Download Final tips for PSAT

Mr. Ambrose’s Final PSAT Review
Here’s one final review of all the things we’ve covered on Fridays during our PSAT practice sessions. You are prepared
and you’ll do great. Good luck!
When should I arrive?
 You should plan to be in the main lobby of Medford High School by 7:30 AM – not really different from any
normal school day.
How long will I be taking the test?
 The test itself is only two hours and ten minutes long, but I would plan to be in the testing room from 8:00 AM11:00 AM.
What should I bring?
 Student ID or other type of photo ID (driver’s license, learner’s permit, etc.)
 Number 2 pencils
 Calculator (graphing or scientific)
 Bottle of Water
 Optional: snack (peanut butter crackers, granola bar, dry cereal in a Ziploc bag, etc.)
Test Format
 Sections 1 and 3: Critical Reading (Sentence Completions and Passage-Based Reading Comprehension)
 Sections 2 and 4: Math (Algebra, Geometry, Number Sense, Charts and Graphs, Logic)
 Section 5: Writing (Improving Sentences and Paragraphs, Identifying Sentence Errors)
How is the test scored?
 When you get a question correct, you earn 1 point.
 When you get a question wrong, you lose ¼ of a point.
 When you leave a question blank, you neither lose nor gain a point.
 This results in a raw score, which is recalibrated to make 20 the lowest score, 50 the average score, and 80 the
high score in each section.
 Your Goal: To score a 60 in each section (by the time you are a junior). This is an above average score, and
you are an above average student.
So when should I guess?
 The strategy for this is very different from the strategy for the MCAS (on which you should answer every single
question, no matter what).
 Since you lose ¼ of a point if you get a question wrong, you need to improve your chances of getting the
question correct to be better than 1 in 4.
 If you can eliminate two or more options, you should guess from the remaining answers, because your chances
of getting the question right (1 in 3 or 1 in 2) will be better than the amount of points you risk (¼).
 If you can only eliminate one option, it doesn’t really matter what you do, because your chances of getting it
right (1 in 4) are equal to the amount of points you risk (¼).
 If you cannot eliminate anything, definitely skip the question.
 When eliminating, look for what I call “garbage answers” – there are usually at least two options that are way
off base. If you can eliminate those, you’ll be in great shape to get the question right.
 (Note: The only exception to this strategy is on the open response part of the math section, on which you
should answer every question. You cannot lose points on this type of question.)
Can I write on the test?
 YES! You paid big money to get that test booklet. Writing in it – underlining as you read, crossing out when
using process of elimination strategies, doing out your work – will help you to improve your score!
Vocabulary Sentence Completions
 Mr. Ambrose’s Strategy:
o Cover the answers.
o Read the sentence. Note clues, compass words, and sentence structure.
o Fill in the blanks with your own words – the simpler the better.
o Uncover the answers.
o Find the synonyms for your own words.
o Use process of elimination. When in doubt, try examining connotations and roots.
o Remember that these questions progress from least difficult to most difficult.
 These are some vocabulary words that always seem to be on the test. Know them.
o ambivalent, benevolence, incontrovertible, indifferent, lucid, placid, prodigious, supercilious, vex
Passage-Based Reading
 Mr. Ambrose’s Strategy:
o For shorter passages (i.e. a single paragraph), read every single word.
o For longer passages, read the blurb and skim.
o In both instances, make sure you are reading for main ideas first.
o When you have two passages side-by-side, be sure to focus on the differences between the two.
o Remember that “main idea” is rather synonymous with “author’s theme,” “message,” or “moral.”
o The answer is ALWAYS in the passage; your job is to find it.
o Remember that these questions are in random order of difficulty.
Identifying Sentence Errors
 Mr. Ambrose’s Strategy:
o Draw a single line through prepositional phrases. A lot of times, they are there just to trick you by
placing objects of the preposition in between the subject and the main verb phrase.
o Look for mistakes in grammar according to what we practiced in class.
o Some common errors:
 Less vs. Fewer, More vs. Most, Between vs. Among
 Neither/Nor, Either/Or
 Comparisons: Apples and Oranges
 Where = a place, a location, somewhere you can go
 If it’s not referring to that, use “when” or “in which” instead.
 Subject-Verb Agreement
 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
 Ambiguous Pronouns
 Misplaced Modifiers
 Conjugate verbs to match the subject NOT the object of the preposition.
 Everyone, everybody, anyone, no one, none = These words are SINGULAR! ALL THE TIME!
Improving Sentences and Paragraphs
 Mr. Ambrose’s Strategy:
o Read the sentence.
o Don’t bother reading option A, as it is just a restatement of the sentence as is.
o Go systematically through each option – A, B, C, D, E.
o Eliminate each option that is grammatically incorrect.
o Consider the remaining options. There might be more than one that is grammatically correct, but there
is only one right answer.
o Choose the one that is most concise and direct.
o Choose the one that is written in the active voice and retains the spirit of the original sentence.
o Common things to improve:
 passive voice
 two independent clauses linked by just a comma