<p>Hello everyone! I'm going to be starting 10th grade after the summer is over and I'm really thinking about taking the PSAT this October (October 2011). </p>
<p>To take it, I have to talk to my guidance counselor, once school starts in the fall, correct? </p>
<p>I am wondering what company (Kaplan, Princeton Review, etc) makes the best book to use for test prep? Also what is the difference between every version (year) of the book? If I want to take the test this October, should I use a 2011 or 2012 version of a test prep book to study with?</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>What’s the best book? It depends on what your weak area is. Take a practice PSAT using any book you can find at the library - don’t purchase one yet. If your weak in math, Gruber’s is a good book to work with. </p>
<p>I’m glad that your are going to communicate with your guidance counselor. Ask him or her for a practice PSAT test when you go back to school - they will have an official practice PSAT. Use this to get a feel of what the real PSAT is like.</p>
<p>Other than real exams for practice, would a CB SAT review book be just as good for the PSAT?</p>
<p>Does the version/year of the book matter? Are all the different years pretty much the same? </p>
<p>My weak areas are vocabulary and math isn’t a weak area but solving the problems fast needs some work.</p>
<p>Do most people take it October Sophomore year or Junior? What is the recommendation? I do want to apply to some more selective colleges if that matters…</p>
<p>Should I take the PLAN as well?</p>
<p>If your trying to be a National Merit scholar, only your junior year PSAT scores will count. </p>
<p>That’s no reason to blow off the sophomore PSAT - use the sophomore PSAT to get a feel of where you need to improve.</p>
<p>Allright, so what year of the PSAT prep books should I use to prepare for the October 2011 PSAT? Or does it not matter?</p>
<p>I’m looking to go to some Ivy League schools, so I have some questions about the road map of standardized tests. When should you take the PSAT, SAT, ACT, SAT Subject? When should you start preparing? Are there any other tests I should be aware about and/or take? What is the ACT PLAN?</p>
<p>Math - Gruber’s, Dr. Chung’s </p>
<p>Critical Reading - not my weak section (I consistently score 75+). All I can recommend is for you to annotate the passage as you read. </p>
<p>Writing - I used a Kaplan PSAT book and upped by writing skills a good amount.</p>
<p>You should take the PSAT for practice in sophomore year. In junior year, take the PSAT again, and strive to score higher than your state’s cutoff line for National Merit qualification. Being a National Merit scholar will look good on any app. </p>
<p>You should eventually take a couple of SAT subject tests. If you take APUSH, there is a corresponding SAT subject test. There is also one for AP World history.</p>
<p>And should I practice with a 2011 or 2012 book?</p>
<p>The PSAT counts your junior year, so it’s a good idea to practice starting from your sophomore year. People usually take the SAt in the fall of junior year (which is what I did) or in the spring of junior year. Either way, you would be practicing for one of those tests, which will only help you with the other test. I actually took my SAT before my PSAT haha.</p>
<p>For SAT subject tests, it’s good to take the test in the spring of the year that you took that course. For example, the Math II subject test focuses on pre cal, so it’s good to take the test right after you do your pre cal course. This allows for the info to stay fresh in your mind.</p>
<p>Still, does year matter?</p>
<p>The edition of the book doesn’t matter. </p>
<p>Just make sure the book wasn’t published before 2005, when the SAT was changed to its present form with 2400 possible points, not 1600 points :p.</p>
<p>Yes but this is the PSAT, so was that changed too?</p>
<p>Just get the Blue Book and study for both the SAT and PSAT at the same time. They’re essentially in the same test. The CR and Writing are basically duplicates and indistinguishable, but the math tests easier concepts than the SAT, although the questions are generally more confusing on the PSAT than the SAT to compensate.</p>
<p>Basically, study for the SAT like you normally would and you’ll be studying for the PSAT at the same time. You don’t need special PSAT practice.</p>