Tips to assist you to gain the PSAT scores you deserve, using the following strategies when taking the test, can help you increase your score. It is important to recognize the examination format, and take advantage of the ways that can help you. You can increase your PSAT score if you can fill in the blanks. Sentence completion exercises test both your vocabulary and reasoning skills. As you scan each sentence, you can try to predict what word would most appropriately fill each blank.
You may find that you can guess what word should fill one, but not all, blanks in a sentence. Don’t panic! Here’s a chance to use your reasoning skills. Look at the answer choices, and see if one features a word similar to the one that you have guessed. Then eliminate the selections that do not fit your prediction. When working on the PSAT examination, think in broad strokes. The secret to most reading comprehension exercises is to grasp the main ideas and themes. Don’t get bogged down by trying to remember every detail as you read. You can look these up later, if needed. Scan the text thoroughly enough to get the big picture. Then address the questions that refer to a specific passage. If you have time, you can then return to the harder questions. The PSAT puts the answer right in front of you.
What is great about multiple-choice questions, whether focusing on writing or math, is that they give you the answer. Your job is simply recognizing it. In the writing portion, you’ll be tested on your knowledge of grammar rules and sentence structure. Generally, the object of your search is clarity, so the simplest answer is usually the best. If a response seems awkward or overly complex, it is likely to be incorrect. As for the math questions, you can greatly improve your chances of a correct response, by first eliminating the one response that bears little resemblance to the others. You’ll be given reference formulas and facts, but you’ll need to know how to use them. You’re allowed to use a calculator, but it won’t help you unless you know how to approach the problem. If you get stuck, substitute numbers from the answer choices as your variables. Start with the middle number, if that doesn’t work, than you’ll know whether to choose a higher or a lower number. Take the guesswork out of guessing, during the PSAT examination. An educated guess always beats a blind stab, so try and reason your choices down to two before taking a guess. In doing so, you’ll greatly improve your chances of success. Remember that the PSAT only penalizes you for wrong answers in the multiple-choice and fill-in sections, but not in the math grids.
Your PSAT score can add up if you do the math. The math questions require you to calculate your response and place it into a grid. Remember that the grid does not contain a minus sign, so an answer can’t be a negative number. There is no penalty for incorrect responses here, so go ahead and make your best guess. You can’t grid mixed numbers, so if you get a mixed number as an answer, you’ll have to convert it to an improper fraction or a decimal.
