<p>As a sophomore, I got a 2040 on the SAT without prepping. I want to get a 230-240 on the PSAT next october, so what should I do to prep for it? Should I get books specifically tailored to the PSAT or are SAT books sufficient? </p>
<p>I've never taken the PSAT 'officially' before (I just did some math/writing from my buddy's college quickstart thing), so I have a few questions about it: </p>
<ul>
<li>Is the math easier than the SAT? Harder? </li>
<li>Are the curves usually harsh due to the lesser number of questions?</li>
<li>Overall, how does the test compare in difficulty to the SAT?</li>
</ul>
<p>Oh, and any other comparisons with the SAT would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>The PSAT generally uses the same types of questions as the SAT.
There probably aren't very many PSAT-specific prep books available, simply because it is itself essentially prep for the SAT.
Generally, I would study for the PSAT with the same material as for the SAT.
I took the practice test that they gave out too, and that helped a bit. The format is a little different than the SAT, so you might want to do the same.</p>
<p>Actually, I thought the math was harder on the PSAT. The thing is, because there are so many more questions on the SAT, you're more likely to make careless mistakes. </p>
<p>I didn't notice any major differences between the curves. CR did seem a bit tougher on the SAT, and writing may have been more lenient. </p>
<p>As a whole, the PSAT is easier, simply because it's shorter and there's no essay to worry about. It might be a stretch for you to score above a 230, unless you're willing to do quite a bit of preparation. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>This may be a dumb question, but if you're going to be a junior next year and have already taken the SAT, why are you taking the PSAT?</p>
<p>Yeah, I need the National Merit money.</p>
<p>NMS is a looong process, so while you are waiting to find out about NMS make sure you apply for other scholarships.</p>
<p>To answer your question about the curves on the two tests, here are my PSAT and my SAT curves:</p>
<p>PSAT
CR missed: 4, omitted: 1, questions: 48, score: 71
W m:2 o:0 q:49 s:75</p>
<p>SAT
CR missed: 6, omitted: zero, questions: 67 raw score: 60 score: 720
W M:0 o:0 q: 49 score: 800 </p>
<p>My math is just too much to count lol.</p>
<p>Thanks, Carpe and Chris!</p>