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PSAT for a sophomore - do we study?


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Hi! I just secured a spot for my 10th grader to take the PSAT. Same place as last year when he was in 9th. He didn't prep at all last year.

 

Should he prep this year, so he can get ahead of the game for next year when it really counts? And if so, what do you suggest he do? We have from now until October 25.

 

Thanks!

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Since he's taken it already, I'd suggest Khan Academy. Have him take one of the practice tests. (Someone said 5 & 6 were real tests given at one point or another.) We download the physical version and when my dd is all done, we put in her answers. This tells Khan what the student needs to work on. Then, when they do the suggested practice, they can work on the stuff they have missed.

 

There are also two PSAT tests on Khan, but only in paper version. So, taking these is good practice as the timing & # of questions is just like what he'll encounter on test days, but in terms of practice, it isn't as helpful. Since it is only on paper, Khan doesn't know what the student has missed & needs to work on.

 

30 minutes x 5 days a week is a good quick prep until the test in a month. You'll want more intense prep next year if you are close-but-not-quite-there on his PSAT score for National Merit.

 

(FWIW, my dd#2 won't be taking the PSAT because she's not going to be close for NM. She will focus on the ACT.)

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My boys did not prep when they took it in 10th. I'm glad they didn't.  Found out that they did not need to do any Eng prep. So, they focused on math prep before the 11th grade PSAT. Saved them a chunk of time bec., if I hadn't known that they were good to go on Eng, I'd have insisted that they prep for that, too.

 

I don't know how much the math prep contributed to their 11th grade PSAT math score. I think having completed Alg 2 was the major factor.

 

 

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I did not have my daughter prep for the 9th and 10th grade PSAT. Like Jen500's kids, she prepped simultaneously for the 11th grade PSAT and SAT. It seemed a better use of limited time.

  

My boys did not prep when they took it in 10th. I'm glad they didn't.  Found out that they did not need to do any Eng prep. So, they focused on math prep before the 11th grade PSAT. Saved them a chunk of time bec., if I hadn't known that they were good to go on Eng, I'd have insisted that they prep for that, too.

 

I don't know how much the math prep contributed to their 11th grade PSAT math score. I think having completed Alg 2 was the major factor.

Well, I am glad to hear this! We aren't going to prep this year either, then!

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I do not plan to have my 10th grader prep for the PSAT.   He'll be taking the SAT for the first time in December, so we will do some prep between the PSAT in October and the SAT in December.

 

I will plan to go over the format of the PSAT with him briefly, so he remembers what to expect.   That's all we did last year when he took the PSAT for the first time, and he scored very high on English and exactly where I thought he would on math.  (He was in Geometry last year and Algebra 2 this year, so I expect his math score will increase without any prep.)  I think he has NM potential when he gets to 11th grade, so we will prep a bit more for the PSAT next year.

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Well, I am glad to hear this! We aren't going to prep this year either, then!

 

I forgot!  I DID have them do the practice test (untimed) in the PSAT booklet that they got when they registered.  I wanted a good baseline, not clouded by simple unfamiliarity with the test format/types of questions.

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I forgot! I DID have them do the practice test (untimed) in the PSAT booklet that they got when they registered. I wanted a good baseline, not clouded by simple unfamiliarity with the test format/types of questions.

We can make time for one practice test. It's just good to hear others didn't spend too much time on this in 10th.

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It counts in 11th grade. My DD will take it in 2 weeks.  Anyone who qualifies as Hispanic can participate in the National Hispanic Recognition Program when they take the PSAT in 11th grade. The CollegeBoard.org web site has a PowerPoint thing that I Downloaded and hope DD will be looking at, before she takes the PSAT/NMSQT.   

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The 8 practice PSAT tests are the old PSATs (pre-2015). Just be aware there are changes.

Link compares old and new PSAT

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/inside-the-test/compare-specifications

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The 8 practice PSAT tests are the old PSATs (pre-2015). Just be aware there are changes.

Link compares old and new PSAT

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/inside-the-test/compare-specifications

the newer ones are at the top don't use the ones at the bottom -  We also used the Ivy Global tests

 

Practice Tests for the New PSAT

Since the PSAT changed in the fall of 2015, there aren't a whole lot of current PSAT practice materials available. College Board has come out with two sample PSAT tests, along with answer keys. These are the best resources out there so far for practice questions for the PSAT:

 

Official PSAT Practice Test 1  — Score Your Test â€” Answer Explanations

Official PSAT Practice Test 2  — Score Your Test â€” Answer Explanations

 

Test prep company Ivy Global also has made their version of a PSAT practice test pdf available. Keep in mind that these aren't official College Board questions. While they resemble questions on the test and are useful practice, they're not an exact representation of what you'll encounter on test day. 

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