<p>So I took the PSAT a little while ago this school year and had my results emailed to me last week and I didn't do that great. I'm a sophomore, I scored a CR 62 M 61 W 58 for a total of 181. Not trying to make up excuses but people said the PSAT didn't matter so I didn't prepare whatsoever, got three hours of sleep prior to testing, kind of bummed it, and really just tried to rush through it (especially writing skills).
This year I got a composite 30/32 on my ACT PLAN with a 32 in English, a 32 in Math, a 31 in Science, and a 26 in Reading ;P with a predicted ACT score range of 32 - 35</p>
<p>If I study hard, lots of practice tests, vocab, take the next math class up/finish this year's (I'll be finishing Honors PreCalc this year and going on to AP Calc ABC junior year), as well as other studying/class factors, is it possible to improve enough for NMSF? (220-ish is a little above average cut off I think) </p>
<p>My freshman year I got a 27/32 on the PLAN and jumped 3 points to this year 30/32 (jumped 8 points in English, 2 in math, and 3 in science), so is improving 40 points reasonable with intense preparation (and actually sleeping haha) ? What would you recommend for at least a good score jump if not my fantasized 40?</p>
<p>First of all, 181 is not a horrible score, especially for sophomore year! And yes, you can improve it. 40 points is an awful lot, though, but definitely doable. Two of my kids improved about 20 points with no additional prep (other than just more classes at school, maybe taking it more seriously, etc). The other one improved about 10 points. If you have the basic skills and knowledge (which I think you do with your 181 and ACT scores), it all comes down to avoiding the careless mistakes. For PSAT, each error can cost around 3 points, depending on the section.</p>
<p>as someone who jumped EXACTLY 40 points from 181 to 221 between my soph and junior year on the PSAT… It’s not a fantasy I only started studying in the fall of my junior year too. You can do it for sure (with sufficient preparation) and a meticulous thought process. It’s possible. Don’t doubt yourself, and start studying!</p>
<p>I believe that while there is often a correlation between ACT and SAT scores, the two tests are vastly different (just like the PLAN and the PSAT). If you get a 30 on the PLAN, I would naturally assume you’re at least capable of earning a correspondingly high score on the PSAT. Since you had an off-day during the test, the relatively low score is understandable. Also, keep in mind that the Reading section of the PLAN is totally unlike the Critical Reading on the PSAT; in other words, don’t be discouraged! </p>
<p>As someone who jumped 25 points in a year on the PSAT, I’d recommend you to take a lot of practice tests. I think that’s honestly the key to success, just like on any other standardized test. 40 points is definitely doable.</p>
<p>My 3 kids all made big jumps from sophomore to junior years. 37 points, 24 points and 39 points. The one who made the “small” 24 point jump started with a very high score. The other two each scored 180 as sophomores. You can do this!</p>
<p>My son went from 178 to 208. The prep he did was simply doing the 10 tests in the CB blue book the summer before junior year. So, he did a reasonable amount of prep but he certainly didn’t max out (especially by typical CC standards)</p>
<p>My son went from 203 soph to 230 Jr. He did some practice tests…but what really helped was participating on the school’s math team. In Texas we have UIL math contests. It really helped.</p>
<p>My D improved from 180 to 221. She did NO prep prior to her sophomore PSAT. She DID do SAT prep studying over her sophomore-to-junior summer. So, prepping DID help for my D</p>
<p>So, for those of you who raised your score by 30-40 points, what do you think is the best way to do it. My son has been using the practice questions from testive as well as the college board online SAT prep class. Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>@NCMom5, and to the OP, my D (now a rising senior) studied for and took the October SAT test that was administered I think 2 weeks before the PSAT. Studying for the SAT (using the CB Blue Book) prepared her for the PSAT, and I think helped her to get the feeling of a “live” test before the PSAT. YMMV, but that worked for my D. (And getting her to study was a chore - she had never studied for a standardized test.)</p>
<p>We are planning to take the Oct. SAT but it is only about 3 days before the PSAT. Right now I am trying to get him to do practice tests and work through the lessons on the college board online class. You are right though, getting him to study is a chore He has taken the PSAT twice before and scored a 179 each time. Do you think he has a pretty good chance of getting it up to a 215-220 range if he works hard? Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>NCMom5…Our D2 also used the “simultaneous prepping” for the Oct SAT to help her get ready for the PSAT. IMO, having it 3 days apart is even better than the 2 weeks separation that we had this past year. She found the Kaplan study books to be well suited to her, and used them successfully for PSAT, SAT, and ACT preparation but YMMV.</p>
<p>FWIW she improved 40 points between her sophomore and junior year PSAT scores, but she took the sophomore test cold with no prep whatsoever just to get a true baseline. </p>
I only started studying in the fall of my junior year too. You can do it for sure (with sufficient preparation) and a meticulous thought process. It’s possible. Don’t doubt yourself, and start studying!</p>