<p>For those of you who have taken the PSAT and the SAT, how does the math on the PSAT compare in difficulty to the math on the SAT. I understand that the SAT tests more advance concepts such as rational exponents and special functions but is the math more obscure?</p>
<p>Also for those with the Barrons Math workbook: do you think the end of the book practice tests are more difficult than the actual test.</p>
<p>thanks for future replies</p>
<p>any help? (10 char)</p>
<p>I got 3 wrong on the PSAT and 2 wrong on the SAT, I thought the difficulty level was equal, but the questions on the psat have more weight in your score because there are less (obviously)</p>
<p>I thought they were about equal in difficulty...the SAT might have more chances for a slipup simply because there are more questions.</p>
<p>thank you very much. any other replies</p>
<p>i got 80 on psats, and 780 on sats (1 mistake).</p>
<p>sats is a little harder.
i used barron's sat math workbook for psats, and the math section of barron's SAT 2400 for sats.</p>
<p>I thought that the PSAT math section was a lot easier than the SAT. I missed one on the PSAT...I should have missed none, as the one I missed was undeniably (try to deny it, I'll prove you wrong) the easiest question on the entire test. Pie chart. Existing portions add up to 65%. They ask what percent the remaining cut of the pie makes up. Yeah, so guess who apparently can't subtract 65 from 100. Me...</p>
<p>Anyway, I only missed one there. Then I missed two on the actual SAT. I'd say, though, if your aim is to get a high score on the PSAT, get a PSAT-specific book. And vice-versa. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I didn't really notice too much of a difference, although I did better on the PSAT (80 math versus 770 with two errors on the SAT).</p>
<p>I thought the reading on the PSAT was much harder than the SAT.</p>
<p>I actually thought the SAT was easier in math (800 vs. 76), but harder in CR (660 vs. 68)</p>
<p>I think that there are about 5-6 "higher level" math questions on the SAT that aren't on the PSAT, whatever that means. I don't think it differs enough for people to worry too much about it. It always depends on the specific tests anyway.</p>
<p>Writing was much easier on SAT</p>
<p>All of the math on both tests is comparitively easy, the challenge is to not make dumb mistakes. The SAT has more opprotunities for such mistakes but is more generous on a curve. The determining factor is then how accurate you can be on a three hour test compared to 1 and 1/2 hour test.</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree with dubisteinschuh. As long as you're not still in like Algebra, you shouldn't have to worry about it.</p>
<p>ok thanks everybody</p>
<p>SAT is generally the same difficulty as the PSAT....</p>
<p>Personally, I think the PSAT is much, MUCH easier than the SAT. When I took a PSAT practice test, I scored in the 230's. On my SAT practice tests from the same book, I'm getting 2100-2200 range.</p>
<p>PSAT to SAT comparisons are all over the place. Math wise, I got a 720 on my first SAT, a 70 on the PSAT, and a 780 on my next SAT. I made dumb mistakes on the PSAT math section. I got a slightly lower score on the CR section (30 points lower), and I got 50 points lower on the writing section--I only missed one or maybe two on the PSAT writing and I always missed 3 or 4 on the SAT WR multiple choice. Overall, though, I got exactly.the same.score on the PSAT and my next SAT (224--2240). Weird.</p>
<p>Yeah, I think that the critical reading and writing on the PSAT are a little easier than the SAT's, but the math on the PSAT is almost laughable...</p>
<p>I think, though, the PSAT might just seem easier because it's a fair bit shorter.</p>
<p>^^I agree...length is the biggest factor. Even I, a consummate test-taker, thought that the SAT just went on..and on..and on. My advice is to not put too much stock into your PSAT scores as predictors, because anecdotally, I have not been able to see even a rough correlation. I mean...people usually score within 200 points of their PSAT score is the best correlation that I can find--and that is a totally worthless correlation!!</p>
<p>Haha, yeah, a correlation of two standard deviations is hardly reliable. I'm curious: from what you've seen, do SAT scores usually exceed PSAT scores by 200ish or fall short by that much?</p>