PSAT predict student’s futures By Alexandra Krupa, staff reporter
PSATs were distributed to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors on Wednesday, October 12. This three hour exam allows students to have an understanding of what they can achieve on the SAT.
The PSAT consisted of six sections: two critical reading sections, two mathematics sections, and a writing skills section. Each section will be tallied up to predict a student’s potential for the SAT. Question difficulty varied from easy to hard.
“I thought it would be harder and I was nervous at first… I’m planning on studying early,” said freshman Lia Woychowsi, who took the PSAT for the first time.
“In my opinion, I thought the PSAT exam was fair…There were some difficult questions and a few that were not difficult,” said Elizabeth Joa, a junior.
Besides giving an overall idea of what score a student can achieve on the actual SATs, juniors can qualify to receive scholarships for scoring a high grade. According to the Official Student Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT, a total of 9,600 scholarships are offered.
“This exam is a good indicator of where I stand in terms of my knowledge of SAT material,” explains Elizabeth.
With the approaching SATs for the juniors, students still have the ability to improve their grades. The College Board’s website offers free SAT questions and other resources to student; moreover, junior advisories are developing lessons to inform students about test taking strategies that can essentially improve scores.
Grades nine and ten should also take advantage of taking the PSATs early. This allows students to understand the pressure, and background of the exam.
The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to:
§ Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study. You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice.
§ See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying to college.
§ Enter the competition for scholarships from NMSC (grade 11).
§ Help prepare for the SAT. You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT.
§ Receive information from colleges when you check “yes” to Student Search Service.
www.collegeboard.com