SAT/PSAT Tests

Why SAT?

The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge. It tests your knowledge of reading, writing and math ? subjects that are taught every day in high school classrooms. Most students take the SAT during their junior or senior year of high school, and almost all colleges and universities use the SAT to make admission decisions.

Taking the SAT is the first step in finding the right college for you ? the place where you can further develop your skills and pursue your passions. But SAT scores are just one of many factors that colleges consider when making their admission decisions. High school grades are also very important. In fact, the combination of high school grades and SAT scores is the best predictor of your academic success in college

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Test Day Checklist
Must Bring:

-Your admission ticket
Sign on to My Sat and click Print Admission Ticket

-Two No. 2 pencils and a soft eraser

-Photo identification

Which photo ID will you bring?

  • State-issued driver's license

  • State-issued nondriver ID

  • School identification card

  • Valid (current) passport Required in India, Ghana, Nepal, Nigeria and Pakistan

  • School ID Form prepared by your school

  • Talent Identification Program ID/Authorization to Test Form (grades seven and eight only); photo not required

-An acceptable calculator

Calculators permitted while testing are:

  • Graphing Calculators

  • Scientific Calculators

  • Four-Function Calculators (not recommended)

Not permitted as a calculator:

  • Laptop or a portable/handheld computer

  • Calculator that has a QWERTY (keyboard-like) keypad, uses an electrical outlet, makes noise or has a paper tape

  • Electronic writing pad or pen-input-driven device

  • Pocket organizer

  • Cell phone calculator

Why PSAT?

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program cosponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). It's a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT?. It also gives you a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and career planning tools.

The PSAT/NMSQT measures:

  • Critical reading skills

  • Math problem-solving skills

  • Writing skills

You have developed these skills over many years, both in and out of school. This test doesn't require you to recall specific facts from your classes.

The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to:

  • Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice.

  • See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college.

  • Enter the competition for scholarships from NMSC (grade 11).

  • Help prepare for the SAT. You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT.

  • Receive information from colleges when you check "yes" to Student Search Service.

Fees

The fee for the 2010 PSAT/NMSQT is $15. The College Board makes fee waivers available to schools for students in eleventh grade from low-income families who can't afford the test fee. See your counselor for more information about fee waivers.

Preparing

Spending your school years taking challenging academic courses and reading widely is the best way to get ready for the PSAT/NMSQT.

The PSAT/NMSQT includes the same types of critical reading, math, and writing skills multiple choice questions as the SAT® Reasoning Test.

Ready to give the questions a test run? Pick a section below, and you'll find tips and practice questions with answers and explanations for each type of question.

Critical Reading

Sentence Completion questions measure your knowledge of the meanings of words and ability to understand how the different parts of a sentence logically fit together. Practice now.

Passage-Based Reading questions measure your ability to read and think carefully about a single reading passage or a pair of related passages. Practice now.

Math
The math section of the PSAT/NMSQT requires a basic knowledge of number and operation; algebra and functions (though not content covered in third-year math classes--content that will appear on the new SAT); geometry and measurement; and data analysis, statistics, and probability. You can use a calculator to answer math questions, but no question on the test requires a calculator.

Multiple Choice questions ask you to decide which is the best of the five choices given. Practice now.

Grid-ins, or student-produced response questions, requires you to solve a problem and enter your answer. Practice now.

Writing Skills
The multiple-choice questions on writing skills measure your ability to express ideas effectively in standard-written English, to recognize faults in usage and structure, and to use language with sensitivity to meaning.

Identifying Sentence Errors questions test your knowledge of grammar, usage, word choice, and idiom. You are required to find errors in sentences or indicate that there is no error. Practice now.

Improving Sentences questions ask you to choose the best, most effective form of an underlined portion of a given sentence. Practice now.

Improving Paragraphs questions require you to make choices about improving the logic, coherence, or organization in a flawed passage. Practice now.