Part 1
Chapter 1
The PSAT, like any standardized test, is predictable. The more comfortable you are with the test structure, the more confidently you will approach each question type, thus maximizing your score.
The PSAT is 2 hours and 45 minutes long and is made up mostly of multiple-choice questions that test two subject areas: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math. The former is broken into a Reading Test and a Writing and Language Test.
| Test | Allotted Time (min.) | Question Count |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 60 | 47 |
| Writing and Language | 35 | 44 |
| Math | 70 | 48 |
| Total | 165 | 139 |
PSAT scoring can be pretty complex. You will receive one score ranging from 160–760 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and another for Math. Your overall PSAT score will range from 320–1520 and is calculated by adding these two scores together.
In addition to your overall scores, you will receive subscores that provide a deeper analysis of your PSAT performance. The PSAT also gives you a percentile ranking, which allows you to compare your scores with those of other test takers. For example, a student who scored in the 63rd percentile did better than 63 percent of all others who took that test.
What is most important to remember while taking the test is that maximizing all the various scores and subscores depends on getting the most points you can out of every section. You’ll find advice on test-taking strategies below and in the section management chapters at the end of the Math, Reading, and Writing and Language sections of this book. However, if you still have a meaningful amount of time to prepare for the PSAT, the best advice we can give you is to improve the skills you need to answer Math and Verbal questions correctly and efficiently. That’s what this book is for. Use it in any order you like; you don’t need to start with Math. But do use it. Read the instructional text for those topics you feel weak in and work your way through the practice questions. There are hundreds of them in this book, and they are very similar to those that you will see on test day. Practice will not only improve your skills, but also raise your confidence—and that’s very important to test day success.
The PSAT is offered every year in mid-October. It is administered at your high school, not at a testing center. Homeschooled students can sign up at the nearest local high school. Most high schools administer the exam on a Wednesday; some offer it on a Saturday. Some high schools recommend that their sophomores take the test for additional practice, but sophomores who take the PSAT are not eligible to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship unless they are in an accelerated program and are preparing to graduate the following year. However, some schools will administer the test to their students only once (at the beginning of junior year). If this is the case, sophomores wanting to take the PSAT need to get permission from their guidance counselors.
The PSAT/NMSQT stands for the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It has three main functions:
The top 50,000 scorers on the PSAT are recognized by the National Merit program and sent letters of commendation. More than 10,000 of these students share more than $41 million in National Merit Scholarship money. Only juniors who take the PSAT are eligible for National Merit Scholarships. The top 16,000 scorers become semifinalists, and approximately 15,000 semifinalists become finalists. Finally, almost 8,500 National Merit finalists receive National Merit Scholarships, with each award being up to $2,500 a year toward a college education. Many high scorers who don’t receive National Merit Scholarships are awarded merit scholarships from the schools to which they apply based on their high scores. Whether you qualify as a Commended Student, a Semifinalist, a Finalist, or a full-fledged National Merit Scholar, it’s definitely worth noting this achievement on your college applications.
For more information on the National Merit Scholarships and Special Scholarships, visit www.nationalmerit.org.
The PSAT Math Test is broken down into a calculator section and a no-calculator section. Questions across the sections consist of multiple-choice, student-produced response (Grid-in), and more comprehensive multi-part question sets.
| No-Calculator Section | Calculator Section | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration (minutes) | 25 | 45 | 70 |
| Multiple-choice | 13 | 27 | 40 |
| Grid-in | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Total Questions | 17 | 31 | 48 |
The PSAT Math Test is divided into four content areas: Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional Topics in Math.
| PSAT Math Test Content Area Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Heart of Algebra (16 questions) |
Analyzing and fluently solving equations and systems of equations; creating expressions, equations, and inequalities to represent relationships between quantities and to solve problems; rearranging and interpreting formulas |
| Problem Solving and Data Analysis (16 questions) |
Creating and analyzing relationships using ratios, proportions, percentages, and units; describing relationships shown graphically; summarizing qualitative and quantitative data |
| Passport to Advanced Math (14 questions) |
Rewriting expressions using their structure; creating, analyzing, and fluently solving quadratic and higher-order equations; purposefully manipulating polynomials to solve problems |
| Additional Topics in Math (2 questions) |
Making area and volume calculations in context; investigating lines, angles, triangles, and circles using theorems |
A few math questions might look like something you’d expect to see on a science or history test. These “crossover” questions are designed to test your ability to use math in real-world scenarios. There are a total of 14 “crossover” questions that will contribute to subscores that span multiple tests. Seven of the questions will contribute to the Analysis in Science subscore and seven will contribute to the Analysis in History/Social Studies subscore.
The PSAT Reading Test will focus on your comprehension and reasoning skills when you are presented with challenging extended prose passages taken from a variety of content areas.
| PSAT Reading Test Overview | |
|---|---|
| Timing | 60 minutes |
| Questions | 47 passage-based multiple-choice questions |
| Passages | 4 single passages; 1 set of paired passages |
| Passage Length | 500–750 words per passage or passage set |
Passages will draw from U.S. and World Literature, History/Social Studies, and Science. One set of History/Social Studies or Science passages will be paired. History/Social Studies and Science passages can also be accompanied by graphical representations of data such as charts, graphs, tables, and the like. One of the History/Social Studies passages (or pair of passages) will be taken from primary sources, such as U.S. founding documents like the Constitution.
| Reading Test Passage Types | |
|---|---|
| U.S. and World Literature | 1 passage with 9 questions |
| History/Social Studies | 2 passages or 1 passage and 1 paired-passage set with 9–10 questions each |
| Science | 2 passages or 1 passage and 1 paired-passage set with 9–10 questions each |
The multiple-choice questions for each passage will typically be arranged with main idea questions at the beginning of the set so that you can consider the entire passage before answering questions about details.
| Skills Tested by Reading Test Questions | |
|---|---|
| Reading for Detail | Finding details in the passage, citing textual evidence |
| Summarizing | Determining central ideas and themes, understanding how a passage is structured, understanding relationships |
| Drawing Inferences | Understanding relationships, drawing conclusions from facts stated in a passage, interpreting words and phrases in context |
| Rhetorical Analysis | Analyzing word choice, analyzing point of view, determining why a fact is included, analyzing arguments |
| Synthesis | Analyzing multiple texts, analyzing quantitative information |
The PSAT Writing and Language Test will focus on your ability to revise and edit text from a range of content areas.
| PSAT Writing and Language Test Overview | |
|---|---|
| Timing | 35 minutes |
| Questions | 44 passage-based multiple-choice questions |
| Passages | 4 single passages with 11 questions each |
| Passage Length | 400–450 words per passage |
The PSAT Writing and Language Test will contain four single passages, one from each of the following subject areas: Careers, Humanities, History/Social Studies, and Science.
| Writing and Language Passage Types | |
|---|---|
| Careers | Hot topics in “major fields of work” such as information technology and health care |
| Humanities | Texts about literature, art, history, music, and philosophy pertaining to human culture |
| History/Social Studies | Discussion of historical or social sciences topics such as anthropology, communication studies, economics, education, human geography, law, linguistics, political science, psychology, and sociology |
| Science | Exploration of concepts, findings, and discoveries in the natural sciences including Earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics |
Passages will also vary in the “type” of text. A passage can be an argument, an informative or explanatory text, or a nonfiction narrative.
| Writing and Language Passage Text Type Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Argument | 1–2 passages |
| Informative/Explanatory Text | 1–2 passages |
| Nonfiction Narrative | 1 passage |
Some passages and/or questions will refer to one or more data tables or charts. Questions associated with these graphics will ask you to revise and edit the passage based on the data presented in the graphic.
The most prevalent question format on the PSAT Writing and Language Test will ask you to choose the best of three alternatives to an underlined portion of the passage or to decide that the current version is the best option. You will be asked to improve the development, organization, and diction in the passages to ensure they conform to conventional standards of English grammar, usage, and style.
| Skills Tested by Writing and Language Test Questions | |
|---|---|
| Expression of Ideas (24 questions) |
Development, organization, and effective language use |
| Standard English Conventions (20 questions) |
Sentence structure, conventions of usage, and conventions of punctuation |
You have already learned about the overall structure of the PSAT as well as the structure of the three main areas it entails: Math, Reading, and Writing and Language. The strategies outlined in this section can be applied to any of these tests.
The PSAT is different from the tests you are used to taking in school. The good news is that you can use the PSAT’s particular structure to your advantage.
For example, on a test given in school, you probably go through the questions in order. You spend more time on the harder questions than on the easier ones because harder questions are usually worth more points. You also probably show your work because your teacher tells you that how you approach a question is as important as getting the correct answer.
This approach is not optimal for the PSAT. On the PSAT, you benefit from moving around within a section if you come across tough questions, because the harder questions are worth the same number of points as the easier questions. Similarly, showing your work is unimportant. It doesn’t matter how you arrive at the correct answer—only that you bubble in the correct answer choice.
You do not need to complete questions on the PSAT in order. Every student has different strengths and should attack the test with those strengths in mind. Your main objective on the PSAT should be to score as many points as you can. While approaching questions out of order may seem counterintuitive, it is a surefire way to achieve your best score.
Just remember, you can skip around within each section, but you cannot work on a section other than the one you’ve been instructed to work on.
To triage a section effectively, do the following:
Even though there is no wrong-answer penalty on the PSAT, elimination is still a crucial strategy. If you can determine that one or more answer choices are definitely incorrect, you can increase your chances of getting the correct answer by paring down the selection.
To eliminate answer choices, do the following:
Each multiple-choice question on the PSAT has four answer choices and no wrong-answer penalty. That means if you have no idea how to approach a question, you have a 25 percent chance of randomly choosing the correct answer. Even though there’s a 75 percent chance of selecting an incorrect answer, you won’t lose any points for doing so. The worst that can happen on the PSAT is that you’ll earn zero points on a question, which means you should always at least take a guess, even when you have no idea what to do.
When guessing on a question, do the following: