How to study for the PSAT?

warriordaughter
Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:56:01 +0000

As Yakisoba said, the PSAT MCqs are very similar in content and form to those on the SAT. I actually spent quite a bit of time studying specifically for the PSAT, which dramatically decreased my SAT prep time. Some PSAT study tips:

-- Sign up for the College Board SAT question of the day. Actually answer the questions.

-- Get a couple of good test prep books. I used Barron’s and Kaplan PSAT books and generally found that Barron’s prep content was more thorough. I relied on Kaplan for extra practice tests. Another option is the College Board’s SAT Blue Book; the additional practice tests do double duty for SAT and PSAT prep. (The Blue Book was my main SAT study guide.)

-- Set score goals. If you’re aiming for National Merit, find the NMSF cutoffs for your state for the past couple years and aim ~5 points higher.

-- Learn question patterns. The PSAT, like the SAT, recycles the same question forms over and over. Once you become familiar with them, you can tackle any question they throw at you.

-- Take practice tests. Once a week over the summer is usually sufficient and gives you plenty of time to study trouble spots during the week. I took at least 10 practice PSATs before my junior year PSAT (and far fewer practice SATs, funnily enough.)