Getting Ready For:
PSAT - SAT - ACT
The PSAT test as the name suggests, this is a test designed to measure the same sorts of skills as, and prepare students for, the SAT test which is given to high school juniors. Everyone who has a chance to take the PSAT should certainly take advantage of it. Not only does it give your valuable practice for the SAT, by revealing what areas you may need to work on, but if you do well, you can also qualify for some of the millions of dollars of scholarship money from the National Merit Scholarship competition.
The PSAT test is a challenging test, which is mostly multiple choice. There is no essay required, and you're allowed to bring a calculator. The test takes a little over two hours, and covers three areas: Critical Reading is 48 questions which are focused on both critical reading skills and sentence completion exercises. Math contains 28 multiple choice and 10 grid in questions testing your skills in basic math, algebra, geometry, data analysis, measurement, and statistics and probability. Writing Skills is 39 questions looking for your skills at identifying errors in written materials, and your skill at improving both sentences and paragraphs.
The nice thing about the PSAT test is that there's not the tremendous pressure to do well as there is on the real SAT or the ACT. You should still strive to do as well as possible, for the practice, and for the chance at scholarship money, and for personal satisfaction. There are way to improve your chances of doing well on the PSAT test, and many students have taken advantage of study guides to sharpen their skills. You can also study with friends, and take practice questions online. Do your best-it can have big payoffs down the road.
StudyGuideZone.com offers an exclusive free, downloadable study guide to the Internet community for the PSAT test. The guide is in PDF format, so you'll need Adobe's free Reader (already installed on most computers) to view it. Anyone is free to link to this page or the study guide on our server to let students know about this resource.
As your test day approaches, make sure that you have had plenty of time to study. Review a PSAT test study guide or study using PSAT test flashcards so that you strengthen any areas that might be more difficult for you on the test. You'll have the rest of your life to enjoy being successful on the exam, but you can only spend time between now and your test day to get prepared. Study hard and maximize your chances of success. Click here to download StudyGuideZone.com's free PSAT Study Guide For additional information, we recommend you check out these free PSAT test resources: PSAT Study Guide PSAT Writing Practice PSAT Reading Practice PSAT Math Practice PSAT Test Information PSAT Practice Questions
You should also take the SAT or ACT this year. You can get official test dates and times from your high school counselor The calendar on this site, or on the official websites for these tests at www.collegeboard.com and www.actstudent.org. Once you have a score for one of these tests on file, you will need to decide whether or not you want to retake the exam to try for a higher score. Your last chance is in the fall of your senior year, so you will need to start thinking about it right now.
You will take these exams in your junior year. So get some practice with the college entrance "preparation" exams. It will help on the day of the real exam.
- to help prepare for the real test. You will be familiar with the type of questions being asked
- to help you take tests under timelines. It is important that you work quickly so that you can complete the entire test.
- to view your strengths and weaknesses for college study. You can then focus on areas to improve your skills.
- to view how your performance compares with other students who are applying for college
Information about the PSAT (practice exams):
see collegeboard.org for information
ACT test preparation:
actstudent.org about ACT exams
need help:
view our college exam center for test prep materials
