PSAT/NMSQT Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

Three main functions of the PSAT 1. Practice for the SAT  The PSAT has the same types of questions you will see on the SAT.  Juniors who took the PSAT scored an average of 127 points higher on the SAT than those who didn’t.

Three main functions of the PSAT 2. Compare your scores  You can gauge how you’re performing relative to your peer group.  These are the same people you will be competing with for college admission spots. Will you be ahead of the national average or behind? Find out now before it’s too late!

Three main functions of the PSAT 3. Earn money for college  Taking the PSAT gives you the opportunity to qualify for several scholarships, most notably the National Merit Scholarship program.  The top-scoring 50,000 students receive letters of commendation.  15,000 are selected as finalists and 8,200 receive National Merit scholarships, up to $2,500 per year.

Format of the PSAT SECTIONCONTENTTIMEQUESTION TYPES 1 and 3Critical reading 25 minutes each 13 sentence completion 35 reading comprehension 2 and 4Math25 minutes each 28 multiple choice 10 grid-ins 5Writing skills 30 minutes 14 identifying sentence errors 20 improving sentences 5 improving paragraphs

Kaplan’s top 3 PSAT strategies 1. Know when to guess  On the PSAT, there is a ¼ point penalty for each wrong answer. If you can determine that one or more of the answer choices are wrong, then guessing makes sense.

Kaplan’s top 3 PSAT strategies 2. Look for quick points  Your goal on the PSAT is to earn as many points as possible. If the clock starts ticking down, jump to the easy questions and knock them out of the way.

Kaplan’s top 3 PSAT strategies 3. Circle the questions you skip  The most common mistake on the PSAT is to fill the right answers into all the wrong spots.  Circling questions you skip prevents you from making costly mistakes on the answer sheet.

Mathematics Content Overview 1. Number and Operations (20-25%) 2. Algebra and Functions (35-40%) 3. Geometry and Measurement (25-30%) 4. Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability (10-15%) For the grid-in questions, no answer choices are given. You write your answer in the grids. Bring a scientific or graphing calculator.

Sample critical reading question (sentence completion) Before Karen Chin’s research, scientists assumed that the value of evidence preserved in the fossils called coprolites was too_________ to warrant the effort of__________.  A. unpredictable..transformation  B. superlative..examination  C. conventional..eradication  D. relevant..synthesis  E. dubious..analysis -Based on the phrase “scientists assumed that the value of evidence preserved,” does it sound like the scientists thought highly of the evidence? For the first word blank, choose an answer that reflects the negative connotation of the phrase. -Based on the phrase “to warrant the effort of,” for the second word blank, choose a word that reflects what scientists would do with fossils.