PSAT 2013 Discussion

Test Preparation
21

<p>@Zanelias, get yourself a copy of “The Ultimite Guide to SAT Grammar” by Erica L. Meltzer. I took the PSAT last year as a sohpmore and, completely winging it, got a 176 overall and a pittyful 510 on the Writing section. As usual, I procrastenated any prep until the very last weekend before the PSAT we just took. I spent a good 4-6 hours reading the book I mentioned. I did not do any practice problems. On Tuesday I took two PSAT tests (Last year’s that I didn’t do and the one CB gave out this year). On both tests I got over a 700 hundred in the writing section. For the actual thing I’m 80% sure I got less than three wrong. All this from simply reading the book (I even skimmed some of the later sections). So yeah, I highly recommend it.</p>

<p>As a note, I am terrible at writing. For one, English is my second language (I moved to the US when I was 8). Secondly, for as long as I can remember I have had the English teachers that push off grammar as their last priority. Lastly, and most importantly, I never took it upon myself to learn any grammar. To give you some prespective, I barely knew what adverbs where before I read the book. In 5-6 hours I went from a 500~ Writing to a 700+ writing. </p>

<p>As for people who need help with CR, I too (was?) am the most undedicated reader and English has been my bane every since the 8th Grade (I got one 89% in English, my only Bs, in 8th, 9th, and 10th grade. I’m just hoping I break the cycle this year). I got a 56 PSAT last year and a 600 SAT in June. One hour was all it took for me on Sunday night to assure myself less than 2 wrong in the PBR part of the CR section. I read, reread, and dissected this article: [Noitaraperp’s</a> Critical Reading Method](<a href=“http://criticalreadingmethod.blogspot.com%5DNoitaraperp’s”>http://criticalreadingmethod.blogspot.com) . Nothing more, nothing less. As for the Vocab, just get the Direct Hits book. I can personally attest to how accurate their list is, I saw more than 10 words as options in the Vocab Multiple Choice, the passages themselves, or the PBR questions that incorporate vocabulary in Wedneday’s PSAT. I went from that 56PSAT and 600SAT to an average of 72 on the two PSAT’s I took Tuesday and a 740 in one SAT Blue Book test I took Monday. </p>

<p>Ironically, Writing and Reading are my best sections now. I can consistently get over a 700 in both. As for math, I havn’t really prepared in anyway so I can’t give advice. I get anywhere from a 680 to a 720 when I take blue book tests. If anybody has any silver bullet to help me avoid those silly mistakes, please share!</p>

<p>If related, I believe I got between a 200 and 220 on Wednesday’s PSAT. 70+ for sure in writing and CR and no idea for math.</p>

22

<p>What did everyone get for the last vocab question in section 1 (the one about the author’s novel and how she wrote about other characters outside of the protagonists’s cocoon?</p>

23

<p>^ Um… Idk if we can post this stuff. Does anyone know if its safe to talk about the PSATs on here?</p>

24

<p>Dude…theres a 2013 October SAT thread thats like 900 pages long, and theres a google doc of all the answers…i think its safe to talk about it</p>

25

<p>Dude, but the NSA and the Illuminati. And Obama’s a Muslim. So… I hope nobody blames me for not wanting to share my PSAT answers.</p>

26

<p>@Greenwave2015 You and I are practically identical in terms of our history with the PSAT. BTW I think the practice test that college board gives to every PSAT registrant is a bit too easy compared with the administered test.</p>

27

<p>Realize that today Oct 19th was also a PSAT testing day. So everyone who already gave answers basically made it much easier for these people and made their own scores go down in comparison. You really only hurt yourself by discussing answers instead of just waiting.</p>

28

<p>Ummmm classicf if you actually read this short thread you will see that no one discussed any specific questions until 12:09 today when the PSAT was complete, and there is actually only one question and zero answers posted on this thread. The kids who are demonstrating a collaborative/co-operative mind-set ( by conferring about the test etc ) rather than a competitive attitude will be more successful in admissions to selective colleges and will do better once they get there.</p>

29

<p>@Starcrow; nice to hear I’m not the only one haha. I also think the practice tests are a bit easier than the actual thing. The writing section seemed about equal if not easier, but the CR and Math were a bit more challanging than I had expected. </p>

<p>Also, I don’t know how relateable this is, but I finished the sections more quickly than I did in the practice tests. I’m not entirely sure if it was because the actual test was designed to be a bit faster to sift through, or that it was just me focusing more due to adrenaline. </p>

<p>–Note–
I’d like to revise my recommendation for Direct Hits, apperantly this book has 16 Hits on the Wednesday test and 13 hits on the Saturday test:
[Insider</a> Test Prep | THE WEDNESDAY 2013 PSAT: ESSENTIAL WAS ESSENTIAL](<a href=“http://insidertestprep.com/2013/10/17/the-wednesday-2013-psat-essential-was-essential/]Insider”>http://insidertestprep.com/2013/10/17/the-wednesday-2013-psat-essential-was-essential/)</p>

<p>It’s also A LOT cheaper, only 14$ on amazon and INCLUDES 7 chapters dedicated to PBR aswell. If Noitoraperp’s guide isn’t enough for you, then I’m assuming this book will be what your looking for as well. </p>

<ul>
<li>Special thank you to Dark Night, the user who refered me to the book I just mentioned.</li>
</ul>

30

<p>Ummmm honeybee64, thanks for confusing my point there in your attempt to police the thread. He said it was ok to discuss answers because there was already a google doc with answers. He didn’t mention anything about today’s PSAT being over. I shouldn’t have to explain why that collaboration is wrong.</p>

31

<p>I took the test cold (I’m a sophomore), and I think I did pretty well in CR and writing. I forgot I was taking it, though, and didn’t bring a calculator. I had to do the math section by hand XD</p>

<p>I skipped four in the math that I intended to return to, but I didn’t have time.</p>

32

<p>I had my test today and I think I did pretty well on CR and Writing but I already know that I bombed the math section. Most of the questions were hard and I guessed on most of it. Oh well, that’s why it’s a practice test - I know what I gotta work at.</p>