Princeton Review - Cracking the PSAT/NMSQT with 2 Practice Tests, 2014 Edition

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Copyright 2013 by TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC
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All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House LLC, New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

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eBook ISBN: 978-0-307-94592-1
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-307-94569-3

Editor: Kristen OToole
Production Editor: Lee Elder
Production Artist: John E. Stecyk

2014 Edition

v3.1

• Free SAT online demonstration with a full-length practice SAT and interactive lessons

• Tips for a strong essay
• PSAT at-a-glance overview
• Articles on SAT techniques to get you ready for the next step

• Detailed profiles for hundreds of colleges help you find the school that is right for you
• Dozens of Top 10 ranking lists including Quality of Professors, Worst Campus Food, Most Beautiful Campus, Party Schools, Diverse Student Population, and tons more
• Useful information about the admissions process
• Helpful information about financial aid and scholarships

The PSAT/NMSQTfrom now on, well just call it the PSATis a standardized test given primarily to high school juniors to give them a preliminary idea of how well they could do on SAT question types. The test is also used to determine which students are eligible for National Merit Scholar recognition. This chapter will give you a general overview of the test and how it is used, along with the basics to start your preparation.

Ah, yesfirst things first. Well, to be honest, were not really sure. You can pronounce it pee-sat-nim-squit if you want. However, we think its easier just to call it the PSAT.

Keep on Schedule

Youll officially take the
PSAT in the fall of your
junior year. Plan to take
the SAT anytime between
the winter of your junior
year and the fall of your
senior year.

The PSAT is officially administered twice each year, on one Saturday and one Wednesday in October. Your school will announce the exact dates at the beginning of the school year, or you can find out at PrincetonReview.com, or the College Board at CollegeBoard.com.

You dont have to do anything to sign up for the PSAT; your school will do all the work for you. Test registration fees can vary from school to school, so be sure to check with your guidance counselor if you have questions about how much the PSAT will cost you.

If you have a diagnosed learning difference, you will probably qualify for special accommodations on the PSAT. However, its important that you get the process started early. The first step is to speak to your school counselor who handles learning differences. Only he or she can file the appropriate paperwork. Youll also need to gather some information (documentation of your condition) from a licensed practitioner and some other information from your school. Then your school counselor will file the application for you.

You will need to apply for accommodations only once; with that single application youll qualify for accommodations on the PSAT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and AP tests. The one exception to this rule is that if you change schools, youll need to have a counselor at the new school refile your paperwork.

No. The PSAT plays no role in college admissions. Its really just a practice test for the SAT.

The one exception is for that very small group of students, about 4 percent of all students nationwide, whose PSAT scores qualify them for National Merit recognition. (Well tell you more than you ever wanted to know about that in the next section.) Recognition as a commended scholar, semifinalist, or finalist for National Merit is a fairly impressive addition to your college admissions portfolio, and is something that you should certainly pursue if you are seriously in contention for it.

Only you, your high school, and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (which co-sponsors the PSAT) will receive copies of your score reports. They wont be sent to colleges.

The Math sections of the PSAT test only basic arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. The Critical Reading sections test your vocabulary and your ability to answer questions thatt reference a given passage. The Writing Skills section, oddly enough, has nothing to do with writing. It tests your ability to recognize errors from a narrow range of English grammar rules and several points of style. In this book, well cover the math, vocabulary, and grammar youll need and there really isnt much else to it!

So if the PSAT is a test of basic math, vocab, and a few grammar rules, why isnt it just like tests in school? Glad you asked! Its because the test-makers know how Mr. Jones tests you in Math, so when they want to trick you, they do the opposite. If you approach the tricky questions the school way, youll take much longer than you need or get totally stuck. But, if you know the shortcuts, you can be done in seconds or at least know that youre approaching the question correctly. Think about it. When you want to do well on Mr. Joness math test, what do you do? You practice math the way you know hell test it later. So when its the PSAT folks giving you the test, practice the way you know theyll test it. The good news is that the test writers dont like to work too hard. Theyre still using most of the same old tricks theyve used since the test was first given, and weve helped generations of students overcome them. In this book, were going to show you how to avoid the traps and maximize your score.

The PSAT is written and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), under contract by the College Board. You might think that the people at ETS are educators, professors of education, or teachers. Theyre not. The people who work for ETS are average folks who just happen to make a living writing tests. In fact, they write hundreds of tests, for all kinds of organizations. Theyre a group of testers-for-hire who will write a test for anyone who asks.