3 Practice Tests + Review and Techniques PSAT/NMSQT Prep (2021)

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EditorialRobFranek,Editor-in-ChiefDavidSoto,DirectorofContentDevelopmentStephenKoch,StudentSurveyManagerDeborahWeber,DirectorofProductionGabrielBerlin,ProductionDesignManagerSelenaCoppock,ManagingEditorAaronRiccio,SeniorEditorMeaveShelton,SeniorEditorChrisChimera,EditorAnnaGoodlett,EditorEleanorGreen,EditorOrionMcBean,EditorPatriciaMurphy,EditorialAssistantPenguinRandomHousePublishingTeamTomRussell,VP,PublisherAlisonStoltzfus,PublishingDirectorAmandaYee,AssociateManagingEditorEllenReed,ProductionManagerSuzanneLee,DesignerThePrincetonReview110East42ndStreet,7thFloorNewYork,NY10017E-mail:editorialsupport@review.comCopyright©2021byTPREducationIPHoldings,LLC.Allrightsreserved.PublishedintheUnitedStatesbyPenguinRandomHouseLLC,NewYork,andinCanadabyRandomHouseofCanada,adivisionofPenguinRandomHouseLtd.,Toronto.TermsofService:ThePrincetonReviewOnlineCompanionTools(“StudentTools”)forretailbooksareavailableforonlythetwomostrecenteditionsofthatbook.StudentToolsmaybeactivatedonlyoncepereligiblebookpurchasedforatotalof24monthsofaccess.ActivationofStudentToolsmorethanonceperbookisindirectviolationoftheseTermsofServiceandmayresultindiscontinuationofaccesstoStudentToolsServices.ISBN9780525570288

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EbookISBN9780525570325PSAT/NMSQTisaregisteredtrademarkoftheCollegeBoardandtheNationalMeritScholarshipCorporation,whicharenotaffiliatedwith,anddonotendorse,thisproduct.ThePrincetonReviewisnotaffiliatedwithPrincetonUniversity.Permissionhasbeengrantedtoreprintportionsofthefollowing:“JumpingSpidersCanThinkAhead,PlanDetours”byMichaelGreshko.Copyright©2016NationalGeographicCreative.OriginallypublishedJanuary21,2016.“LivinginanImaginaryWorld”byJosieGlausiusz.ScientificAmerican,MINDSpecialEdition.January2014.Reproducedwithpermission.Copyright©2014ScientificAmerican,adivisionofNatureAmerica,Inc.Allrightsreserved.TheBotanyofDesire:APlant’s-EyeViewoftheWorldbyMichaelPollan,copyright©2001byMichaelPollan.UsedbypermissionofRandomHouse,animprintanddivisionofPenguinRandomHouseLLC.Allrightsreserved.©MichaelPollan,2001.BotanyofDesire.BloomsburyPublishingPlc.NeveraCitySoReal:AWalkinChicagobyAlexKotlowitz.Copyright©2004byAlexKotlowitz.UsedbypermissionofCrownJourneys,animprintoftheCrownPublishingGroup,adivisionofPenguinRandomHouseLLC.Allrightsreserved.“AWanderingMindRevealsMentalProcessesandPriorities.”Copyright©UniversityofWisconsin-Madison.March2012.Reprintedwithpermission.“Bacteriumcounteracts‘coffeeringeffect.””Copyright©KULeuven.FulltextofstudypublishedinNatureCommunications4,Articlenumber1757,April2013.Reprintedwithpermission.“Physicistsundothe‘coffeeringeffect.””Copyright©UniversityofPennsylvania.August2011.Reprintedwithpermission.“AThirdofAllFoodNeverGetsEaten.HowCanweFixThis?”byElizabethRoyte.Copyright©2016NationalGeographicCreative.OriginallypublishedOctober26,2016.“These‘Indestructible’AnimalsWouldSurviveaPlanet-WideApocalypse”byCaseySmith.Copyright©2018NationalGeographicCreative.OriginallypublishedApril23,2018.“TardigradesBecomeFirstAnimalstoSurviveVacuumofSpace”byEdYong.Copyright©2008EdYong.“TheAbilitytoDiscriminatePaintingsFoundinMice”byKeioUniversity.Releasedin2013.Thematerialinthisbookisup-to-dateatthetimeofpublication.However,changesmayhavebeeninstitutedbythetestingbodyinthetestafterthisbookwaspublished.Ifthereareanyimportantlate-breakingdevelopments,changes,orcorrectionstothematerialsinthisbook,wewillpostthatinformationonlineintheStudentTools.RegisteryourbookandcheckyourStudentToolstoseeifthereareanyupdatespostedthere.+Studyxy

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Editor:EleanorGreenProductionEditors:LizDaceyandEmilyEpsteinWhiteProductionArtist:KrisOgilvieCoverartbyTzogiaKappatou/AlamyStockPhotoCoverdesignbySuzanneLeea_prh_5.6.0_c0_r0+StudyXy

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AcknowledgmentsSpecialthankstoSaraKuperstein,AmyMinster,andCynthiaWardfortheircontributionstothisedition,aswellasAaronLindhforhisexpertguidance.ThanksalsotoAnneBader,KevinBaldwin,GabbyBudzon,GraceCannon,NicoleCosme,AprilDavis,AnneGoldberg-Baldwin,BrianHong,BradKelly,JomilLondon,DaveMacKenzie,AmandaNowotny,ScottO'Neal,DaniellePerrini,XanderPosner,JessThomas,ChristinaTorturo,andJimmyWilliams.ThePrincetonReviewwouldalsoliketothankKrisOgilvie,LizDacey,andEmilyEpsteinWhitefortheirtimeandattentiontoeachpage.SpecialthankstoAdamRobinson,whoconceivedofandperfectedtheJoeBloggsapproachtostandardizedtests,andmanyothertechniquesinthisbook.

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ContentsCoverTitlePageCopyrightAcknowledgmentsGetMore(Free)ContentPartI:Orientation1WhatIsthePSAT/NMSQT?2AllAbouttheNationalMeritScholarships3GeneralStrategiesPartll:PracticeTest14PracticeTest15PracticeTest1:AnswersandExplanationsPartlll:PSAT/NMSQTPrep6ReadingComprehension7IntroductiontoWritingandLanguageStrategy8Punctuation9Words10Questions11MathBasics12MathTechniques13AdvancedMath14AdditionalMathTopicsPartIV:DrillAnswersandExplanations

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PartV:PracticeTest215PracticeTest216PracticeTest2:AnswersandExplanations

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1GotoPrincetonReview.com/prepandenterthefollowingISBNforyourbook:97805255703252AnswerafewsimplequestionstosetupanexclusivePrincetonReviewaccount.(Ifyoualreadyhaveone,youcanjustlogin.)

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3EnjoyaccesstoyourFREEcontent!Needtoreportapotentialcontentissue?ContactEditorialSupport@review.comandinclude:«fulltitleofthebook

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*ISBN*pagenumberNeedtoreportatechnicalissue?ContactTPRStudentTech@review.comandprovide:oyourfullname+emailaddressusedtoregisterthebookofullbooktitleandISBNeOperatingsystem(Mac/PC)andbrowser(Firefox,Safari,etc.)Onceyou'veregistered,youcan...oAccessandprintoutonemorefull-lengthpracticetestaswellasthecorrespondinganswersandexplanations«Getvaluableadviceaboutthecollegeapplicationprocess,includingtipsforwritingagreatessayandwheretoapplyforfinancialaid«Ifyou'restillchoosingbetweencolleges,useoursearchablerankingsofTheBest386Collegestofindoutmoreinformationaboutyourdreamschool*Accessprintableresources,includingascoreconversiontable,astudyguide,andextrabubblesheetsforthepracticetestsinthisbook

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«ChecktoseeiftherehavebeenanycorrectionsorupdatestothiseditionBookONLINEARTICLESPROVENTECHNIQUESAPPLIEDSTRATEGIESSTUDYBREAKMOREGREATBOOKS

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PartlOrientation1WhatIsthePSAT/NMSQT?2AllAbouttheNationalMeritScholarships3GeneralStrategies

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Chapter1WhatIsthePSAT/NMSQT?ThePSAT/NMSQT—fromnowon,we'lljustcallitthePSAT—isastandardizedtestgivenprimarilytohighschooljuniorstogivethema“preliminary”ideaofhowwelltheycoulddoonSATquestiontypes.ThetestisalsousedtodeterminewhichstudentsareeligibleforNationalMeritScholarrecognition.Thischapterwillgiveyouageneraloverviewofthetestandhowitisused,alongwiththebasicstostartyourpreparation.First,aglimpseattheothertestsintheCollegeBoard’sSuiteofAssessments:thePSAT8/9andthePSAT10.

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PSAT8/9JustliketheSATandPSAT,thePSAT8/9,whichisdesignedforeighthandninthgraders,containsaReadingTest,aWritingandLanguageTest,andaMathTest.ThecontentofeachsubjectiscomparabletothecontentonthePSATandSAT.AccordingtotheCollegeBoard,the“Evidence-BasedReadingandWritingsectionasksyoutointerpret,synthesize,anduseevidencefoundinawiderangeofsources.”Thebottomline:bepreparedtojustifyyourselectedanswerwithevidencefromthepassageand/orgraphprovided.Thistestisstillnotaboutmakingupanything,butfindingthecorrectanswerbasedonthetext.TheCollegeBoardalsoclaimsthatthe“MathTestfocusesin-depthontwoessentialareasofmath:ProblemSolvingandDataAnalysis,andHeartofAlgebra.”Thebottomline:expecttoseeAlgebraIandII,someGeometry,aswellasquestionsthathavecharts,graphs,datatables,scatterplots,orotherformofdatadisplayprovided.There'sthePSAT8/9,thePSAT10,andPSAT/NMSQT.Butwhenwerefertojusttheplainold“PSAT”inthisbook,we'rereferringtothePSAT/NMSQT.TheMathTestissplitintotwosections:oneinwhichacalculatormaybeusedandoneinwhichitmaynotbeused.Eventhoughacalculatorisallowedinonesection,itisuptothetest-takertodeterminewhetherthecalculatorwillbeabenefitinsolvingaquestion.AccordingtotheCollegeBoard,“studentswhomakeuseofstructureortheirabilitytoreasonwillprobablyfinishbeforestudentswhouseacalculator.”Thebottomline:showyourworkandusethecalculatorfortediouscalculations,butacalculatormostlikelywillnotbenecessarytosolveamajorityofthequestions.AllquestionsintheEvidence-BasedReadingandWritingsectionare

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multiplechoice.MostoftheMathTestquestionsaremultiplechoice,with18percentofallMathTestquestionsinthegrid-in,orstudent-produced,format.Foreachquestionansweredcorrectly,onerawpointisearned,andthereisnopenaltyforanincorrectresponseoraquestionleftblank.Thebottomline:don’tleaveanythingblank!PSAT10ThoughthistestiscalledthePSAT10,itisidenticaltothestructureofthePSAT/NMSQTintermsofbothnumberofquestionsandtimelimitspersection.Themajordifferencesarewhotakesthetestandwhen:1oth-gradersandschoolschooseadateinthespring.Additionally,thistestdoesnotqualifyyouforNationalMeritScholarshipconsideration.JustaswiththeSATandthePSAT,thePSAT10includesanEvidence-BasedReadingandWritingsectionandaMathTest.TheEvidence-BasedReadingandWritingsectionteststheabilitytoselect,amongthechoicesprovided,theanswerthatisbestevidencedintheprovidedpassageand/orinformationalgraphicsthataccompanyselectpassages.TheMathTestisdividedintotwosections:oneinwhichacalculatormaybeusedandoneinwhichitmaynotbeused.Eventhoughthecalculatorisallowedinonesection,itisuptothetest-takertodeterminewhetherornotthecalculatorwillprovenecessary.WHAT’SWITHALLTHESESCORES?ThePSAT(andthePSAT8/9,PSAT10,andSAT)isdesigned(accordingtoCollegeBoard)toreflecthowpreparedyouareforcollegeandtheworkingworld.WhileweatThePrincetonReviewmaytakeissuewiththatclaim,thisideadoesinformbothhowCollegeBoardrecommendsyouprepareandwhytherearesomanydifferentScoresonyourscorereport.TheCollegeBoardmaintainsthatthebestwaytoprepareforthetestisto:

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otakechallengingcourses¢doyourhomeworkopreparefortestsandquizzes»askandanswerlotsofquestionsHowDoYouPronouncePSAT/NMSQT,Anyway?Ah,yes—firstthingsfirst.Well,tobehonest,we'renotreallysure.Youcanpronounceitpee-sat-nim-squitifyouwant.However,wethinkit'seasierjusttocallitthePSAT.Collegeadmissionsadvisorswantedamore“well-rounded”pictureoftheapplicant,sotheCollegeBoarddiditsbesttomeetthedemand.ThetestprovidesameasurementoffourEvidence-BasedReadingandWritingSubscores(CommandofEvidence,WordsinContext,StandardEnglishConventions,andExpressionofIdeas),andthreeMathSubscores(HeartofAlgebra,ProblemSolvingandDataAnalysis,andPassporttoAdvancedMath).Inadditiontothesevensubscoresreported,theCollegeBoardnowprovidestwocross-testscorestooffermoreinsight:onescoreforAnalysisinHistory/SocialStudiesandanotherforAnalysisinScience.Remaincalm;thesescoresaregatheredonlyfromselectquestionsthatdealwithappropriatesubjectmatterandarenotactualentiretestsections.WewillgointoPSATscoringinmoredetaillater.WhenIsthePSATGiven?ThePSATisofficiallyadministeredtwiceeachyear,typicallyonaWednesdayandSaturdayofthesameweekinOctober.Yourschoolwillannouncetheexactdatesatthebeginningoftheschoolyear,oryoucanfindoutatPrincetonReview.com,orthroughtheCollegeBoardatCollegeBoard.org.KeeponScheduleYou'llofficiallytakethePSATinthefallofyour

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junioryear.PlantotaketheSATanytimebetweenthewinterofyourjunioryearandthefallofyoursenioryear.HowDo|SignUpforthePSAT?Youdon’thavetodoanythingtosignupforthePSAT;yourschoolwilldoalltheworkforyou.Testregistrationfeescanvaryfromschooltoschool,sobesuretocheckwithyourschoolcounselorifyouhavequestionsabouthowmuchthePSATwillcostyou.WhatAboutStudentswithSpecialNeeds?Ifyouhaveadiagnosedlearningdifference,youwillprobablyqualifyforaccommodationsonthePSAT.However,it’simportantthatyougettheprocessstartedearly.Thefirststepistospeaktoyourschoolcounselorwhohandleslearningdifferences.Onlyheorshecanfiletheappropriatepaperwork.You'llalsoneedtogathersomeinformation(documentationofyourcondition)fromalicensedpractitionerandsomeotherinformationfromyourschool.Thenyourschoolcounselorwillfiletheapplicationforyou.Youwillneedtoapplyforaccommodationsonlyonce;withthatsingleapplicationyou'llqualifyforaccommodationsonthePSAT,SAT,SATSubjectTests,andAPExams.Theoneexceptiontothisruleisthatifyouchangeschooldistricts,you'llneedtohaveacounseloratthenewschoolrefileyourpaperwork.DoesthePSATPlayaRoleinCollegeAdmissions?No!ThePSATplaysnoroleincollegeadmissions.It’sreallyjustapracticetestfortheSAT.Theoneexceptionisforthatverysmallgroupofstudents,about4percentofallstudentsnationwide,whosePSATscoresqualifythemforNationalMeritrecognition.(We'lltellyoumorethanyoueverwantedtoknowaboutthatinthenextchapter.)Recognitionasacommendedscholar,semifinalist,orfinalistforNationalMeritisafairlyimpressiveadditiontoyourcollegeadmissionsportfolio,andis

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somethingthatyoushouldcertainlypursueifyouareseriouslyincontentionforit.WhatHappenstotheScoreReportfromthePSAT?Onlyyou,yourhighschool,andtheNationalMeritScholarshipCorporation(whichco-sponsorsthePSAT)willreceivecopiesofyourscorereports.Theywon'tbesenttocolleges.WHATDOESTHEPSATTEST?Asyoubeginyourprep,it’susefultorememberthatthePSATisnotatestofaptitude,howgoodofapersonyouare,orhowsuccessfulyouwillbeinlife.ThePSATsimplytestshowwellyoutakethePSAT.That'sit.AndperformingwellonthePSATisaskillthatcanbelearnedlikeanyother.ThePrincetonReviewwasfounded40yearsagoonthisverysimpleidea,and—asourstudents’testscoresshow—ourapproachistheonethatworks.Allofthesechangestoteststhatyouhearcouldheavilyinfluenceyourcollegeadmissionstrategycanbeextremelydaunting.However,rememberthatanystandardizedtestisacoachabletest.Abeatabletest.Justremember:ThePSATdoesn’tmeasurethestuffthatmatters.Itmeasuresneitherintelligencenorthedepthandbreadthofwhatyou'relearninginhighschool.Itdoesn’tpredictcollegegradesaswellasyourhighschoolgradesdo.Collegesknowthereismoretoyouasastudent—andasaperson—thanwhatyoudoonasingletest.WhoWritesthePSAT?ThePSATiswrittenandadministeredbytheCollegeBoardandusedforscholarshipsbyNationalMeritScholarshipCorporation.YoumightthinkthatthepeopleattheCollegeBoardareeducators,professorsofeducation,orteachers.They'renot.Theyarepeoplewhojusthappentomakealivingwritingtests.Infact,theywritehundredsoftests,forallkindsoforganizations.

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ThefolksattheCollegeBoardaren’treallypaidtoeducate;theyrepaidtowriteandadministertests.Andeventhoughyou'llbepayingthemtotakethePSAT,you'renottheircustomer.TheactualcustomerstheCollegeBoardcaterstoarethecolleges,whichgettheinformationtheywantatnocost.ThismeansthatyoushouldtakeeverythingthattheCollegeBoardsayswithagrainofsaltandrealizethatitstesting“advice”isn’talwaysthebestadvice.(GettingtestingadvicefromtheCollegeBoardisabitlikegettingbaseballadvicefromtheopposingteam.)Everytestreflectstheinterestsofthepeoplewhowriteit.Ifyouknowwhowritesthetest,youwillknowalotmoreaboutwhatkindsofanswerswillbeconsidered“correct”answersonthattest.WHATISTHEPRINCETONREVIEW?ThePrincetonReviewisthenation’sleadingtest-preparationcompany.Injustafewyears,webecamethenation’sleaderinSATpreparation,primarilybecauseourtechniqueswork.Weoffercoursesandprivatetutoringforallofthemajorstandardizedtests,andwepublishaseriesofbookstohelpinyoursearchfortherightschool.Ifyou'dlikemoreinformationaboutourprogramsorbooks,giveusacallat800-2-Review,orcheckoutourwebsiteatPrincetonReview.com.ShortcutsthingthereistoashortcuttothePSAT.However,thereisnoshortcuttolearningthesetechniques.HOWTOUSETHISBOOKThisbookisdividedintofiveparts.ThefirstthreepartsofthebookcontainPracticeTest1andgeneraltestingstrategiesandquestion-specificproblem-solvinginstruction.Usethefirstpracticetestasadiagnostictoseewhichsectionsofthetestyouneedtoworkwhenyou

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readthroughthecontentchapters.ThelasttwopartsofthebookcontainPracticeTest2anddrillanswersandexplanations.Afterworkingthroughthecontentchaptersandcheckingyouranswersandtheexplanationstothechapterdrills,takePracticeTest2andapplyeverythingyou'velearnedtoimproveyourscore.The“Session-by-SessionStudyGuide”startingonthispagewillgiveyouaplanofattackforthesetestsandtherestofthebook.Thereisnosingleplanthatwillfiteveryone,sobepreparedtoadapttheplananduseitaccordingtoyourownneeds.Foradditionalpractice,youcandownloadonemorepracticetestonlinebyregisteringyourbookonourwebsiteandfollowingthestepstoaccessyouronlineresources.(See“GetMore(Free)Contentonthispage.)PracticeTest1willgiveyouanideaofyourstrengthsandweaknesses,bothofwhichcanbesourcesofimprovement.Ifyou'realreadygoodatsomething,additionalpracticecanmakeyougreatatit;ifyou'renotsogoodatsomething,whatyoushoulddoaboutitdependsonhowimportantitis.Iftheconceptisonethatfrequentlyappearsonthetest,youshouldspendalotoftimeonit;ifitcomesuponlyonceinawhile,youshouldspendverylittletimeworkingonitandrememberthatit’ssomethingyoushouldeitherputoffuntilyou'vecompletedeasierthingsorskipitentirely.Howdoyouknowwhat’simportant?We'lltellyouthroughoutthisbook,whenwediscusstechniqueslikePluggingInandsoforth,butyoucanalsogetanideaofwhattofocusonsimplybyobservinghowthisbookislaidout.Themostimportantconceptsineachsectionappearfirstinthecorrespondingsectionofthisbook.Forexample,ifyou'reshakyoncriticalreading,youknowyou'llneedtodevotesometimetoReadingquestionsbecausethereareatotalof47suchquestionsonthetest.Andifyou'renotsoconfidentwhenitcomestogeometry,don’tpanic:geometryquestionsappearonlyintheAdvancedMathchapter,whichtellsyouthatthistopicisn’tasmuchofapriorityasPluggingInorMathBasics.TimeManagement

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TomanageyourPSATpreparation,makeuseofthestudyguideonthefollowingpages.ThisguidewillbreakdowntheseeminglydauntingtaskofPSATprepintobite-sizedpieceswecall“sessions.”Wehavemappedouttasksforeachsessiontobesureyougetthemostoutofthisbook.Thetestswillbethefirstandlastsessions,soyoushouldbesuretoplantohaveaboutthreehoursforthesesessions.Mostothersessionswilllastbetweenanhourandtwohours,soplantotakeashortbreakinthemiddle,andifitlookslikethesessionisgoingtoexceedtwohours,feelfreetostopandpickupwhereyouleftoffonthenextday.WhenYouTakeaPracticeTestYou'llseewhentotakepracticetestsinthesessionoutlines.Herearesomeguidelinesfortakingthesetests:oTimeyourselfstrictly.Useatimer,watch,orstopwatchthatwillring,anddonotallowyourselftogoovertimeforanysection.Ifyoutrytodosoattherealtest,yourscoreswillprobablybecanceled.oTakeapracticetestinonesitting,allowingyourselfbreaksofnomorethantwominutesbetweensections.Youneedtobuildupyourendurancefortherealtest,andyoualsoneedanaccuratepictureofhowyouwilldo.However,dotake5-minutebreaksaftertheReadingandMath(NoCalculator)sections.Ontherealtestyouwillhaveabreak,soit’simportantnottoskipitonthepracticetests.oAlwaystakeapracticetestusingananswersheetwithbubblestofillin,justasyouwillfortherealtest.Forthepracticetestsinthebook,usetheanswersheetsprovidedatthebackofthisbook.Youneedtobecomfortabletransferringanswerstotheseparatesheetbecauseyouwillbeskippingaroundabit.oEachbubbleyouchooseshouldbefilledinthoroughly,andnoothermarksshouldbemadeintheanswerarea.*Asyoufillinthebubbleforaquestion,checktobesureyouareon

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thecorrectnumberontheanswersheet.Ifyoufillinthewrongbubbleontheanswersheet,itwon'tmatterifyou'veworkedouttheproblemcorrectlyinthetestbooklet.AllthatmatterstothemachinescoringthetestistheNo.2pencilmark.Session-by-SessionStudyGuideSessionZeroYou'reinvolvedinthissessionrightnow.Finishreadingthefirstchaptersoyou'llknowwhatthetestisabout,whyitisimportantforyoutotake,andwhattoexpectfromtherestofthebook.Thisstepprobablywon'ttakeyoulong,soifyouhaveaboutthreehoursafteryoucompleteChapter1,youcangoontoSessionOneandtakethefirstpracticetest.SessionOneTakePracticeTest1andscoreit.You'llusethisresulttogetanideaofhowmanyquestionsoneachsectionyoushouldattemptbeforeguessingstrategically,andthepartsofeachsectionyoushouldconcentrateon.Notethatourexplanationsrefertoconceptsdiscussedelsewhereinthisbook,soyoumaywanttowaituntilafterSessionFourbeforereviewingthistest.SessionTwoWorkthroughChapters2and3oftheOrientationandChapter6,ReadingComprehension.SessionThreeReadChapter7,IntroductiontoWritingandLanguageStrategy,alongwithChapter8,Punctuation.SessionFourWorkthroughtheMathBasicsinChapter11andthecorrespondingdrills.SessionFiveWorkthroughtheMathTechniquessectioninChapter12andassociateddrills.TakealookatChapter9,Words.SessionSixReviewAdvancedMath,Chapter13.Asyouworkthroughthischapter,besuretoapplytechniqueslikePluggingInthatyoulearnedinChapter12.Sincethesetechniquesarecentraltodoingwellonthemathsections,youcanneverpracticethemtoomuch.Ifthere’s

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time,startChapter14.SessionSevenWorkthroughtheAdditionalMathTopicsinChapter14.Whenyoufinish,readthroughChapter10,Questions.ThiswillgiveyouagoodideaofhowthePSATwillputtogetherallthethingsyou'vegoneoverfortheWritingandLanguagesectionofthetest.SessionEightTakePracticeTest2.Usethetechniquesyou'vebeenpracticingthroughoutthebook.Scoreyourtestandgothroughtheexplanations,focusingonwhereyoumayhavemissedtheopportunitytouseatechniqueandyourdecisionsaboutwhetheryoushouldhaveattemptedaquestionornot,givenyourpacinggoalsandPersonalOrderofDifficulty.Someoftheterminologyinthestudyguidemaybeunfamiliartoyounow,butdon’tworry,you'llgettoknowitsoon.Also,you'llwanttoreferbacktothisstudyguideateachsessiontokeepyourselfontrack.Don'tforgettodownloadPracticeTest3fromyouronlinestudenttoolsformoreprep!Whilehigher-levelmathmaysoundscaryatfirst,staytunedforfurtherinformationfromusonthemosteffectivetechniquestouseonthePSATthatcan,sometimes,drasticallyreducethemathcomplexityformanyquestions.Oneimportantnote:Inthisbook,somesamplequestionsdonotappearinnumericalorderwithinachapter.Forexample,youmightseeaquestion4followedbyaquestion14.ThisisbecauseontheMathsectionsofPSAT,ahigherquestionnumbergenerallyindicatesahigherlevelofdifficulty(thisisnotthecasewithReadingorWritingandLanguage).Chapter3hasgreatadviceonhowtocracksomeofthemostdifficultquestions.HOWISTHEPSATSTRUCTUREDAND

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SCORED?AccordingtotheCollegeBoard,thePSATredesignof2015raisedthecomplexityofquestionsacrosstheboard.FortheReadingandWritingandLanguageTests,thisrefersinparttothewayinwhichallquestionsarenowconnectedtofullpassages,whicharewrittenatthesamelevelaswritingexpectedinintroductorycollegeandvocationaltrainingprograms.Thismeansthattherewillbeagoodamountof

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history-andscience-basedreadingmaterial.Additionally,therearenolongeranyfill-in-the-blanksentencecompletionquestionsorstand-alonesentence-editingquestions.Instead,thePSATtestsyourabilitytodemonstrateafullunderstandingofasource’sideas.Moreover,thescopeofmathcontentfocusesonaspecificsetofproblem-solvingandanalyticaltopics,anditincludeshigh-levelcontentliketrigonometry.Youwillalsoencountermoregrid-inquestions,andyouwillfacetopicsthatarebothspecificallygearedtotestyourabilitytouseacalculatorandforwhichcalculatorsarenotpermitted.TheMathTestisdividedintotwosections,onewithoutacalculator,with17questionsoverthecourseof25minutes,followedbyonewithacalculator,with31questionsadministeredin45minutes.Becauseofthetighttimelimit,particularlyintheNoCalculatorsection,youshouldworkasefficientlyaspossible.Tohelpyoudothis,evenifyouansweraquestioncorrectly,werecommendthatyoureviewtheexplanationsforthequestionsinthedrillsandthepracticetests.Youmaydiscovertechniquesthathelptoshavesecondsfromyoursolutions.Alargepartofwhat’sbeingtestedisyourabilitytousetheappropriatetoolsinastrategicfashion,andwhiletheremaybemultiplewaystosolveagivenproblem,you'llwanttofocusonthemostefficient.ScoringonthePSATThePSATisscoredonascaleof320-1520,whichisthesumofthetwosectionscoresthatrangefrom160-760.ThetwosectionsaretheEvidence-BasedReadingandWritingsectionandtheMathematicssection.Wronganswerstomultiple-choicequestionsarenotpenalized,soyou'readvisednevertoleaveaquestionblank—evenifthatmeansblindlypickingaletterandbubblingitinforanyuncompletedquestionsbeforetimerunsout.

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ScoringYourPracticeTestsAsyoucansee,scoringisalittletricky.That'swhyweprovidescoringtablestohelpyoudetermineyourapproximatescore.Whenwesaythatthescoreis“approximate,”wemeanthatthescoreisaccurateforthatparticulartest.However,thenumberofquestionsyouneedtogetrightorwrongtoearnacertainscorecanvarydependingonthePSAT'’sscalefromtesttotest.Forexample,ifyoumiss10Mathquestionsandgeta680onapracticetest,thatdoesnotnecessarilymeanthat10missedMathquestionsontheactualexamwillresultina680aswell;youmaygetthatscorefrommissing8questionsor12questionsInadditiontotheoveralltotalscoreandthesectionscores,you'llfindseveralsubscoresonyourPSATscorereport.AnalysisinHistory/SocialStudiesandAnalysisinSciencecross-testscoresaregeneratedbasedonquestionsfromallthreeofthesubjecttests(Mathincluded!).Thesecross-testscoresassessthecross-curricularapplicationofthetestedskillstoothercontexts.Relax!Thisdoesn’tmeanthatyouhavetostartcrammingdatesandanatomy—everyquestioncanbeansweredfromthecontextofagivenreadingpassageorthedataincludedinatableorfigure.Theonlychangeshavetodowiththecontentofthepassagesandquestionsthemselves.Additionally,theMathTestisbrokenintoseveralcategories,aswe'vedoneinthisbook.TheHeartofAlgebrasubscorelooksspecificallyathowwellstudentsunderstandhowtohandlealgebraicexpressions,workwithavarietyofalgebraicequations,andrelatereal-worldscenariostoalgebraicprinciples.ProblemSolvingandDataAnalysisfocusesmoreoninterpretationofmathematicalStudyXY

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expressions,graphicalanalysis,anddatainterpretation.Yourabilitytounderstandwhatthequestionisaskingwillcomeinhandyhere.PassporttoAdvancedMathematicsquestionsshowcasethehigher-levelmaththat’sbeenaddedtothetest,fromquadraticsandtheirgraphstothecreationandtranslationoffunctions.Finally,thereisanAdditionalTopicsdomainthat’sfilledwithwhatyoumightconsiderwild-cardmaterial.Althoughthesequestionsmightnotcorrelatedirectlytoasubscore,twoofthesemiscellaneoustypeswillshowupontheredesignedtest.IntheVerbalportionsofthetest,theCommandofEvidencesubscoremeasureshowwellyoucantranslateandcitespecificlinesthatbackupyourinterpretation,whiletheWordsinContextsubscoreensuresthatyoucanselectthebestdefinitionforhowawordisusedinapassage.TheWritingandLanguageTestadditionallymeasuresExpressionofIdeas,whichdealswithrevisinglanguageinordertomakemorelogicalandcohesivearguments,andStandardEnglishConventions,whichassessesyourabilitytoconformtothebasicrulesofEnglishstructure,punctuation,andusage.HOWDOESTHESATDIFFERFROMTHEPSAT?TheSATdoesnotdiffersignificantlyfromthePSATinstructureandtiming!Indeed,thePSAT’sReadingTest,whichcontains5fewerquestions,isonly5minutesshorterthantheSAT’sReadingTest.TheWritingandLanguageTestisthesameintermsoflengthandtimingforbothtests.ThePSAT’sMathTesthasonly10fewertotalquestionsascomparedtothoseoftheSATsMathTest.Thetablesbelowsummarizethedifferences—oractually,thesimilarities!—ofthetwotests.Here’sabreakdownofhowthetestsdiffer:

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IfyouwanttostartpreparingfortheSAT,pickupacopyofourSATPremiumPrep,whichischockfullofcontentreview,strategy,andrealisticpractice!WhatDoesthePSATScoreMeanforMySATScore?TheSATisscoredona1600scale,whereasthePSATisscoredona1520scale.However,becausethePSATandSATarealignedbytheCollegeBoardtobescoredonthesamescale,yourPSATscoreindicatestheapproximateSATscoreyouwouldearnwereyoutohavetakentheSATonthatsameday.HowMuchShould|PrepareforthePSAT?Ifyou'reinthatverysmallpercentageofstudentswhoareincontentionforNationalMeritrecognition,itmaybeworthyourwhiletoputinagooddealoftimetoprepareforthistest.Afterall,yourextrahardworkmaywellputyouinabetterpositionforNationalMeritrecognition.Otherwise,youshouldprepareenoughsothatyou

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feelmoreincontrolofthetestandhaveabettertestingexperience.(Nothingfeelsquiteasawfulasbeingdraggedthroughatestingexperiencefeelinglikeyoudon’tknowwhatyou'rebeingtestedonorwhattoexpect—exceptperhapsdentalsurgery.)TheotherreasontoprepareforthePSATisthatitwillgiveyousometestingskillsthatwillhelpyoubegintopreparefortheteststhatactuallycount,namelytheSATandSATSubjectTests.Thebottomlineisthis:thebestreasontoprepareforthePSATisthatitwillhelpyougetanearlystartonyourpreparationfortheSAT.StudyIfyouweregettingreadytotakeabiologytest,you'dstudybiology.Ifyouwerepreparingforabasketballgame,you'dpracticebasketball.So,ifyou'repreparingforthePSAT(andeventuallytheSAT),studythePSAT.ThePSATcan'ttesteverything,soconcentrateonlearningwhatitdoestest.

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