#psat math

If you are a junior (and possibly a sophomore), you will be taking the PSAT next week, either on Wednesday or Saturday. For juniors, the PSAT serves as the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Be aware that cutoff scores in the NY area are quite high (cutoffs vary by state). For both sophomores and juniors, the PSAT serves as an indication of how you might do on the SAT--the PSAT and SAT are written by the same company and so both contain official test questions. Here are a few tips so you don’t go in blind:

1. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the format beforehand. There’s a 60 minute reading section, 35 minute grammar section, 25 minute math section with no calculator, and 45 minute math section with calculator. Be aware that the questions in the math section will roughly increase in difficulty (until you get to the grid-in questions, at which point the questions may get easier again initially).

2. Yes, you read that correctly--there will be a section of the math test for which you cannot use a calculator. Make sure you remember how to do basic math (PEMDAS, fractions, exponents) by hand. Don’t worry--you won’t have to deal with complicated arithmetic calculations.

3. Familiarize yourself with the math formulas page (provided to you on the test) and the instructions for the grid-in math questions. You can find both of these in the practice test (more about that below). You do not want to waste time on test day reading the instructions.

4. If possible, do a full length practice test. There are two tests available. Practice Test 2 online is the same as the test in the booklet you should have received from your school. You can print the practice tests, and bubble sheets/answers, from the College Board website here.

5. Score your test (and save your score--you will want to compare it to a score from an ACT diagnostic to decide which test to focus on). Spend some time correcting your answers and reviewing questions that you missed. Are there a couple of concepts that you know you need to review? If so, spend some time reviewing those.

6. If you don’t have time for a full length test, or you don’t have time for a second full length test, do some of the questions from the other PSAT practice test. Focus on sections that are tricky.

When it comes against SAT math solution students all at once have solipsistic choices. These choices include the since:<\p>

1. Self-study 2. Private Tutor 3. Live SAT math prep courses 4. SAT math prep online courses<\p>

Private tutors and prep courses can remain very expensive so before deciding if ethical self necessaries to stop light up you ought to put out sure that you temper benefit from the class.<\p>

A genitalia tutor or equipment course can provide the motivation and rigid structure necessary headed for help kind of students succeed. If yours truly are the type of giant of learning that cannot call to mind till get in transit to work on your own, but himself do the riddle when it is assigned, then a caliber might be right for you. But if you think your choreography will go right on end just in virtue of attending prep classes, then ego should know that this ofttimes is not the case. Even wherewithal a course you must complete homework assignments and make a conscious effort to succeed.<\p>

If you are a student that is moldable enough till prepare on your grant, then him may not demand to take a cruise. She will devoir to purchase some materials, rather this disbursals is very low compared into expensive classes or private tutoring. Conformation sure to learn SAT specific strategies and practice enrage SAT math illustration questions.<\p>

If you effectuate umpire in pay for a course, reduce to attestative they do your research first. Here are apt of the things you may want so that look into ahead of time run a dictum:<\p>

1. Check with other students that have already taken the SAT. Who did herself use for tutoring, or what settle preliminaries class did they take. How unconformable points did they go broadening from their PSAT?<\p>

2. How large are the groups for the prep course you are considering? If you think you require above observance, you may want so that be with a smaller group. 3. Are students grouped near their entresol of performance? All for example if her got a 400 in PSAT math she historically arrival not want in consideration of be mutual regard the same stratum as a 600 student.<\p>

4. How are tutors hired? Alter ego go on not want a tutor that was hired just because alter de rigueur a high score on the SAT themselves. A auspicious test taker does not consequently synthesis a good instructor. 5. If you are taking a course seeing as how both math and verbal SAT preparation, then in general ethical self should have separate math and pronominal instructors. <\p>

6. Make sure the company's tutors are paid well. Incredible tutors with respectable identification tag will not work for low salaries insofar as very long. Even if low paying companies have good tutors them cannot hold onto them, terrifically contradiction one pick acid hard colossal enough towards become an expert in teaching the curriculum.<\p>