C O L L E G E S U C C E S S™

What Denton High Students Need to Know about the PSAT/NMSQT

Critical Reading & Writing Skills

COMING SOON!OCTOBER 17th

Item SpecificationsPSAT/NMSQT

Time Questions

2 hours 10 minutes Number/Type of Questions

Critical Reading

Section 1: 25 minutes

Section 3: 25 minutes

Section 1: 8 sentence completion; 16 passage-based readingSection 3: 5 sentence completion; 19 passage-based reading

MathSection 2: 25 minutes

Section 4: 25 minutes

Section 2: 20 mc questions

Section 4: 8 mc questions; 10 grid-in questions

WritingSection 5: 30 minutes Section 5: 14 identifying sentence errors;

20 improving sentences; 5 improving paragraphs

How is the PSAT Scored?

• 1 point for each correct response.

• Subtract ¼ point for each incorrect response.

• Skipped questions are not counted at all.

• Wrong answers to math student-produced response questions=no points lost

C O L L E G E S U C C E S S™

Sections of the PSAT

Critical ReadingWriting

Types of Questions on the PSAT

Critical Reading (Multiple Choice)

• Sentence Completion (powered: questions arranged from easier to more difficult)

• Short and Long Paragraph

•Reading Items

PSAT Critical ReadingApproaches

• Work on sentence completion questions first. They take less time to answer than the passage-based reading questions.

• The difficulty of sentence completion questions increases as you move through a question set.

• Reading questions do not increase in difficulty. Instead, they follow the logic of the passage.

PSAT Critical ReadingApproaches

• The information you need to answer each reading question is in the passage(s). Reading carefully is the key to finding the correct answer. Don’t be misled by an answer that looks correct but is not supported by the actual test of the passage (s).

• Do not jump from passage to passage. Stay with a passage until you have answered as many questions as you can. When you have gone through all the questions associated with a passage, go back and review any you left out or were not sure about.

• In your test book, mark each question you don’t understand so that you can easily go back to it later if you have time.

PSAT Critical Readingtopics will include

• 13 Sentence Completions • Measures knowledge of meanings of words and ability to

understand how different parts of a sentence fit together

• 35 Passage-Based Reading Questions• Analyze and evaluate ideas, opinions, and arguments• Make inferences and recognize implications• Determine author’s purpose or perspective• Compare or contrast ideas in a passage• Long and short reading passages are taken from different fields:

Natural sciences, Humanities, Social Studies, and Fiction

The Critical Reading SectionExample of a sentence completion item

The directions will look like this:Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Beneath the sentence are five words labeled (A) through (E). Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted into the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Sentence Completion Approaches

• Read the entire sentence to yourself.

• Watch for introductory or connecting words and phrases like "but," "not," "because," etc.

• In sentences with two blanks, make sure the words for both blanks make sense in the sentence.

Sentence Completion Approaches

• Start by working with one blank at a time.

• Stay within the meaning of the sentence.

• Before you mark your answer, read the complete sentence with your choice filled in.

Reading Passage Approaches

• Don't skip introductions to passages.

• Read each passage and any accompanying information carefully. Follow the author's reasoning and be aware of features such as assumptions, attitudes, and tone.

• You may find it helpful to mark the passages as you are reading, but don't spend too much time making notes.

• Read each question and all the answer choices carefully.

Reading Passage Approaches

• When a question asks you to compare an aspect of a pair of passages, don't be misled by choices that are correct for only one of the two passages.

• Select the choice that best answers the question asked. Don't select a choice just because it is a true statement.

• You may find it helpful to read the questions first to get an idea of what to look for. Or, you may prefer to read the passage and try to answer the questions.

Types of Questions on the PSAT

Writing (Multiple Choice)

• Improving Sentences (20 questions)

• Identifying Sentence Errors (14 questions)

• Improving Paragraphs (5 questions)

Improving Sentences Approaches

• Read the entire sentence carefully but quickly. Note the underlined portion because that is the portion that may have to be revised.

• Remember that the portion with no underline stays the same.

• Mark choice (A) if the underlined portion seems correct. Check the other choices quickly to make sure that (A) is really the best choice.

Improving Sentences Approaches

• Think of how you would revise the underlined portion if it seems wrong. Look for your revision among the choices given.

• Replace the underlined portion of the sentence with choices (B) through (E) if you don't find your revision. Concentrate on the choices that seem clear and exact when you read them.

Identifying Sentence Errors Approaches

• Read the entire sentence carefully but quickly.

• Look at choices (A) through (D) to see whether anything needs to be changed to make the sentence correct.

• Don't waste time searching for errors. Mark (E) No error, on your answer sheet if you believe the sentence is correct as written.

Identifying Sentence Errors Approaches

• Move quickly through questions about Identifying Sentence Errors. The other kinds of questions (Improving Sentences and Improving Paragraphs) will probably take more time.

• Mark questions that seem hard for you and return to them later.

Improving Paragraph Approaches

Expressing Ideas Logically• Coordination and subordination

• Logical comparison• Modification and word order

Improving Paragraph Approaches

Being Clear and Precise• Avoiding ambiguous and vague pronouns• Diction• Avoiding wordiness• Avoiding improper modification

Improving Paragraph Approaches

Following Conventions• Pronoun case• Idiom• Sentence fragment

PSAT Writing SectionExamples of Multiple-Choice Writing Items

Improving paragraphs: In the context of the first paragraph, which revision is most needed in sentence 3?

(A) Insert “As a matter of fact” at the beginning.

(B) Omit the words “it being.”

(C)Omit the word “scene.”

(D)Change the comma to a semicolon.

(E) Change “think” to “thought” and “consider” to “considered.”

Difference on Writing (SAT and PSAT)

• In addition to the types of writing questions on the PSAT, the SAT includes a writing prompt and written essay , the PSAT does not.

• The essay will be similar to the type of on-demand writing that is typically done in college.

• Many colleges began requiring a standardized writing test for admission beginning with the entering class of 2006.

How Students Can Prepare for the PSAT/NMSQT

• The PSAT/NMSQT Student Bulletin, the free booklet that includes a full-length practice test, is what we are using in this tutorial session.

• Familiarize yourself with the format, types of questions, and scoring on the PSAT

• Do practice problems on the PSAT website www.collegeboard.com/psat