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The PSAT and Beyond: What You Need to Know

The PSAT and Beyond: What You Need to Know. Roadmap for tonight. Introduction to the PSAT Interpreting your results Going from the PSAT to the SAT More tests: The ACT and SAT Subject Tests Next Steps: Testing timeline and prep options. Why does Testing Matter?.

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The PSAT and Beyond: What You Need to Know

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  1. The PSAT and Beyond: What You Need to Know

  2. Roadmap for tonight • Introduction to the PSAT • Interpreting your results • Going from the PSAT to the SAT • More tests: The ACT and SAT Subject Tests • Next Steps: Testing timeline and prep options

  3. Why does Testing Matter? Standardized tests are the biggest “bang for the buck” part of the college admissions process.

  4. What is the PSAT? • Practice version of the SAT • For Sophomores: the first exposure to college admissions testing • For Juniors: A chance to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program • For Everyone: A chance to find out “where you stand” so that you can get prepared effectively for the real SAT!

  5. The PSAT Math 2 25 minutes Critical Reading 2 25 minutes Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

  6. Section Scores • Each section is scored out of 80 points (240 total) • For each section, you receive a score, a score range, and a percentile rank.

  7. Total Score (Selection Index) Answer Breakdown • Selection index = sum of section scores = # out of 240 • Percentile = What percent of college-bound Juniors in your state did you score higher than? • PSAT index  SAT score: Add a zero. 156 PSAT = 1560 SAT

  8. Skills Breakdown Error Log • Assess your strengths and weaknesses to determine where you need to prep. • Use your online access code to get more details at collegeboard.com.

  9. Question-by-Question Detailed Analysis

  10. What is the National Merit Scholarship? • Based on total PSAT score from Junior year. • Semifinalist – varies year to year, state to state – somewhere between 201 to 221. • Requires a “qualifying” SAT score (2000+) by fall of the Senior year. • Most Semifinalists become Finalists. • Roughly half of Finalists receive monetary awards. • Semifinalist or Finalist status is a big leg up in the college admissions process.

  11. Going from the PSAT to the SAT • 95+ percent content overlap between the tests • There are only three differences between the PSAT and SAT: • The SAT is slightly harder • The SAT has a 25-minute essay • The SAT is much longer (~4 hrs.)!

  12. The SAT Reasoning Test Critical Reading 1 25 minutes Math 3 20 minutes Critical Reading 3 20 minutes Math 1 25 minutes Writing 2 10 minutes Experimental Section 25 minutes Essay 25 minutes Writing 1 25 minutes Critical Reading 2 25 minutes Math 2 25 minutes Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes

  13. SAT Scoring • Three sub-scores (just like PSAT): Math, Critical Reading, and Writing • Each sub-section is scaled from 200-800 • The national average for each section is roughly 500 (1500 total)

  14. SAT Scoring Scoring • One raw score point gained for each correct answer • 1/4 raw point taken away for each incorrect multiple choice answer • No penalty or gain for omitted questions or incorrect answers on grid-ins

  15. The ACT • The ACT has four sections: English, Reading, Math, and Science. • Each section is scored on a scale from 1 to 36 • The national average for each section is roughly 21

  16. The ACT Science 35 minutes English 45 minutes Reading 35 minutes Math 60 minutes Total Time: 2 hours, 55 minutes Total Time with Essay: 3 hours, 25 minutes

  17. PSAT vs SAT vs ACT PSAT vs. SAT vs. ACT

  18. SAT Subject Tests • Each test is one hour in length • Achievement-based tests, measuring knowledge learned from college-level courses in the following areas: • ENGLISH: Literature • HISTORY: U.S. History, World History • MATH: Mathematics Level 1, Mathematics Level 2 • SCIENCE: Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics • LANGUAGES: Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Japanese, Korean

  19. Testing Timeline Sophomore Year Junior Year Senior Year

  20. Test Prep Options

  21. Revolution Opportunities • Upcoming Mock Exams • Location: Date: Times • Location: Date: Times • Upcoming Group Courses • Location: Date – Date: Times • Location: Date – Date: Times • Private Tutoring • Tutors’ Spring schedules are filling fast! • Special offer attendees of this event expires on 12/23/10. • $50 off group course use promo code PSAT3G • $75 off hybrid course use promo code PSAT3H • $100 off tutoring package use promo code PSAT3T • $200 off Premium Instructor Online/Virtual Tutor use promo code PSAT3V

  22. Questions?

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