-readiness Strategies In most sections, the questions are arranged from easy to more difficult (except for passage-based reading in critical reading section and improving paragraphs in writing skills section) Wild guessing is discouraged, but students should make educated guesses.

49 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Wild Guessing

50 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Educated Guessing

51 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Answer Key

52 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT To learn more… visit

53 A Step to the Future: Preparing Students for the PSAT/NMSQT Take the PSAT/NMSQT How to sign up: _________________________________ ___ (Be sure to pick up the Official Student Guide with Practice Test.) Test Day/Date: _________________________________ ___ Time: ____________________________________________ Where: ___________________________________________ Bring: Two #2 Pencils Calculator Social Security Number (optional) Address (optional)