If you are going to be a high school junior in the fall, you know what that means....October PSAT exam! Use this summer to prepare, and you will be happy you did when your PSAT scores arrive. Why is the PSAT important? Well, there are two reasons. First of all, another name for the PSAT is the NMSQE which stands for the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Exam. All National Merit Finalists, Semi-Finalists and Commended Students are chosen based on this test. So a bit of preparation can end up resulting in some serious scholarship money! Secondly, the PSAT is known to be a pretty good indicator of how well a student can expect to score on the SAT exam. The PSAT consists of three areas: Critical Reading, Math and Writing. Students get a score ranging from 20 to 80 in each area. Likewise, the SAT consists of the same three areas, but students get a score ranging from 200 to 800 in each area. Basically, if you add a zero to each of your PSAT scores, you have a pretty good idea of how you will score on the SAT. That's why you don't want to go into the PSAT cold. If you don't know the strategy of the test, you won't reach your potential. Then, when you get scores lower than you expect, you will fear that you will do the same on the SAT. So avoid that cycle of fear and disappointment and use your time wisely this summer. Remember what I wrote in yesterday's blog....the most effective way to prepare is to use The Official SAT Study Guide by College Board, or take a course that uses only College Board material. The reward for your time and effort will be great!
