TACTICAL PSAT STRATEGIES

1. TACTICALPSATSTRATEGIES Learning Systems Houston, Texas www.TestGuys.net

2. What is the PSAT ? It’s different from other tests. • It is a REASONING test. • It’s designed to test your ability to think. • It is used for the National Merit Competition and other such scholarship programs. • It does not accurately predict your SAT score.

3. PSAT Scoring All Multiple-Choice Questions • 1 point added for correct answers • ¼ point deducted for incorrect answers • 0 points added/deducted for skipped questions - Blank IS NOT Wrong!

4. PSAT Scoring Student-Produced Math Answers • 1 point added for correct answers • 0 points deducted for wrong answers

5. PSAT Scoring • Critical Reading (20-80 pts.) • Math (20-80 pts.) • Writing Skills (20-80 pts) Score Range: 60 - 240 pts. Average score = 150 (mean) Perfect score = 240 TX Soph. Avg: 124 TX Jr. Avg: 134

6. Tactic #1:Know All Test Directions You won’t read them when you take the PSAT because, by the end of this course, you will know them all.

7. Tactic #2:Pace Yourself - Roughly, You have about 1 minute per question. Rocketpeople Want to finish first! Snails Just hope they can finish!

8. Good Test-Takers Do What They Can Do And Don't Worry About What They Can't Do!

9. Tactic #3:Power Test Concept • 1/3 Easy–More than 70% get them correct. • 1/3 Medium – About 50% get them correct. • 1/3 Hard Questions – Less than 30% get them correct.

10. Verbal Section Sentence Completion Critical Reading 1. 9. 2. Easy B 3. O 4. R 5. Medium I 6. N 7. Hard G 8. 24. Power Test Concept

11. Verbal Section: The J.A.S. WaySentence Completion Critical Reading1. 9.2.3.4.5.6.7.8. 24.Power Test Concept

12. Verbal Section: The Right WaySentence Completion Critical Reading1. 9.2.3.4.5.6.7.8. 24.Power Test Concept

13. Regular Math - Section 2 1. 2. 3. 4. EASY 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Medium 12. 13. 14. 15. Geometry 16. 17. Geometry Hard 18. 19. 20. Geometry Look For “Favorites” after you bog down on two in a row!

14. Math Section 4 – Regular Math + SPAs 1. 2. EASY 3. 4. 5. MEDIUM 6. 7. HARD 8. 9. 10. EASY 11. 12. 13. 14. MEDIUM 15. 16. 17. HARD 18. Power Test Concept

15. Always know where you are! • 1. (A) obsequious (D) syzygy • 2. Feldspar was ____, he won the race. • (A) disappointed (B) despondent (C) dejected (D) zellsbotted (E) disconsolate

16. * = A. B. C. D. E. 5 10 15 30 50 100 200 19.

17. Always know where you are! 19. Next To Last Math Question ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOU ARE!!! Beware of obvious answers in the bottom 1/3!

18. Tactic #4: Eliminate Distracters • Cover up the Answer Choices • Read - Find Clues • Predict Your Answer • Eliminate (TOG) • Work • Ask Yourself If Your Answer • Is Reasonable

19. 99% of 5 = (A) 0.00495 (B) 0.0495 (C) 0.495 (D) 4.95 (E) 49.5

20. Ex. 2: The trial was often _____, degenerating at times into a name-calling contest. (A) boring (B) insightful (C) lofty (D) chaotic (E) frivolous

21. Tactic #5: Work Backwards Everyone read the following out loud on the count of… 1 2 3 John went to to the store. • Eliminates Careless Reading Errors • Time Bandit Questions

22. Tactic # 6: Should You Guess? If you can eliminate two or more of the answer choices, make an educated guess!

23. A - C - E The Guessing Game 6 x (+1) = +6 4 x (-¼) = - 1 Net Gain: +5 2 x (+1) = +2 8 x (-¼) = -2 Net Gain: 0

24. These guessing techniques don’t work: • Gum Wrappers, Chapsticks, Quarters • Hi Tech Techniques • A B C D E - “The Big C” • It’s In The Middle! • Let’s Talk About • “Answer Balance”

25. Over the entire test . . . Correct Answer Balance (±3%)

26. Over the entire test . . . Incorrect Answer Balance

27. Guessing Tips • Triplets are rare - Do Not Guess Into A Triplet. • Four in a row will never happen. • (Well, almost never happen!) • Beware of “obvious” answers in the last 1/3 of each powered question type. • Watch Answer Balance - Check Your Answer Sheet • From Time To Time

28. Tactic #7 - Word Roots & Prefixes  Pregagulous  Malzellsbott  Profimple  Polynosbig  Subattal  Unimbrusity (- x - = +) Refer to pages 8-9 in Your Pink Book.

29. Verbal Tactics (Critical Reading Tactics)

30. Tactic #8:Underline KEY Words KEY WORDS: A. Subject - But Not A Proper Noun Olympic downhill skiers………. B. Action Words - What happened to subject.

31. The Top Ten Reasons Students Don’t Underline 10. If I don’t get a good score, I can listen to my iPod and take AP Lunch. 9. My parents made me take this course…I’ll show them! 8. People might see me do it and think I’m trying to be smart or something. 7. It takes too much time.

32. The Top Ten Reasons I Don’t Underline 6. I can’t draw a straight line or circle. 5. I don’t want to mark up the page. It’s so pretty! 4. It’s so “whatever... like you know.” 3. #2 Black Lead is so depressing. 2. Following rules is a real drag, man. And, the #1 reason why students don’t want to underline Key Words/Clues: 1. It stifles my creativity!

33. The Olympic swimmer’s body temperature began to decline after hours of exposure to the _____ water of the English Channel. A. temperate B. frigid C. polluted D. turbulent E. murky

34. Though his lecture contained ideas that were soporific and dull, his style of delivery was so _____ I actually became quite interested. A. bland B. hypnotic C. laconic D. histrionic E. belligerent She was a woman of contrasts; periods of _____alternated with periods of frenetic activity. A. animation B. torpor C. profundity D. ebullience E. invincibility

35. Tactic #9:Three Basic SentenceTypes • Causal =

36. Causal Because she has a great need for _____, she greatly dislikes the public appearances required of her as a best-selling author. A. luxury B. solitude C. fame D. amusement E. praise

37. Contrasting • Although Oscar’s life was both _____ and painful, it was not without _____, for he had accomplished many goals in his life. A. defiant . . . strife B. tragic . . . frustration C. gratifying . . . satisfaction D. arduous . . . reward E. purposeful . . . ambition

38. Coordinate This successful “dot.com” entrepreneur is _____ and _____; always positive in attitude and attentive to small details. A. energetic … oblivious B. upbeat … alert C. cynical … heedless D. caustic … careful E. wealthy… wary

39. CoordinateBoth by _____ and by _____, American painter Mary Cassatt was an anomaly, because her artistic peers were French men. A. background … achievements B. aptitude … intellect C. talent … expertise D. style … range E. nationality … gender

40. Comfort Zone WordsWords Seen Or Heard In English Class, But Not Really Known Or Understood By J.A.S.These Words Seem Familiar To J.A.S. trite, terse, hackneyed, cliché

41. Tactic #10: Double Blank Questions _____ and _____ word and _____ _____ and word Use one “word” position to eliminate wrong answers, then use the other “word” position to find the correct answer.

42. Burford was ______; he was cool. No Slang! Cool Dude = Aloof Amateur Cowboy Burfetta was ______, that is she was sober. sober = not intoxicated….but, it can mean “serious, sad, solemn.

43. Beware of Multiple Definition Words • ANXIOUS • FLAG • HUSBAND • AUGUST • CATHOLIC • PEDESTRIAN

44. Tactic #11: Vocabulary Problems What to do: • Look for roots and prefixes. • Use the “positive” or “negative” technique. • Pay close attention to “clue” words.

45. Critical Reading

46. Tactic #12: Watch Your Time Count the number of questions! •  Short Passages - about 1 Minute/Question •  Medium Passages - # of Questions + 1 •  Long Passages - # of Questions + 2

47. Tactic #13: Underline Key Words in the Question This will allow you to: • select the questions to answer first. • identify key words to look for in the passage to answer specific questions. • get a basic idea about the topic of the passage.

48. Tactics #14 Eliminate The Distracters • In Critical Reading Passage Questions, it is essential that incorrect answers be marked out! • Paraphrase the question and eliminate any answers that do not specifically address what is being asked.

49. Critical Reading Summary Read Questions First - Organize Your Plan Of Attack Answer “Vocab” Questions - First Answer “Single-Line Number Questions - Second Answer “Multi-Line Number Questions - Third Answer Specific Fact Questions - Fourth Save For Last - “Primary Purpose” “Main Idea” “Best Title” “Implied/Inferred Questions” Tone/Mood Questions Tactics15 - 17

50. Tactic #18:Paired Passages Do them in the following order: • Answer all questions of the first passage. • Answer all questions of the second passage. • Answer all questions that concern both passages or authors.