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PSAT/NMSQT at
ALA

Wednesday, Oct
th
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Info, guidelines, and other

things worth knowing.

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PSAT/NMSQT General
Information
1. The PSAT/NMSQT is a practice SAT test that is scored the same way.
2. Your junior year PSAT/NMSQT is the most important. That is the
ONLY test with which you can qualify as a National Merit Semifinalist.
3. The PSAT/NMSQT is just like the SAT , with one exception: The SAT
will have a few higher level math questions (mostly trig) that wont
show up on the PSAT/NMSQT .
4. Your sophomore score give you valuable feedback before your junior
year about how you can improve your scores for both PSAT/NMSQT
and SAT .
Format
PSAT
Section 1: 60 minute Reading Test
Section 2: 35 minute Writing and Language Test
Section 3: 25 minute Math Test w/o calculator
Section 4: 45 minute Math test w/ calculator
No Essay (Unlike the SAT)

Observation 1: The PSAT requires a lot of stamina.

Observation 2: You better become used to doing math problems
without a calculator.

Category PSAT/NMSQT
Total Testing
Time*
2 hours and 45 minutes

Components 1. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

1. Reading Test
2. Writing and Language Test
2. Math

Important Continued emphasis on reasoning alongside a clearer, stronger focus on the knowledge, skills,
Features and understandings most important for college and career readiness and success

Greater emphasis on the meaning of words in extended contexts and on how word choice
shapes meaning, tone, and impact
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Rights-only scoring (a point for a correct answer but no deduction for an incorrect answer;
blank responses have no impact on scores)

*Subject to research
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The National Merit Scholarship Program

The National Merit Scholarship program is a prestigious academic honor that
began in the 1950s. The program recognizes the outstanding academic
achievement of our nations top graduating seniors. Those who qualify often receive
large financial awards to help pay college expenses, in addition to the recognition
that comes with earning the most widely-recognized academic achievement for high
school students in the country. Students may qualify to be National Merit
Semifinalists and enter into the competition based on their score on the
PSAT/NMSQT test during 11th grade. (Yes, we are required by the College Board to
write the name of the test that exact way.) Once a student receives a qualifying
selection index score, there are several more levels before one can be named a
National Merit Scholar:

The top 50,000 students qualify for recognition.

Of those 50,000 who qualify 34,000 are automatically recognized as
Commended
o Even though many of these students will not advance to the Semifinalist
and finalist stages they may still qualify for scholarships.
o There are groups that offer scholarships to some minority students based
on achievement of Commended performance.
The remaining 16,000 students advance to the Semifinalist stage of the
competition based on reaching a to-be-determined score on the test. The needed
score varies from state to state. For the previous PSAT/NMSQT , a score of 217-
219 (out of a possible 240) was usually required for residents of Texas. We do
not know the new cut-off, since the test has been redesigned and the score is
now on a 228 point scale. There is no way to predict the new cut-off score.
o A semifinalist must jump through several hoops to advance to the Finalist
stage.
The score must be confirmed by the SAT score (just to make
sure the PSAT/NMSQT score was not a fluke).
High school academic records must be submitted to the committee.
The committee also requires a disciplinary record from the school.
Based on a confirming SAT score and school records, about 15,000 students
are selected as Finalists.
Lastly, based on all the gathered dataincluding recommendation letters,
student essays, and information about the school itselfthe committee chooses
approximately 7,600 students from the Finalists to become National Merit
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Scholars. These are the ones who receive a $2,500 National Merit scholarship,
though some universities give more, up to and including a full ride.
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Important:
Your National Merit Selection Index Score is NOT your

Evidenced-based Reading and Writing Test Score

+
Math Score

Instead, it is your

(Reading Test Score + Writing & Language Test Score + Math test Score) x 2

Each of those tests on the PSAT has a max score of 38, so the max selection index score is 228.

Why is this important? Because it means the Writing Test counts more (1/3 actually) for National
Merit than it does for your total PSAT score.

Read (1/3) + Writing & Language (1/3) + Math (1/3)

So Verbal skills are 2/3 or, actually, more than that considering all of the reading you have to do on
the math test.
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Overall Game Plan for the

PSAT/NMSQT
1. Understand what the PSAT/NMSQT is and why it
matters.
Its essentially a practice SAT, and its scored exactly the same way as the
SAT.

The PSAT/NMSQT is just as hard as the SAT , with two exception: (1) The
SAT will have a few higher level math (mostly trigonometry) questions that
wont be on the PSAT/NMSQT; (2) the PSAT/NMSQT does not have an
essay.

Your results give you the most useful data you can have to prepare for the
SAT and to address overall weaknesses in reading, writing, and math skills
the skills you need to develop prior to attending college, the skills you need
to be a scholar in the larger, more important sense.

2. Dont read the directions when you take the actual test.
They will not have changed from the practice tests you will have taken.
You dont want to spend any of your valuable time doing something
that you should have prepared for in advance.
You will already know the directions long before the time you finish
this program.
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3. When in doubt, always guess!

Dont leave any questions blank. With rights only scoring, you earn raw
points for right answers. Blank answers count the same as wrong answers,
which is nothing. So you lose nothing if you guess wrong. If you spend your
time reading and dont guess, youve lost time, and have no gain. Of course,
you gain a point when you guess correctly.
Guessing strategies that dont work:
Clock watching
The test is talking to me
ACDC, CAB, BAD, etc
Patterns on the answer sheet
When in doubt, pick C
Make your best educated guess.
Cross out any answers you are reasonably certain are wrong.
Dont guess your way into a three or more in row. It could happen but is
not likely.
Over the course of the entire test, each answer choice will occur
approximately an equal number of times (~25% A, ~25% B, ~25% C, and
~25% D).

4. Write on your test.

Research has consistently shown that students who write on the test score
significantly higher than those who do not.
Underline key words and/or important sections of a passage.
While reading, make notes or shorthand annotations that may help you
answer a question or understand a passage.
Show your work on the math section.
Make a sketch or drawing of described objects or figures.
Writing on your test does not include doodling or writing non-pertinent
information in the margins!
Completely kill an answer choice when eliminating it.
Writing on every test and practice test is not optional. You must make it
habitual so that you dont even have to think about it. You just
automatically do it. We insist that you develop that habit.

5. Use every second of time you are given.

No one is so good at this that they can afford to give back a single second to
the College Board.

You are trying to score in the top .5 percentile! Are you suffering from an
over-abundance of confidence that that you can not only score that high but
you can do it in less time than they give you? If so, thats your ego getting in
the way.

If you have time left, check your answers!

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Dont worry about changing a right answer to wrong ones because you will
not change any answer unless you have a very good reason, such as the
following:
1) You have mis-bubbled.
2) You misread the passage (if applicable), the question, or the answer
choices.
3) Youve discovered an error in interpretation or miscalculation.
4) Youve discovered some other type of mistake.

NEVER change an answer based on a hunch. Your first hunch is more likely
right.

Only change an answer when you find a reason to (see list above).

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6. Develop your sense of timing.

You must practice so much that you develop an automatic ability to
become aware when you are spending too much time on a single question.

Component Time allotted # of questions/ Average Time

(minutes) Tasks per question
(seconds)

Reading
60 47 76.6
Writing and Language
35 44 47.7
Math
70 48 87.5
Total
2 hours, 45 138
min.
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The above times include reading the question/passage and any included
information. You can buy yourself time on the harder questions by
answering the easy and medium questions in less than the allotted time as
well as by recognizing any time-waster questions and skipping them
initially.

7. Truly understand that one question is not worth more

than any other.
The easy questions are worth the same as the medium and hard
questions. You do not get extra PSAT/NMSQT pointsor cool points or
nerd pointsfor answering the harder questions correctly. Dont let your
ego get in the way. Be prepared to skip harder questions and come back
to them. Its what any logical person would do.
You are starting with zero raw points. Answer as many questions correctly
as you can to maximize your score.
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Reading Game Plan

Hate to read? Tough. Find reading boring? Perhaps you are the one who is boring.
Were not trying to offend you, but its time to get over the immature idea (if you
happen to harbor it) that reading is dumb, boring, or for nerds only. Most
interesting people read a lot. They read widely. They read all the time. Its time for
you to accept that. Scholars read. They dont resent it. Its a natural result of their
curiosity.

Perhaps youve just not given reading a chance. Are you open-minded enough to
accept this one simple fact?

There is no academic area more important than reading.

This statement is unquestionably true. There is no single academic fieldincluding

maththat reading is not a huge part of. The same goes for the PSAT/NMSQT and
SAT. You will have to read on ALL sections, including math. All parts of redesigned
PSAT/NMSQT and SAT have more and harder reading than the previous versions.
What does that tell you about the importance The College Board and, therefore,
colleges give to reading?

You may not like to read because you think you are bad at it (for who likes to do
things one believes one is bad at?). What you have to understand is that reading is
a skill. It can be developed. It takes time. There are no shortcuts. But if youre
willing to put in the time, you will see results.

The most important piece of advice we can giveperhaps for the entire
PSAT/NMSQTis this:

Read. Read a lot. Read widely. Read things that you enjoy but that challenge
you.
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In the most fundamental ways we measure intelligence, you will get smarter if you
do this.

What the College Board Says about the Reading test

Before we get to a game plan, you first must become acquainted with what the
PSAT/NMSQT reading test covers. According to the College Board, the SAT
reading test will determine if students can demonstrate college readiness:

The basic aim of the SAT Reading Test is to determine whether

students can demonstrate college and career readiness in
comprehending a broad range of high-quality, appropriately
challenging literary and informational texts in the content areas
of U.S. and world literature, history, social studies, and science.

Students taking the PSAT/NMSQT should expect the same level of rigor.
The only difference is length: The PSAT/NMSQT reading test is slightly
shorter (60 minutes instead of 65), has fewer questions (47 compared to 52),
and slightly fewer total words in the 4 single passages and 1 paired passage
(3,000 compared to 3,250).
Here is a detailed breakdown of the format of the reading section on both
the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT.

Comparison of the Reading Test Content Specifications:

SAT and PSAT/NMSQT
Element SAT PSAT/NMSQT
Time Allotted 70 minutes 60 minutes

Passage Word Count 3,250 words total from 4 3,000 words total from 4 single
single passages and 1 pair; passages and 1 pair; 500750
500750 words per words per passage or paired set
passage or paired set

Questions Number % of Test Number % of Test

Total 67 100% 47 100%

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Comparison of the Reading Test Content Specifications:

SAT and PSAT/NMSQT
Element SAT PSAT/NMSQT
Words in Context 10 questions 19% 10 questions 21%
(Across Reading and
Writing and Language
Tests)

Command of Evidence 10 questions 19% 10 questions 21%

(Across Reading and
Writing and Language
Tests)

Analysis in Language 21 questions 40% 19 questions 40%

(Across Math, Reading,
and Writing and
Language Tests)

Analysis in Language 21 questions 40% 19 questions 40%

(Across Math, Reading,
and Writing and
Language Tests)

Passage Contents

U.S. and World 1 passage; 10 20% 1 passage; 9 20%

Literature questions questions

History/Social Studies 2 passages, 40% 2 passages, or 1 40%

or 1 passage passage and 1
and 1 pair pair

Science 2 passages, 40% 2 passages, or 1 40%

or 1 passage passage and 1
and 1 pair pair

Graphics
12 graphics in 1 12 graphics in 1 History/Social
History/Social Studies and Studies and 1 Science passage
1 Science passage

Text and Graphical Complexity

Text Complexity A range from grades 910 A range from grades 910 to
to postsecondary entry postsecondary entry across 4
across 4 passages and 1 passages and 1 pair
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Comparison of the Reading Test Content Specifications:

SAT and PSAT/NMSQT
Element SAT PSAT/NMSQT
pair

Graphical Data Somewhat challenging to Somewhat challenging to

Representations challenging (moderate to
moderately high data
(tables, graphs, density, few to several
charts, etc.) variables, moderately
challenging to moderately
complex interactions)
challenging (moderate to
moderately high data density, few
to several variables, moderately
challenging to moderately
complex interactions)

You should be able to tell that reading speed and stamina are also being tested,
though theyre never mentioned. The 60 minutes is ONE 60 minute section with 5
passages including a paired passage. The previous PSAT/NMSQT had 25 minute
reading sections, with never more than 2 lengthy passages, and the 25 minutes
includes sentence completions, not just reading passages.

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Skills Assessed on the Reading Test

Information and Ideas

In this section, the words in regular Garamond font come straight from the College
Board. The words in italics are commentary.

Questions about information and ideas focus on the informational content of text.
These questions assess how well students are able to:
Understand explicit and implicit meaning of text and extrapolate beyond the
information and ideas in a text to new and analogous situations.
You must be able to demonstrate critical reading and thinking. Simply
knowing what the author is saying is not nearly enough.

Find the evidence within in a passage that best supports a particular

conclusion.
A huge part of this test is about finding the evidence to support your
answers. You cannot fake it. You must understand what you are
reading. For example, question 5 may ask you to find the best evidence
to support your answer to question 4. If you havent understood the
passage, you may get BOTH wrong.

Determine the central idea(s) or theme(s) in a passage.

It wont be as simple as looking for the thesis in the intro or
conclusion. Youll be reading passages, not whole documents. There
probably wont be a sentence identifiable as a thesis.

Summarize a passage or its key information and ideas.

Some people think summary is a low level skill. It isnt. Creating an
accurate summary in your head as you read is a key skill to
understanding the passage as a whole.

Trace cause-effect, compare-contrast, or sequential relationships in a

passage.
You must understand how the parts of a passage connect and work
together. You must be aware of structure as you read.

Determine the meaning of a word or phrase as it is used in context.

This skill should be the easiestif youve understood the passage. But
you must not assume the context you seek is always right beside the
word. It may come from other parts of the passage, so you cant be
lazy. But if you understand the whole passage first, these should be
easier.

Rhetoric
Reading Test questions that assess skills in rhetorical analysis of text ask students
to analyze the way an author uses word choice, structure, and other techniques to
create a desired effect. Students must think about rhetorical concerns such as the
following:
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How an authors selection of words and phrases shapes the meaning and
tone of a passage.
Recognizing meaning/tone can be difficult. Understanding how the
author uses words and phrases to create meaning/tone is even harder..

How a passage is structured.

It matters. Structure contributes to meaning and tone.

The effect of point of view or perspective on the content and style of a

passage and the way in which the passage is written.
The main purpose of a passage or a particular paragraph in a passage.
This seemingly basic skill is required of all readers; however,
determining how one particular paragraph functions within a larger
passage can be a difficult skill for students unused to such questions.

An authors construction of an argument.

Synthesis [High level thinking skills required.]

Reading Test questions that assess synthesis skills ask students to make
connections between two sources. Students may be asked to:

Analyze two different but related passages to answer questions that require
close reading skills, command of evidence, an understanding of the authors
craft, and other skills covered in Information and Ideas and Rhetoric.
You must be able to do a mental Venn diagram of the passages: how
are they alike and how they differ. The test will expect you to be able
to see both.

Analyze quantitative information in an accompanying graph, table, chart, or

other graphic. Youll need to interpret the data (though no mathematical
calculations will be necessary) and relate the data to the information and
ideas presented in the passage.
These should not be hard IF you examine the visuals carefully and IF
youve read and understood the passage. They will nail you if you just
try to use the visual without information from the passage.
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Sample Reading Test Questions

NOTE: The passages included in this document are short snippets of longer sample passages
provided by the College Board. They, and the questions that follow are included for students and
instructors to get an idea of the types of questions that will be asked.

Relevant words in context

The SAT Reading Test measures students understanding of the meaning and use of words and
phrases in the context of extended prose passages. These words and phrases are neither highly
obscure nor specific to any one domain. They are words and phrases whose specific meaning and
rhetorical purpose are derived in large part through the context in which they are used.

Example: [. . .] The coming decades will likely see more intense clustering of jobs, innovation,
and productivity in a smaller number of bigger cities and city-regions. Some regions could end
up bloated beyond the capacity of their infrastructure, while others struggle, their promise
stymied by inadequate human or other resources.
Adapted from Richard Florida, The Great Reset.
2010 by Richard Florida.
Question: As used in line 55, intense most nearly means
A) emotional.
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B) concentrated.
C) brilliant.
D) determined.

This question asks students to determine word meaning within a social science context. While
students may frequently use the word intense to describe personalities or emotions, the context of
this sentence requires students to recognize that intense can also mean concentrated. The best
answer here is choice B because the context makes clear that the clustering of jobs, innovation, and
productivity is expected to be denser, or more concentrated in a smaller number of bigger cities and
city-regions, over the coming decades. The best answer can be determined from context clues, and
none of the other answer choices makes sense in context although each is a legitimate synonym of
the tested word; the tested word is also a high-utility word likely to appear in many types of reading.
In these ways, the question draws students back to the text rather than rewarding only isolated
vocabulary knowledge. Questions on the redesigned SAT Reading Test might also explore how the
same word shifts meaning between or even within contexts.

Command of evidence
The SAT Reading Test requires students not only to derive information and ideas from a text but
also in some cases to identify the portion of the text that serves as the best evidence for the
conclusions they reach. In this way, students both interpret text and back up their interpretation by
citing the most relevant textual support. The following passage excerpt and related pair of sample
questions help illustrate this concept.

Example: . . . The North Carolina ratification convention: No one need be afraid that officers who
commit oppression will pass with immunity. Prosecutions of impeachments will seldom fail to
agitate the passions of the whole community, said Hamilton in the Federalist Papers, number 65.
We divide into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused.* I do not mean political
parties in that sense. The drawing of political lines goes to the motivation behind impeachment;
but impeachment must proceed within the confines of the constitutional term high crime[s] and
misdemeanors. Of the impeachment process, it was Woodrow Wilson who said that Nothing
short of the grossest offenses against the plain law of the land will suffice to give them speed and
effectiveness. Indignation so great as to overgrow party interest may secure a conviction; but
nothing else can. [. . .]
Adapted from a speech delivered by Congresswoman Barbara Jordan of Texas on July 25,
1974, as a member of the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of
Representatives.

Question 1: In lines 49-54 (Prosecutions . . . sense), what is the most likely reason Jordan draws
a distinction between two types of parties?

A) To counter the suggestion that impeachment is or should be about partisan politics

B) To disagree with Hamiltons claim that impeachment proceedings excite passions
C) To contend that Hamilton was too timid in his support for the concept of impeachment
D) To argue that impeachment cases are decided more on the basis of politics than on justice
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Question 2: Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
(The actual lines are included for reference).
A) Lines 13-17 (It . . . office)

It is wrong, I suggest, it is a misreading of the Constitution for any member here to assert that
for a member to vote for an article of impeachment means that that member must be convinced
that the President should be removed from office.

B) Lines 20-24 (The division . . . astute)

The division between the two branches of the legislature, the House and the Senate, assigning
to the one the right to accuse and to the other the right to judgethe framers of this
Constitution were very astute.

C) Lines 55-58 (The drawing . . . misdemeanors)

The drawing of political lines goes to the motivation behind impeachment; but impeachment
must proceed within the confines of the constitutional term high crime[s] and misdemeanors.

D) Lines 65-68 (Congress . . . transportation)

Congress has a lot to do: appropriations, tax reform, health insurance, campaign finance
reform, housing, environmental protection, energy sufficiency, mass transportation

The first of the two questions asks students to analyze a distinction that Barbara Jordan draws in her
speech between two types of parties: the informal associations to which Alexander Hamilton refers
and formal, organized political parties such as the modern-day Republican and Democratic parties.
The best answer to this question is choice A. Jordan anticipates that listeners to her speech might
misinterpret her use of Hamiltons quotation as suggesting that she thinks impeachment is
essentially a tool of organized political parties to achieve partisan ends, with one party attacking and
another defending the president. In the above excerpt of her speech and in the larger reading
passage, Jordan makes clear that she thinks impeachment should be reserved only for the most
serious of offenses ones that should rankle people of any political affiliation.

The second question asks students to determine which of four portions of the
passage provides the best textual evidence for the answer to the previous
question, thereby demonstrating their command of evidence. In this case, choice C
provides the best support because the lines cited in choice C help emphasize
Jordans point that impeachment is so serious that its use must be reserved for
high crimes and misdemeanors, not for merely political gains. In these sorts of
questions, students make explicit their reasoning as they read and comprehend
text.

Informational Graphics
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The SAT Reading Test has two passages that include one or two graphics (e.g.,
tables, graphs, and charts) that convey information related to the passage content.
Students are asked to interpret the information conveyed in one or more graphics
and/or to integrate that information with information in the text.

Example: [. . .] Putman works in the lab of Ken Lohmann, who has been studying
the magnetic abilities of loggerheads for over 20 years. In his lab at the
University of North Carolina, Lohmann places hatchlings in a large water tank
surrounded by a large grid of electromagnetic coils. In 1991, he found that the
babies started swimming in the opposite direction if he used the coils to reverse
the direction of the magnetic field around them. They could use the field as a
compass to get their bearing. [. . .]

Adapted from Ed Yong, Turtles Use the Earths Magnetic Field as Global GPS.
2011 by Kalmbach Publishing Co.

Orientation of hatchling loggerheads tested in a magnetic field that simulates a

position at the west side of the Atlantic near Puerto Rico (left) and a position at
the east side of the Atlantic near the Cape Verde Islands (right). The arrow in
each circle indicates the mean direction that the group of hatchlings swam. Data
are plotted relative to geographic north (N = 0).

Question: It can reasonably be inferred from the passage and graphic that if
scientists adjusted the coils to reverse the magnetic field simulating that in the
East Atlantic (Cape Verde Islands), the hatchlings would most likely swim in
which direction?
A) Northwest
B) Northeast
C) Southeast
D) Southwest
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This question asks students to reach a logical conclusion after connecting

information in the graphic with information in the passage. Here, the best answer is
choice B. The passage notes that Lohmann, who studied loggerhead turtle hatchlings
in a large water tank surrounded by a large grid of electromagnetic coils capable
of manipulating the magnetic field around the turtles, discovered that the hatchlings
would start swimming in the opposite direction when he reverse[d] the direction
of the magnetic field around them. The graphic (whose caption establishes that
geographic north is represented by 0 degrees) indicates that loggerhead hatchlings
tested in a magnetic field that simulates a position on the east side of the Atlantic
near the Cape Verde Islands would normally travel in a southwesterly direction
(around 218 degrees). Given the above information, it is reasonable to infer that if
the magnetic field were reversed, the turtles would travel in a northeasterly
direction.

Short-Term Reading Game Plan

First, read and understand the passage. Our previous program

recommended reading the questions first. That strategy was for average-level
students, but it was bad advice for those who want very high scores and
those who want to actually improve their reading skills. We promise,
eventually you will see that there are very few hard questions if you truly
understand not only what the author means but how he creates that
meaning. When you can get to that point, there will be virtually no hard
questions. And if you want to be a Semifinalist, you must reach that point.

Fake yourself out. Use your imagination and, with each new passage,
pretend its the most interesting thing youve ever read. Make personal
connections if you can. If the passage is about the migratory habits of
swallows, say to yourself, Oh, I love swallows! Truly think (in that moment)
that the passage is endlessly fascinating. Heres a secret: It wont be. Deep
down youll know that, but, nevertheless, telling yourself its fascinating will
help you focus. The more you do this, the easier it will be. Ultimately, this is a
long term goal that will pay off big time in college, when you will often be
assigned reading that you may not have much interest in. Well, it may
interest you to know that the most successful students feel that way, too. But
you know what? They do the reading anyway.

You must make writing on the passage, the questions, and the answer
choices a habit. It should be a routine you are so used to, you can do it
without thinking of it as a strategy. Your pencil should be hovering over the
page while you read, ready to strike. Underline important points, assertions,
tone shifts, structural clues. Make brief annotations in the margins.
Underline key words in the questions so that you answer the question asked
and not the question you think you are being asked. Mark out unreasonable
answer choices first. Then continue to mark out answer choices you eliminate
so you will be visually reducing the choices. That will make it easier to think
about and choose from the remaining choices.
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Understand that all questions are not created equal, and you are not
required to go in order. There are hard questions, medium questions, and
easy questions, and they are all worth the same number of points (1 each).
Why not answer easy questions firstif you can spot them. After reading the
passage, skim the questions, looking for the ones that seem easiest to
answer. As you answer those, you will gain information about the harder
questions (which generally require more understanding of the passage to
answer), thereby increasing your chances of answer the hard questions
correctly. Be willing to do the passages out of order. Just be careful when
bubbling your answers.

Evidence is King. When you are eliminating what you believe to be the
wrong answers, you must be able to find/recall evidence from the passage
that supports the elimination. And when you are selecting the right answers,
you must be able to find/recall evidence from the passage that supports their
selection. This whole test is designed around evidenced-based decision
making. This strategy is not an option. You must do it. And you must make it
habitual. The good news? Doing so will quickly make you a better, more
accurate reader.

Make all of the above habitual. If you see the above recommendations as
strategies, you may adopt some of them half-heartedly, but you wont improve
that much. Youve got to apply these suggestions to your normal reading
routine so thoroughly, that you do them automatically. If you dont, you wont
get the full benefit. We are what we do. Want to be a good reader? Read well.
Make these suggestions part of what reading is for you.
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Math Game Plan

We will need to have a game plan in place for how to approach the math questions.
Many of the questions you may be able to work out and answer without issue. That
said, there are a few tools that you can use to win the game of Math
PSAT/NMSQT. First, you need to be thoroughly familiar with the format of the test
and whats being tested

Format of the Math Test

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Game Plan
Watch your time. Wear a watch if you have one to help pace yourself.
Roughly 87 seconds per question on the calculator portion.
About 88 seconds per question on the non-calculator portion.

Spend your time on the questions you can do and guess on the ones you
cant.
If, after reading the problem, you have no idea where to start, skip it and
come back to it if time permits. You will still have an opportunity to earn
these points at the end when guessing on unanswered problems.
 27

Read carefully and answer the question you are being asked to solve.
Weve all seen really long word problems with superfluous information that
tricks you into thinking that it is asking something else.
Underline words/phrases important to the question.
At the end, ask yourself if your answer makes sense and looks like a
reasonable answer to the question.

http://www.dizkover.com/Motivation/14554/you-just-begin-mark-watney

Practice Math Problems

Example 1
Linda works 30 hours during the first week of February. The next week
she gets sick and only works half that much. The following weeks she
works 27 hours and 38 hours, respectively. If she is paid $2,970 at the
end of the month, what was her hourly wage?

A) $27 B) $30 C) $33 D) $37

Some answer choices can be eliminated by estimating or ballparking.

28

107 meters seems way too big for this distance

Try to eliminate these answers first.
Dont guess an answer that seems unreasonable.

Example 2
The distance traveled by Mercury in on orbit around the sun is about
225,000,000 miles. Mercury makes one complete orbit around the sun
every 90 days. Which of the following best represents the average
speed of Mercury, in miles per hour, as it orbits the sun?

A) 1,735 B) 105,000 C) 2,500,000 D) 25,000,000

Label any figures that are given to you.

Its really hard to keep all that information in your head. Its possible you do
lots of work in order to solve for x and it would be a shame to have to think at
the end, Now what side of the triangle does x stand for, again?

Example 3
If the area of the triangle below is 204 square units, what is the value
of x ?

A) 3 units B) 12 units C) 17 units D) 21 units

Sketch any figure that is not drawn for you.

This technique will help you visualize whats being described (most people
are visual learners, probably because they dont read enough).
You dont need to create a masterpiece worthy of hanging in a museum; a
rough sketch will do.

Example 4
John wants to build a rectangular garden in his backyard to grow his
own vegetables. He wants the area to be 72 square yards and the
length will be 6 yards longer than the width. The edge of one of the
longer sides will be made up by his garage and will not need fencing.
How many feet of fence will he need for the remaining three sides?
 29

A) 24 ft B) 30 ft C) 72 ft D) 90 ft

Some of the figures are not drawn to scale. They will always be labeled NOTE:
This figure is not drawn to scale. Do not let your eyes lie to you on these questions.
Deal with the figure as it is described.
Perhaps alter the sketch or make a new sketch that is drawn to scale.

Example 5
In the figure below, if BC =BD , what is the value of y ?

A) 100 B) 120 C) 125 D) 130

Example 6
5
In the figure below, line l has a slope of , what is the area of
8
the shaded region?

A) 23 B) 24 C) 28 D) 40

Use a calculator when allowed.

This can make dealing with large numbers, fractions, and decimals much
easier.

Be careful when entering expressions into the calculator.

There are 48 questions total and 31 are in a section where you can use a
calculator.
30

Example 7
A market research firm polls a group of 1,276 randomly selected
Houston residents. The firm determines that 32% of those surveyed
like to fish, while the remaining 68% do not like to fish. If the
population of Houston is 2.2 million people and the poll is true with a
5% margin of error, what is the best estimate for the number of
Houstonians that like to fish?

A) 64 people
B) 110,000 people
C) Between 357,000 and 419,000 people
D) Between 668,000 and 739,2000 people

SHOW YOUR WORK!

Its too difficult to keep information in your head and try to recall it later in
the problem or if you return to that problem later during the test.
You are less likely to make careless mistakes.
This strategy allows you to easily refer back to information in the problem
later and makes any mistakes you make much more visible.

Example 8
f ( 2 )=3 and f (6 ) =13 . If f ( x) is a linear function, what is the y-
intercept of f ( x) ?

A) (0,1) B) (0,0) C) (0,1) D) (0,2)

Example 9
What is the perimeter of the figure outlined by the solid line, in terms
of x ?

A) 5 x+3 x B) 5 x+6 x C) 10 x+3 x D) 10 x+6 x

Use the answers and plug them in to fit the problem.

 31

Start with answer choice D. The College Board knows the vast majority of
students start with A. You will likely save time on some time-waster
problems if you begin the elimination process with D.

Example 10
A gas station sells regular gasoline for $2.39 per gallon and premium
gasoline for $2.79 per gallon. If the gas station sold a total of 550
gallons of both types of gasoline in one day for a total of $1344. 50,
how many gallons of premium gasoline were sold?

A) 25 B) 75 C) 175 D) 475
32

Instructions for Griddables

You should only get positive answers because there is no negative sign. DO
NOT ADD YOUR OWN.
Since there are only four boxes, the greatest correct answer can be 9,999.
The following instructions should be used to correctly input your answer.
 33

Practice gridding in the blank response grids below.

34

Additional Math Problems

Reasoning on the redesigned SAT Math Test will connect more directly to essential
skills for college readiness that are part of a rigorous high school curriculum. Many
of the questions on the former SAT test present reasoning puzzles that are
completely unrelated to school mathematics curriculum. Being able to solve
unfamiliar problems is valuable, but a test based entirely on this idea does not
provide as much assurance that students have learned essential math skills and
practices nor does it reward students for their hard work in doing so. The
redesigned SAT Math Test focuses on applied reasoning skills that are both
essential for college readiness and taught in challenging high school math
classrooms.

1 1
Example: If x+ y =4 , what is the value of 3 x+2 y ?
2 3

A student may find the solution to this Heart of Algebra problem by noticing the
structure of the given equation and seeing that multiplying both sides of the
equation by 6 to clear fractions from the equation yields 3 x+2 y=24 .

Since students cannot be ready for college and career without being
mathematically proficient, the redesigned SAT assesses fluency with mathematical
procedures and conceptual understanding with equal intensity. The following two
sample questions show some of the ways in which fluency and understanding are
important on the redesigned SAT .

Example: 4 x y=3 y +7
x+ 8 y=4

Based on the system of equation above, what is the value of the

product xy ?

3
A)
2

1
B)
4

1
C)
2

11
D)
9

Again from Heart of Algebra, this rewards fluency in solving pairs of simultaneous
linear equations. Rather than looking for a clever way of back solving the value of
 35

the product xy from the system, students can solve the system for the values of x
1
and y, then simply multiply them to get choice C, .
2

Example: The function f is defined by 2 x 3 +3 x 2+ cx+ 8 , where c is a

constant. In the xy-plane, the graph of f intersects the x-axis at the three points
1
(4, 0), ( , 0), and (p, 0). What is the value of c ?
2

A) -18
B) -2
C) 2
D) 10
Example 3, from Passport to Advanced Math, assesses conceptual understanding of
polynomials and their graphs. If a student understands these concepts and
requires, for example, the point (4, 0) to lie on the graph, this results in 0 =
3 2
2(4) +3(4) + c (4 ) +8 . A student who looks for and makes use of structure will
monitor the calculation at this point and recognize an equation that determines the
desired value of c, 18. Seeing that he or she is on the right track, the student will
then perform the calculations required to solve for c.

Applications on the redesigned SAT Math Test require students to demonstrate the
ability to analyze a situation, determine the essential elements required to solve the
problem, represent the problem mathematically, and carry out a solution. These
applications often also require linking topics within the mathematics domain (e.g.,
functions and statistics) and across disciplines (e.g., math and science). Learning to
model and problem solve is enhanced when students use the same mathematics
(e.g., linear equations) to solve problems in different contexts (e.g., science, social
studies, or careers).
36

Example: The scatterplot above shows counts of Florida manatees, a type of sea
mammal, from 1991 to 2011. Based on the line of best fit to the data shown,
which of the following values is closest to the average yearly increase in the
number of manatees?

A) 0.75
B) 75
C) 150
D) 750

This example is based on real-world methods (aerial observations of wintering

spots, or synoptic counts) used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to count
manatees, a type of sea mammal. This type of item is an excellent way of
connecting linear functions to statistics. In this item, students are not required to
model the line of best fit completely, but they are required to decontextualize the
item to understand that they must compute the slope of the line of best fit to get the
correct answer, 150.

The example below is a rich application item that uses a science context to make a
connection across math domains (functions and statistics) and across subjects
(math and science). In this item, students need to synthesize the information given
in the graph and the prompt and determine which pieces of information in the
graph will help provide them with a correct statement about the data.
 37

Example: A researcher places two colonies of bacteria into two petri dishes that
each have area 10 square centimeters. After the initial placement of the bacteria
(t = 0), the researcher measures and records the area covered by the bacteria in
each dish every ten minutes. The data for each dish were fit by a smooth curve,
as shown above, where each curve represents the area of a dish covered by
bacteria as a function of time, in hours. Which of the following is a correct
statement about the data above?

A) At time t = 0, both dishes are 100% covered by bacteria.

B) At time t = 0, bacteria covers 10% of Dish 1 and 20% of Dish 2.
C) At time t = 0, Dish 2 is covered with 50% more bacteria than Dish 1.
D) For the first hour, the area covered in Dish 2 is increasing at a higher
average rate than the area covered in Dish 1.

Calculator and No-Calculator Sections

The redesigned SAT Math Test will contain two portions: one in which the student
may use a calculator and another in which the student may not. The no-calculator
portion allows the redesigned SAT to assess fluencies valued by postsecondary
instructors and includes conceptual questions for which a calculator will not be
helpful. Meanwhile, the calculator portion gives insight into a students capacity to
use appropriate tools strategically. The calculator is a tool that students must use
(or not use) judiciously.

The calculator portion of the test will include more complex modeling and
reasoning questions to allow students to make computations more efficiently.
However, this portion will also include questions in which the calculator could be a
deterrent to expedience, thus assessing appropriate use of tools. For these types of
38

questions, students who make use of structure or their ability to reason will reach
the solution more rapidly than students who get bogged down using a calculator.

https://pssiusa.wordpress.com/tag/excel-vs-erp/
 39

http://grockit.com/blog/top-10-grammar-rules-beat-act/

Writing and Language Game Plan

IMPORTANT NOTE:
To be a National Merit Semifinalist, its not your total PSAT score that matters, its
your National Merit Selection Index Score that matters. The Writing and
Language Test counts a full THIRD of your total National Merit Selection Index
Scoreequally weighted to the Reading and Math tests. Whereas for your
PSAT/NMSQT and SAT total score, it counts approximately of your total score
or about of your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Score. So for the
purposes of determining who does and doesnt make the cut for National Merit
Semifinalist, the writing and Language test counts more than it does for your
regular old PSAT score. The good news is that, generally, its the easiest area in
which to improve.

Superficially, the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT Writing sections look like the
ACT Writing test, but the College Board intends to cover many more things
than the ACT test. Lets take a look at what the Writing and Language Test
looks like and what it is testing.

The Passages

The Writing and Language Test now uses exclusively multi-paragraph

passages (not isolated sentences or paragraphs). The College Board has this
to say about the passages:

All Writing and Language passages will be created especially for the test so
that errors can be intentionally introduced. Passages will be several paragraphs long
40

so that students can engage in complex, real-world revision and editing tasks, and
students will often need to have a good understanding of one or more
paragraphs, or even the entire passage, to answer a particular question. The
passages on the Writing and Language Test vary in complexity, ranging from
texts like those found in challenging courses in grades 9 and 10 to texts
comparable to those found in typical college-entry, credit-bearing courses.
Passages take the form of arguments, informative/explanatory texts, or
nonfiction narratives. They address topics related to careers, history/social studies,
the humanities, and science.
 41

Whats Being Tested?

This test is not your older brothers PSAT/NMSQT (unless your older
brother is just a year or two older than you). This test is not just about
grammar and a few revision questions. Here are the things being tested on
the Writing and Language section:

analysis in social studies passages and interpretation of words in

context in science passages (and presumably vice versa, though this is
the way the CB worded it)
expression of ideas (development, organization, and rhetorical
effectiveness), including passages requiring analysis in science and
analysis in social studies
standard written English
improving diction (word choice)
command of evidence (as on the reading test); students will have to
choose best way to revise a passage to improve development of ideas
and information
draw connections between informational graphics and the texts that
accompany them (e.g. students may have to correct, clarify, or improve
interpretation of data thats in the text

What Are the Implications of this Test?

You definitely cannot get lazy. You should have the time to read entire
passages, and since a few questions will require you to know about the
entire passage, thats what you are going to do. However, you will answer
the questions, when possible, in order as you come to them in the passage.

If grammar is a weakness, you are going to have to learn some basic things
you should have learned long ago. You dont get to have weaknesses in one
area. You dont get to blame past teachers. You must finally take
responsibility for learning the standard written English that you should
already know.

Comparison of SAT and PSAT/NMSQT

Comparison of the Writing and Language Test

Content Specifications:
SAT and PSAT/NMSQT
Element SAT PSAT/NMSQT

Time Allotted 35 minutes 35 minutes

42

Comparison of the Writing and Language Test

Content Specifications:
SAT and PSAT/NMSQT
Element SAT PSAT/NMSQT

Passage Word 1,700 words total from 4 1,700 words total from 4
Count passages; 400450 words passages; 400450 words
per passage per passage

Questions Number % of Number % of

Test Test

Total 44 100% 44 100%

Expression of 24 questions 55% 24 questions 55%

Ideas

Standard 20 questions 45% 20 questions 45%

English
Conventions

Words in 8 questions 18% 8 questions 18%

Context
(Across Reading
and Writing and
Language Tests)

Command of 8 questions 18% 8 questions 18%

Evidence
(Across Reading
and Writing and
Language Tests)

Analysis in 6 questions 14% 6 questions 14%

History/Social
Studies
(Across Math,
Reading, and
Writing and
Language Tests)

Analysis in 6 questions 14% 6 questions 14%

Science
(Across Math,
Reading, and
Writing and
Language Tests)

Passage Contents

Careers 1 passage; 11 25% 1 passage; 11 25%

questions questions
 43

Comparison of the Writing and Language Test

Content Specifications:
SAT and PSAT/NMSQT
Element SAT PSAT/NMSQT

History/Social 1 passage; 11 25% 1 passage; 11 25%

Studies questions questions

Humanities 1 passage; 11 25% 1 passage; 11 25%

questions questions

Science 1 passage; 11 25% 1 passage; 11 25%

question question

Graphics

1 or more graphics in 1 or 1 or more graphics in 1 or

more sets of questions more sets of questions

Text Types

Argument 12 passages 25%- 12 passages 25%-

50% 50%

Informative/ 12 passages 25%- 12 passages 25%-

Explanatory Text 50% 50%

Nonfiction 1 passage 25% 1 passage 25%

Narrative

Text and Graphical Complexity

Text Complexity A range from grades 910 A range from grades 910
to postsecondary entry to postsecondary entry
across 4 passages across 4 passages

Graphical Data Basic to somewhat Basic to somewhat

Representations challenging (low to challenging (low to
(tables, graphs, moderate data density, moderate data density,
charts, etc.) few variables, simple to few variables, simple to
moderately challenging moderately challenging
interactions) interactions)

So the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT Writing and Language

Tests are identical!

REMEMBER: The Writing and Language test counts 1/3 of

your National Merit Selection Index score; however, it
counts less than that for your total PSAT and SAT score.
44

Sample Writing and Language Test Questions

Relevant words in context

The SAT Writing and Language Test measures students ability to apply knowledge
of words, phrases, and language in general in the context of extended prose
passages.

Example: [. . .] The transportation planners job might involve conducting a

traffic count to determine the daily number of vehicles traveling on the road to
the new factory. If analysis of the traffic count indicates that there is more traffic
than the current road as it is designed at this time can efficiently accommodate,
the transportation planner might recommend widening the road to add another
lane. [. . .]

A) NO CHANGE
B) current design of the road right now
C) road as it is now, currently designed
D) current design of the road

This question asks students to determine the most economical way to express an
idea clearly. Students must recognize that only one choice (choice D, current
design of the road) expresses the idea clearly and concisely, whereas other
choices introduce various redundancies (current and at this time in choice A,
current and right now in choice B, and now and currently in choice C) that
serve only to weaken written expression here.

Example: [. . .] As Kingman developed as a painter, his works were often

compared to paintings by Chinese landscape artists dating back to CE 960, a time
when a strong tradition of landscape painting emerged in Chinese art. Kingman,
however, vacated from that tradition in a number of ways, most notably in that
he chose to focus not on natural landscapes, such as mountains and rivers, but
on cities. [. . .]

A) NO CHANGE
B) evacuated
C) departed
D) retired

This question asks students to determine which word makes the most sense in the
context of a sentence from a passage about painter Dong Kingman. The best answer
here is choice C because departed is the most contextually appropriate way to
indicate that Kingman had deviated from the tradition of Chinese landscape painting
in a number of ways.
 45

Example: [. . .] During his career, Kingman exhibited his work internationally. He

garnered much acclaim. [. . .]
Question: Which choice most effectively combines the sentences at the
underlined portion?

A) internationally, and Kingman also garnered

B) internationally; from exhibiting, he garnered
C) internationally but garnered
D) internationally, garnering

This question asks students to demonstrate skill in combining sentences smoothly

and logically. Students must demonstrate an appreciation of the subtleties of
language by recognizing that while all of the choices create grammatical sentences,
only one choice (choice D, internationally, garnering) preserves the writers
intended meaning.

Command of evidence

The SAT Writing and Language Test measures students capacity to revise a text to
improve its development of information and ideas. To answer these questions,
students must have a solid grasp of the content of the passage in question (although
its important to note that prior knowledge of the topic is not expected of students).

Example: [. . .] His fine brushwork conveys detailed street-level activity: a

peanut vendor pushing his cart on the sidewalk, a pigeon pecking for crumbs
around a fire hydrant, an old man tending to a baby outside a doorway. His
broader brushstrokes and sponge-painted shapes create majestic city skylines,
with skyscrapers towering in the background, bridges connecting neighborhoods
on either side of a river, and enormous ships maneuvering out of a busy harbor.
To art critics and fans alike, these city scenes represent the innovative spirit of
twentieth-century urban Modernism. [. . .]

Question: Which choice most effectively establishes the main topic of the
paragraph?

A) Kingman is considered a pioneer of the California Style school of painting.

B) Although cities were his main subject, Kingman did occasionally paint natural
landscapes.
C) In his urban landscapes, Kingman captures the vibrancy of crowded cities.
46

D) In 1929 Kingman moved to Oakland, California, where he attended the Fox Art
School.

This question asks students to demonstrate an understanding of the central point

that the writer is making in the paragraph by choosing the sentence that best
signals the paragraphs main topic. Students must carefully analyze the information
and ideas in the other sentences in the paragraph to recognize that urban
landscapes (and not natural landscapes) are the primary focus (thereby making
choice C the best answer and ruling out choice B) and that a detail about Kingmans
place in the California Style school of painting (choice A) or about Kingmans
background (choice D) would not effectively prepare the reader for the content that
follows in the rest of the paragraph.

Informational Graphics

The SAT Writing and Language Test contains one or more passages and/ or
questions that include one or more graphics (e.g., tables, graphs, or charts) that
convey information related to the passage content. Students are asked to consider
the information in these graphics as they make decisions about how and whether to
revise a passage.

Example: [. . .] Transportation planners perform critical work within the broader field
of urban and regional planning. As of 2010, there were approximately 40,300 urban
and regional planners employed in the United States. The United States Bureau of
Labor Statistics forecasts steady job growth in this field, projecting that 16 percent of
new jobs in all occupations will be related to urban and regional planning. Population
growth and concerns about environmental sustainability are expected to spur the
need for transportation planning professionals.
 47

Question: Which choice completes the sentence with accurate data based on
the graph?

A) NO CHANGE
B) warning, however, that job growth in urban and regional planning will slow to 14 percent by
2020.
C) predicting that employment of urban and regional planners will increase 16 percent between
2010 and 2020.
D) indicating that 14 to 18 percent of urban and regional planning positions will remain unfilled.

This question asks students to analyze data displayed graphically and to integrate
that information with information presented in text specifically, to determine
which of four interpretations of the graph is accurate and to revise the passages
wording as needed. The best answer here is choice C, as the graph establishes that
the employment of urban and regional planning is expected to increase by 16
percent between 2010 and 2020.

Standard Written English

No excuses. No weaknesses. You have to know this stuff cold. What youll
find here is a list of the Gotta Knows regarding standard English (FYI:
Gotta Knows is not standard English).
Students must revise text to ensure consistency of style within a series of
sentences.
Students must maintain grammatical agreement between pronoun and
antecedent and between subject and verb.
Students must maintain parallel structure.
Students must determine the most effective transition between ideas.
Students must recognize and correct inappropriate uses of possessive nouns
and pronouns as well as differentiate between possessive and plural forms.
Students will recognize and correct cases in which unnecessary punctuation
appears in a sentence.
Students must know the six basic comma rules.
Students must improve the economy of expression.
Students must determine the most logical transitional word or phrase.
Students must delete information that blurs the focus of the paragraph and
weakens cohesion.
Students must distinguish between restrictive or essential and nonrestrictive
or nonessential sentence elements and avoid unneeded punctuation.
Students must recognize and correct problems in coordination and
subordination in sentences.
Students must evaluate text based on data presented graphically.
Students must recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense and
mood.
Students must create two grammatically complete and standard sentences.
48

Students must both signal a strong withinsentence break and set off
nonessential elements of the sentence.
Students must ensure that like terms are being compared.
Students must determine the most contextually appropriate word.
Students must improve the cohesion of a paragraph.
Students must determine which sentence best signals the main topic of a
paragraph.
Students must effectively separate items in a series.
Students must revise supporting information to accomplish a particular
writing goal.
Students must combine sentences effectively.
Students must determine the most effective ending of a text given a
particular writing.

The following list was comprised from the only full-length practice test
currently available. Many of these appeared multiple times.
Effective Language Use / Concision
Development / Support
Conventions of Usage / Frequently confused words
Effective Language Use / Style and tone
Conventions of Usage / Agreement / Subject-verb agreement
Conventions of Punctuation / Within-sentence punctuation
Organization / Logical sequence
Development / Focus
Development / Support
Sentence Structure / Sentence formation / Parallel structure
Conventions of Usage / Conventional expression
Sentence Structure / Sentence formation / Subordination and
coordination
Organization / Introductions, conclusions, and transitions
Conventions of Punctuation / Nonrestrictive and parenthetical
elements
Conventions of Usage / Frequently confused words
Sentence Structure / Sentence formation / Modifier placement
Development / Quantitative information
Effective Language Use / Syntax
Development / Focus
Effective Language Use / Style and tone
Sentence Structure / Sentence formation / Sentence boundaries
Conventions of Usage / Possessive determiners
Conventions of Punctuation / Unnecessary punctuation
Sentence Structure / Sentence formation / Subordination and
coordination
Development / Proposition
 49

Effective Language Use / Precision

Conventions of Punctuation / Possessive nouns and pronouns
Conventions of Usage / Possessive determiners
Conventions of Usage / Agreement / Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Effective Language Use / Style and tone
Conventions of Punctuation / Items in a series
Organization / Logical sequence

https://rachaelstanford.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/calvin-writing.gi