Preparing for the PSAT

The PSAT has some differences from years past. What are the key changes made to the PSAT?

1. Guessing Penalty eliminated. Feel free to guess an answer. No deductions are taken for incorrect answers on the PSAT.  So guess away!

2. Put away the flashcards.  The ensconced practice of using plausible but obscure vocabulary questions has been discontinued. In place are longer reading passages, with questions based on content, not words.

3. Same score scale as SAT. The old 20-80 scale for the PSAT is gone.  The new scale will be the same as the SAT- almost. The scale will range from 160-760 for each section: 320-1520 for 2 sections. The SAT score range is 200-800

4. 30 minutes longer.  Instead of 2 hours 10 minutes, the new test is 2 hours 45 minutes. Be prepared for the long haul when you take the PSAT at school.

5. Introducing Science & History content.  Don’t be surprised to find questions about science or the founding fathers. New test questions are more evidence based.

6. Scores, scores and more scores.  The new PSAT has multiple ways to look at what you were tested on and how you fared on the test.  Go over test scores with your school counselor.

Practice Made Easy

The College Board offers different types of practice.  Select the one that works best for you.

• Sample Questions

• Practice PSAT Test

• Practice the Khan Academy Way