II. Our TextbookBring your textbook every day. We will use it in class as well as for

homework.

The Official SAT Study Guide, Second Edition

by CollegeBoardContains 10 tests Provides access to exclusive online tools

Our Textbook, continuedChapters 1-3 Introduction to the

SAT and test-taking tipsChapters 4-21 – Descriptions of

types of questions and approaches to answering them. Solutions to sample questions.

Our Textbook, continuedCritical Reading Strategies:

Chapter 7Writing Practice: Chapter 21Math Strategies: Chapter 21Math Concepts: Chapters 15-18

Our Textbook, continued…There is an essay on the SAT but not on the

PSAT.You may participate in the College Board’s

practice essay-writing program, Score Write. However, your participation in Score Write will not affect your PSAT score.

Chapter 9 includes examples of essay topics with sample scored essays.

Our Textbook, continued…Part V of the book provides 10 official

practice tests to help you become familiar with the test and practice under timed conditions.

Our Textbook, continued…You will complete Practice Test 3 (pages 514-

555)as homework over 4 days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Monday).

As you do your homework, you will mark your answers on the answer grid in your book (pages 508-511).

You will also mark your answers in your book by each question, and grade each section yourself.

At the beginning of each session, we will discuss questions from the previous day’s homework.

Our Textbook, continued…We will work with practice questions

from the textbook in group sessions each day.

You will have a choice each day whether to focus on Math Strategies or Reading Comprehension/Writing strategies in concurrent breakout sessions.

Our Textbook, continued…Errata Note the yellow insert in the front of your

book.Some answer keys and questions are printed

incorrectly.Please take time now to make the corrections

in your book.

Textbook ErrataPage # Practice

Test #Section #

Item # Present (Incorrect)

Correction

618 4 6 14 6 5

618 4 8 11 & 12 Item keys 11 and 12 are repeated.

Cross out the repetition.

680 5 4 15 7/15, 466, 467

7/15, .466, .467

680 5 4 6 Difficulty M

Difficulty H

More Textbook ErrataPage # Practice

Test #Section #

Item # Present (Incorrect)

Correct to

742 6 3 24 Answer: E Answer: B

742 6 4 4 Difficulty E

Difficulty M

804 7 3 9 2/5, 4 2/5, .4

866 8 7 17 Answer: C

Answer: B

More Textbook ErrataPage #

Practice Test #

Section #

Item # Present (Incorrect)

Correct to:

990 10 3* 2 Answer: A Answer: D*Writing Section 3 of Practice Test 10 is listed incorrectly as Writing Section 6.

3 Answer: D Answer: A

4 Answer: E Answer: D

4 9 Difficulty: R Difficulty: E

12 Difficulty: R Difficulty: E

13 Difficulty: R Difficulty: E

15 Difficulty: R Difficulty: E

9 8 Difficulty: R Difficulty: E

Final Textbook ErrataPage # Practice

Test #Section #

Item # Corrections

641 5 2 13 Add an = and an ≤

15 …than the perimeter of ∆DEF.

PSAT ScoresWhat's the range of possible PSAT scores?Each PSAT section has a scaled score from 20-

80 points.What are average PSAT scores?

Section Average Scores for Sophomores

Average Scores for Juniors

Math 43.5 48.5 Critical Reading 42.6 47.7 Writing Skills 40.8 45.8

III. Scoring the PSATThe Math, Critical Reading, and Writing

sections of the PSAT are scored separately, with each score ranging between 20 (lowest) and 80 (highest). The Selection Index used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation is the sum of these three scores. A “perfect score” would be 240 .

Scoring the PSATStudents receive one point for each correct

answer, regardless of difficulty. For incorrect answers to multiple-choice

questions, a quarter (1/4) of a point is deducted. (This is a ‘guessing penalty’. )

Nothing is deducted for unanswered questions or for incorrect answers to student-produced response (grid-in) questions.

Scoring your practice PSATCheck your responses with the correct answers.Guessing Penalty: Count how many you got

wrong in each section (except for the Math Grid-In Section).

A = that number times 0.25Count how many you got right in each section

=B.Subtract A from B. Round.Use the Conversion Table for each section to

find your 3 scores.

Scoring the PSATThe raw score is converted to a score on the

PSAT/NMSQT scale of 20 to 80 points. This statistical procedure, called equating, adjusts for differences in difficulty between various forms, or editions, of the test.

The National Merit Scholarship Program and Awards Scoring high on the PSAT as a junior can

qualify you for National Merit Scholarships and other awards.

Juniors taking the PSAT are automatically entered into the National Merit Program, a competition for recognition and undergraduate scholarships conducted by The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (a not-for-profit organization). The most outstanding participants receive scholarships worth a total of $50 million for undergraduate study.

Awards granted in the National Merit Program

Title Number of Recipients per Year

Criteria Award

National Merit Scholar

8,200 Final screening process – criteria not released to the public

$2,500

National Merit Finalist

15,000 Those semifinalists who meet eligibility requirements

Certificate

National Merit Semi-Finalist

16,000 Upper 99th Certificate

Commended Student

34,000 95th-mid-99th

(top 4-5%)

Letter of Commendation

Semifinalists16,000 students who score in the upper 99th

percentile in their states receive a letter announcing their status as a semifinalist, along with information about the requirements for qualification as a finalist.

These include:Maintaining high gradesPerforming well on your SATGetting an endorsement from your

principal

Semifinalists, continued…Semifinalist PSAT scores are usually in the

range of 200-215.This means approximate scores of:

70 in Critical Reading70 in Math70 in Writing Skills

FinalistsThe majority of semifinalists (more than 90%)

go on to qualify as finalists.Students who meet all of the eligibility

requirements will be notified in February of their senior year that they have qualified as finalists.

This means that they are eligible for scholarship money.

Only about half of National Merit finalists actually win scholarships.

Finalists, continued…8,000 total scholarships are awarded3 groups of Scholarships:

National Merit $2,500 scholarshipsScholarships sponsored by grants from more

than 500 corporations & private foundationsScholarships sponsored by colleges &

universities

Renewable, 4-year Merit Scholarships may be worth as much as $10,000 a year for four years.

Your Self-Assessment and GoalsOn the back of the yellow scoresheet, make 3

sections to fill in after you score your practice test:

My Strengths Areas needing ImprovementMy Goals for this Course