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PSAT

PSAT. Test Strategies to Raise Your Score. Prep smarter, score higher—guaranteed or your money back! 1-800-KAP-TEST | kaptest.com/college. Why Does the PSAT Matter?. 1. Practice Run for the Real Thing. 2. Get a Higher Score on the SAT.

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PSAT

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  1. PSAT Test Strategies to Raise Your Score Prep smarter, score higher—guaranteed or your money back! 1-800-KAP-TEST | kaptest.com/college

  2. Why Does the PSAT Matter? 1. Practice Run for the Real Thing 2. Get a Higher Score on the SAT • Students who took the PSAT scored, on average, 120 points higher on SAT • Students who took the PSAT their sophomore and junior year scored, on average 222 points higher on the SAT • 3. Scholarship Opportunities • National Merit Scholarship Program, Corporate Scholarships, National Achievement Program (a.k.a. $$$!) Source: College Board, 2010 National State Reports

  3. National Merit Scholarships • To qualify for National Merit Scholarship you must: • Be a full-time high school student • Be a junior and planning to enroll in college full-time • Complete grades 9-12 in four years • Be a U.S. citizen • 9,700 winners every year • Around $50 million awarded each year Source: National Merit Scholarship Corporation, “National Merit Scholarships”

  4. National Achievement Scholarships • To qualify for National Achievement Scholarship you must: • Take the PSAT in your 3rd year of high school • Request entry into the program by marking section 14 of the answer sheet • Be a full-time high school student • Be a U.S. citizen • Note: This scholarship is exclusively available to students of color • 1,600 Semifinalists each year • 700 scholarships of $2,500 awarded each year Source: National Merit Scholarship Corporation, “National Achievement Scholarships”

  5. Higher PSAT Scores = Higher SAT Scores Source: The Official Educator Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT, 2009

  6. How to Read YOUR PSAT Scores PSAT Results • 4 Key Components of the PSAT Score Report Plus: • Your Scores • Your Skills • Your Answers • Next Steps

  7. How to Read YOUR PSAT Scores Scaled Scores: 20–80 score on each section that’s calculated based off of your raw score

  8. How to Read YOUR PSAT Scores Percentile: How your performance compares to other students’ who took the test the same day as you did

  9. How to Read YOUR PSAT Scores Selection Index: The sum of your scaled scores determines National Merit Scholarship winners. National Percentile is below this.

  10. How to Read YOUR PSAT Scores Your performance on questions associated with specific skill categories Sections for Critical Reading, Math, Writing skills Displayed graphically to visualize where you are strong and where you can improve

  11. 5 test sections 2 hours and 10 minutes PSAT-at-a Glance Critical Reading Multiple Choice Juniors: 47 2 Sections 20–80 Sophomores: 42 Math Juniors: 48 2 Sections Multiple Choice Grid-Ins 20–80 Sophomores: 43 Writing Skills 1 Section Juniors: 46 Multiple Choice 20–80 Sophomores: 41 Selection Index 141

  12. The PSAT at-a-Glance Understanding PSAT Scoring • Correct Answer: +1 point • Omitted Question: 0 points •Incorrect Answer (multiple choice) : -1/4 point •Incorrect Answer (non-multiple choice math questions) : 0 points Test Day Tip: If you can eliminate 1 answer choice, guess!

  13. The Math Behind It…. 1) A Correct + 1 2) B Incorrect -1/4 3) C Incorrect -1/4 4) D Incorrect -1/4 5) E Incorrect -1/4 Test Day Tip: If you can eliminate 1 answer choice, guess!

  14. Key Differences: PSAT vs. SAT • SAT has an essay portion • SAT is scored on a scale of 200-800 • PSAT is shorter (2 ¼ hrs vs. 3 ¾ hrs) • No experimental section on the PSAT

  15. But don’t stress; not only do you have ample time to prep, but right now, you’re also about to learn some free….

  16. Strategies for Success

  17. 1 The Kaplan Method for Math + 2 % • What is the question? • What information are you given? • What can you do with this information? • Are you done yet?

  18. Logic 64 teams compete in a tournament. Two teams play in each game, and teams that lose are immediately eliminated from the tournament. What is the minimum number of games that must be played in order to have only one undefeated team? 32 vs. 32 = 32 Games 16 vs. 16 = 16 Games 8 vs. 8 = 8 Games 4 vs. 4 = 4 Games 2 vs. 2 = 2 Games 1 vs. 1 = 1 Game = 63 Games

  19. Logic…the FASTER Way! 64 teams compete in a tournament. Two teams play in each game, and teams that lose are immediately eliminated from the tournament. What is the minimum number of games that must be played in order to have only one undefeated team? Use your critical-thinking skills! # of winners = 1 # of losers = 63 63 games had to be played

  20. Writing: Relative Pronouns To _______ is the letter addressed? whom The letter was addressed to . him Objective Pronoun = her, him, them, or us WHOM Subjective Pronoun = she, he, they, or we WHO

  21. Writing: Relative Pronouns I went to the library with Anthony, _____ is also in my math class. who ____ is in my math class. He The boy to _______ we were speaking had bright green hair. whom I was speaking to _____. him

  22. And finally….

  23. Maybe the best Kaplan strategy out there, but difficult to get students to use “Predict before you peek” • The strategy: • Read the question, covering the answer choices. • Make a prediction, THEN go through the answer choices. • Find the one that matches your prediction. • You’re DONE, you’re CORRECT, and you weren’t led astray by tempting wrong answer choices!

  24. Maybe the best Kaplan strategy out there, but difficult to get students to use “Predict before you peek” • Why? It’s someone’s job to create appealing answer choices • Answer choices, even incorrect ones, will include correct details from the passage • It’s tempting, true, not to look at the answer choices immediately, because it feels like it makes the question harder

  25. Maybe the best Kaplan strategy out there, but difficult to get students to use Predict before you peek works for • Sentence completions: • “As a psychologist, Jane is gifted in the art of _____; she is able to closely identify with the feelings of the patients she helps.” • Not looking at answer choices, what’s your prediction? • Actual answer choices are A. reconciliation, B. candor, C. timidity, D. Empathy, E. callousness • Which one matches the prediction? D. Empathy • However, had you looked through A-E first, a few “sound good”

  26. Useful in More Ways than One! • Predict before you peek also works for reading comprehension passages. • All the choices will have details from the passage, but with a prediction you won’t be led astray

  27. Call or visit us online for more information. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION, and remember, BREATHE!!!!  1-800-KAP-TEST | kaptest.com/college 95% of Kaplan students got into one or more of their top college choices in 2012! For information about Kaplan Premier (Private Tutoring) Jason Robbins: 410.779.3083 jason.robbins@kaplan.com

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