PSAT Overview

1. PSAT Overview Extraordinary Education October 15, 2014

2. What is the PSAT? • Preliminary • Scholastic • Aptitude • Test Who takes the PSAT? • Approximately 3 million students • High school Juniors & Sophomores • Younger students for practice

3. What does the PSAT measure? • Critical Reading • Making Inferences, Synthesize Information • Main Idea vs. Supporting Details • Vocabulary in Context • Math Problem Solving • Numbers & Operations • Algebra & Functions • Geometry & Measurement • Data, Analysis, Statistics & Probability • Writing Skills • Identify Appropriate Expressions • Detect Faults in Usage & Structure • Choose Effective Revisions to Sentences & Paragraphs

4. How is the PSAT Scored? • Raw Score • +1 Point for each correct answer • - ¼ Point for each incorrect answer • 0 Points deducted for unanswered questions & incorrect answers to free response questions Example: Writing Skills Section = 39 Total Questions 25 correct – 12 incorrect – 2 unanswered (25 x 1) – (12 x ¼) – (2 x 0) 25 – 3 – 0 = 22 Raw Score

5. Raw Score vs. Actual Score • Raw Scores are converted to “Selection Index” • Conversion Chart ranges from 20-80 • Highest Possible Score is 240 (80 + 80 + 80) • Example Critical Reading: 56 Writing Skills: 59 Math: 62 TOTAL: 177 Selection Index

6. Will the PSAT help me with the SAT? • Similar types of questions • Nationally normed, timed test • PSAT – 2 hrs. 10 min. • SAT – 3 hrs. 45 min. • PSAT is realistic practice • PSAT Selection Index roughly equates to SAT Composite (add ‘0’ to Index score) Example: • PSAT Index = 177 • Estimated SAT Composite = 1770

7. What do I need to know? • Math: • Basic Math Skills & Computation • Algebra 1 • Geometry • Critical Reading • Vocabulary • Inferences • Main Idea • Writing • Grammar • Style • Word Choice

8. Test Day Details • Colquitt County High School • Test will START at 8:15 • Bring No. 2 pencils & erasers. Bring extras! • Bring an approved calculator • NO - keyboards, tape printout, noises, plugs • NO CELL PHONE CALCULATORS!

9. Getting Started - Personal Information • Fill in your personal information correctly! • LAST Name, FIRST Name, Address (format) • Only ONE circle per column! • Machine-scored • You only receive credit for circles on the answer form. Answers and notes written in test booklet will not be scored. • Fill in circles completely and darkly • Erase completely. • Be sure no other marks get on the answer sheet. (transfer from notes in test booklet, etc.)

10. How the PSAT Looks • Types of Sections & Time Allowed: • Critical Reading 25 minutes • Math (multi-choice) 25 minutes • Critical Reading 25 minutes • Math (multi-choice + grid-in) 25 minutes • Writing Skills + 30 minutes TOTAL TIME 2 hrs. 10 min.

11. General Strategies • POE - Process of Elimination • Identify WRONG answers! • GUESS aggressively! • Correct +1, Blank ±0, Incorrect –¼ • Use your BOOK • Write all over your book. It’s YOURS! • Ball-parking • Logically estimate the answer. • Eliminate obvious wrong answers. • Read the question carefully. Don’t do too much calculating!

12. Pacing Tips • Slow down! Work fewer problems withaccuracy. • Bring a watch to pace yourself. Proctor will also call out time or write it on board. • Not every problem has the same level of difficulty, but every problem is worth ONE POINT. • Be sure to work all of the easy & medium difficulty questions. • Hard questions – You need to answer these if you want to score in the higher range. Use strategies to help you! • Don’t waste time on one tricky problem. Go back later if you have time.

13. Test Traps & Tips • Answer every test question • If you can rule out at least one answer. • Choose an answer that seems right • Depending on the difficulty level. • Easy= Mostly right • Medium= Sometimes right • Hard= All wrong! • Solve every problem in most straightforward way • Depending on difficulty level (see above) • Look at the answer choices • After you come up with your own answer. • Read test directions • On the practice test.So you don’t waste time on the real test.

14. Critical Reading • Two types of questions • Sentence Completion – 13 questions • Passage-based Reading – 35 questions • Skills • Determine meaning from word components • Determine meaning from context • Punctuation (colon, semi-colon) • Introductory and transitional words & phrases • Understand primary purpose/main idea • Understand tone & attitude conveyed • Understand use of rhetorical strategies • Recognize implications, Make evaluations

15. Sentence Completion Questions • Choose the word or words that best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole • Method • Cover the answer choices with your hand • Speak for yourself – Write your own answer in the blank • Only after you think of your own answer should you uncover the answer choices • Select the answer choice that comes closest to the answer you came up with

16. Critical Reading • 2 sections – 25 minutes each • No order of difficulty – decide which questions are easiest for you and do them first • Long passages: 40-100 lines • 6-12 questions per passage • Short passages: about one paragraph • 1-2 questions per passage

17. Critical Reading Tips • Pace yourself! Not enough time to read thoroughly • CR Method • Skim the passage. Read intro in italics if given. • Read the questions quickly. • Pick the easiest for you. (Mark them) • Paraphrase the question. What is being asked? • Go back and find the answer in the passage. • Rephrase the answer in your own words. • Select the “best answer” from the choices • Use process of elimination if needed

18. Types of Reading Questions • “Go Fetch” Literal comprehension questions - easiest (do these first) • Reasoning questions – require interpretation and understanding of author’s motives (save for later) • Complex questions/Weird questions – usually trickiest (save for last or skip depending on time)

19. “Go Fetch” Questions • Retrieve a particular detail or piece of information from the passage • Go back to passage and locate information • “Vocabulary in Context” questions • Treat like Sentence Completion questions • Difficult words – You will need to figure out the meaning from context • Secondary definitions of simple words – You may be tempted pick a meaning you are familiar with

20. Reasoning Questions • Similar to Go Fetch questions – find information in the passage • Also must answer a question about what role that information serves in the passage. • Usually include the words: • serves to • in order to • to show

21. Inference Questions • Infer means to draw a conclusion • Usually include the words: • infer, imply, suggest, conclude • Can be tricky or misleading - typically have “obvious” answers • Correct answers are often “unattractive” • Answers tend to be phrased very differently from the passage so they “sound wrong”

22. Complex Questions • Hardest questions to answer • Requires you to understand the author’s motives AND apply that understanding to a new situation • You don’t get more points for these questions than for easier questions • Save these for the end of skip them altogether if you don’t have time

23. Answer Tips • Evaluate every answer choice • Avoid answers that contain these words: • must, always, impossible, never, cannot, all, only, each, every, totally, completely, solely • Avoid extremes • Focus on the passage

24. Mathematics • 2 Sections – 25 minutes each • Section 2 • 20 multiple-choice questions • Section 4 • 8 multiple-choice PLUS 10 grid-in questions • Calculators are permitted - BUT • You must think and set up problem first! • NO problems require the use of a calculator

25. Mathematics • Know the basic content • Basic Arithmetic • Basic Algebra • Basic Geometry • Be familiar with PSAT-style math problems • Take the practice test! • Know how to complete grid-in questions • Have a plan • Know the Order of Difficulty • Pace yourself to get max points in time limit

26. Numbers & Operations (20-25%) • Basic Arithmetic • Word Problems! • Math Vocabulary • Even, odd, prime numbers, digits, integers • Percent, ratio, proportion, fractions, divisibility • Greatest common factor, least common multiple • Rational numbers, sequences, series • Sets – union, intersection, elements

27. Algebra & Functions (35-40%) • Simplify algebraic expressions • Properties of exponents, absolute value • Algebraic word problems • Linear equations & inequalities • Systems of equations & inequalities • Quadratic equations • Rational & radical equations • Equations of lines • Newly defined symbols based on commonly used operations

28. Geometry (25-30%) • Be familiar with FORMULAS on pg. 22 • Geometry terms - line, angle, point, congruent, complementary, supplementary, corresponding, etc. • Parallel & perpendicular lines • Similarity, transformations • Area & perimeter of a polygon • Area & circumference of a circle • Volume of a box, cube, cylinder • Triangles – Pythagorean Theorem, properties of isosceles, equilateral & right triangles • Coordinate geometry, Slope

29. Data Analysis, Probability (10-15%) • Data interpretation • Tables • Graphs • Statistics • Average • Mean, median, mode • Probability

30. Section 4 – Math Grid-ins • Mark only ONE circle per column • Write answers in boxes at top of columns to help you fill in circles accurately. • Machine-scored • You only receive credit for answers in grid circles. Answers in boxes will not be scored. • Fill in circles completely and darkly • Erase completely. • Be sure no other marks get on the answer sheet. (transfer from notes in test booklet, etc.)

31. Writing Skills • One section – 30 minutes • Improving Sentences – 20 questions • Identifying Errors – 14 questions • Improving Paragraphs – 5 questions • Being Consistent • Expressing Ideas Logically • Being Clear & Precise • Following Conventions

32. Relax! Just Do Your Best