West Geauga High School Strategy Session for the PSAT, SAT and ACT

1. West Geauga High SchoolStrategy Session for the PSAT, SAT and ACT David Schordock Director, The Princeton Review-Cleveland 1-800-2Review DaveS@review.com

2. What is the PSAT? WHY TAKE IT? It is good practice for the SAT, and it's a qualifying test for National Merit Scholarships and Letters of Commendation. HOW IS IT SCORED? One Critical Reading, one Math and one Writing Section, each worth 20 to 80 points HOW LONG IS IT? 2 hours and 10 minutes

3. PSAT Math Section • Two 25 minute sections • Multiple-choice and grid-ins • Scored on 20-80 point scale

4. No Algebra II • You may have heard there are Algebra II questions on the SAT. That's true, there are. Fortunately, there's no Algebra II on the PSAT. • Be sure you understand basic arithmetic, algebra and geometry concepts.

5. PSAT Critical Reading Section • Two 25 minute sections • Multiple-choice • Scored on 20-80 point scale

6. A Good Reflection of the SAT • Passage-Based Reading  Students will be asked to read some short and long passages, each of which will be followed by some multiple-choice questions. • Sentence Completions  Students will be presented with an incomplete sentence and be asked to finish it with the correct word or words.

7. PSAT Writing Section • 30-minute section • Multiple-choice • Scored on 20-80 point scale

8. So…Where’s the Writing? • Identify Error Questions  You'll be presented with a sentence that may or may not have a grammatical or syntax error in it. You'll be asked to identify the error, or indicate if there is no error. • Improving SentencesStudents will be asked to look at a sentence and try to improve it, without changing its meaning. • Improving Paragraphs  These are just like the improving sentence questions except...you guessed it...you'll be looking at and improving paragraphs.

9. 2004 Ohio NMSQT Data • 55,633 Entrants • 1,234 Commended Students • 729 Semifinalists • Commended Students and Semifinalists usually score in the 96th percentile or higher • More information at www.NationalMerit.org

10. Scoring • Each correct answer earns1 full point, regardless of level of difficulty. • Each unanswered question earns a student 0 points. • Each incorrect answer to a Student-Produced Response question earns a student 0 points. • Students LOSE 1/4 point for each incorrect answer to a multiple-choice question.

11. SAT vs. ACT

12. SAT vs. ACT

13. Need More Information?

14. Guessing What is the capital of Malawi?

15. Guessing What is the capital of Malawi? • Washington, D.C. • Paris • Tokyo • London • Lilongwe The test writers know how high school students think!

16. Who is Joe Bloggs? Peanut Butter : Jelly Boy : Girl Left : Right

17. Don’t Be Like Joe!

18. Don’t Be Like Joe!

19. Process of Elimination 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST number of nonoverlapping regions into which the shaded region can be divided with exactly two straight lines? • 6 • 5 • 4 • 3 • 2

20. Process of Elimination 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST number of nonoverlapping regions into which the shaded region can be divided with exactly two straight lines? • 6 • 5 • 4 • 3 • 2

21. Process of Elimination 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST number of nonoverlapping regions into which the shaded region can be divided with exactly two straight lines? • 6 • 5 D. 3 E. 2

22. Process of Elimination 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST number of nonoverlapping regions into which the shaded region can be divided with exactly two straight lines? • 6 • 5

23. Process of Elimination 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST number of nonoverlapping regions into which the shaded region can be divided with exactly two straight lines? B. 5

24. Process of Elimination 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST number of nonoverlapping regions into which the shaded region can be divided with exactly two straight lines? B. 5

25. More Math • A woman drove to work at an average speed of 40 miles per hour and returned along the same route at 30 miles per hour. If her total traveling time was 1 hour, what was the total number of miles in the round trip? • 30 • 30 1/7 • 34 2/7 • 35 • 40

26. Sentence Completions 2. Although the beginning of the campaign was ______, later victories ______ the initial disappointments.

27. Sentence Completions 2. Although the beginning of the campaign was ______, later victories ______ the initial disappointments. (A) propitious . . nullified (B) unsuccessful . . complicated (C) inauspicious . . eclipsed (D) foreboding . . confirmed (E) unexpected . . magnified

28. Sentence Completions 2. Although the beginning of the campaign was ______, later victories ______ the initial disappointments. (B) unsuccessful . . complicated (C) inauspicious . . eclipsed (D) foreboding . . confirmed

29. Sentence Completions 2. Although the beginning of the campaign was ______, later victories ______ the initial disappointments. (C) inauspicious . . eclipsed

30. Writing Don’t believe your ears. Memorize the rules. In the year 1492, Columbus discovered the New World even though he was actually trying to reach India.

31. Writing Each night, the majority of people goes hungry.

32. Great Birthday Gifts! English Grammar for Dummies by Geraldine Woods The Elements of Style by Strunk and White The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon

33. Writing – The SAT Essay Tips • Length will count. Fill up most of the lines. • Think before you write! • Neatness will count. • Answer the question. • Conclusion

34. Try it yourself! LiveGrader October 19-23 PrincetonReview.com/Essay

35. West Geauga High SchoolStrategy Session for the PSAT, SAT and ACT David Schordock Director, The Princeton Review-Cleveland 1-800-2Review DaveS@review.com