Barrons - PSAT/NMSQT Study Guide: with 4 Practice Tests (Barrons Test Prep)

Dedicated to Caitlin, Andrew, and Eloisewithout your love and support, this book would not have been possible. I would like to especially thank my mom, my dad, Andy, Pam, Hannah, Mitchell, Michal, Julia, and Lydia for their invaluable help with this undertaking. I am grateful to all the support from my publisher, especially Annie Bernberg and Allison Harm.

Thanks so much to all of my students over the yearsI have learned far more from you thanyou have learned from me.

Brian W. Stewart is the founder and President of BWS Education Consulting, Inc., a boutiquetutoring and test preparation company based in Columbus, Ohio. He has worked withthousands of students to help them improve their test scores and earn admission to selectiveschools. Brian is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B.) and The Ohio State University(M.Ed.). You can connect with Brian at www.bwseducationconsulting.com.

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The PSAT is a preliminary SAT exam that is used both for assessing student academic progress and for determining eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship competition. Over 4,000,000 high school students take the PSAT or PSAT 10 each year. It is such a popular test because the PSAT helps students gauge their college readiness as well as prepare for the SAT exam. There are different PSAT exams, including PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10, and PSAT/NMSQT, which are typically based on a students grade level.

The PSAT/NMSQT exam is 2 hours and 45 minutes long. It is broken into two sections:

• Evidence-based Reading and Writing: The first half of this section, Reading Comprehension, consists of reading passages and questions that test your reading abilities. The second half, Writing and Language, features passages and questions that test your grammar and editing skills
• Math: The first part of this section is non-calculator, and the second part allows you to use a calculator.

The two sections are each scored between 160 (minimum) and 760 (maximum) points, for a total possible score between 320 and 1520. There is no penalty for guessing, so be sure to answer every question.

The PSAT is very similar to the SAT. However, the SAT is slightly longer, has a bit more advanced math, and includes an essay. This book will not only prepare you for the PSAT but also includes most of what you will find on the SAT.

The PSAT tests the skills and general knowledge you will need to be successful in college and beyond.

• Reading Comprehension Skills
  • Determining what you can infer from a reading passage
  • Finding what evidence in a passage supports a claim
  • Establishing the meaning of words in context
  • Analyzing graphs as they relate to a reading passage
• Writing and Language Skills
  • Knowledge of English grammar fundamentals (punctuation, subject-verb agreement, verb tense, etc.)
  • Understanding how best to organize writing to help the flow of ideas
  • Awareness of proper English language use (idioms, words in context, essay tone, etc.)
• Math Problem-Solving Skills
  • Solving questions with an emphasis on Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 (just a handful of questions may relate to geometry and precalculus)
  • Analyzing and problem solving using charts and graphs
  • Understanding and solving real-world applications

Be certain to bring the following on test day:

• Several number 2 pencils.
• A permitted calculator (see https://www.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt/approved-calculators for a complete list).
• A watch to monitor your pacing. (Be sure it doesnt make noise and cannot connect to the Internet.)
• A photo ID. (If you are taking the exam at your own school, you will likely not need one.)
• An e-mail address so colleges can contact you and you can access your scores online.
• A snack or drink for your break. Be sure you do not place these on your desk.
• Do NOT bring a cell phone. You dont want to risk it going off accidentally. Also, you wont be able to check it during a break.

If you are taking a digital version of the test, which is identical in content and format to a paper version of the PSAT, you will be provided with scrap paper.

If the PSAT were a test for which you could cram, it would make sense to stay up late studying the night before. Since it is more of a critical thinking test, you need to be as relaxed and as well rested as possible to do your best. Here are some things you must do before the PSAT.

• Go to bed at a reasonable hour starting a week before the test. If you wait until the night before the test to get a good nights sleep, you may not be rested enough on test day. After all, calming down and relaxing the night before a major assessment can be extremely difficult.
• Know the test directionsyou do not want to waste time reading the directions on each section. At a minimum, know that you SHOULD INCLUDE AN ANSWER for every question since there is no guessing penalty.
• Become comfortable with timing. Do at least some practice with timing so you will not work too quickly or too slowly on test day.
• Know your strategic approach ahead of timethis way you can devote your full attention to solving problems instead of experimenting with strategies during the test.

The National Merit Scholarship is a prestigious award administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation that recognizes students based on their academic merit, using PSAT scores as the principle eligibility factor. The scores are used to compute the Selection Index. Your section scores from the Reading, Writing and Language, and Math sections are each doubled to give you a selection index between 48 and 228. (So even though the Reading and the Writing and Language sections comprise