<p>So I just recently got my PSAT scores from my school. I got:
Critical Reading - 67
Math - 73
Writing - 62
Total: 202
I'm a sophmore. Are those good scores and am I on the right track to get National Merit? What can I do to improve my scores even more (especially reading and writing, because i am weak in those)? Do you guys know any resources like books or websites that are super helpful for studying for SAT/PSAT (i already have the blue book)?</p>
<p>Thanks for any advice!!</p>
<p>I got the same score sophomore year. I’d suggest taking Blue Book tests and getting Barron’s SAT 2400. I only got a 207 on my junior year PSAT (before prep) but I got a 2380 on the May SAT.</p>
<p>What are the good things in the Barron’s book?</p>
<p>Also, to anyone viewing this post, feel free to post your SAT/PSAT scores this year if you want to!! I want to see how well im doing compared to the many smart students on CC and see where I stand!</p>
<p>I’m assuming, with scores like that, you understand the basic content and you can routinely answer easy and medium questions. Blue Book allows you to understand the subtle nuances of the test more and familiarize yourself with the format. Barron’s 2400 is strictly hard questions. I’d say I got at least half the book wrong and my score speaks for itself.</p>
<p>does it help you on how to answer reading questions? i know that math and writing questions are mainly derived from formulas/rules and once you know those you will tend to do well. However, i dont know any fundamental basics that i can use to make reading easier and i dont know what to even study for in reading. will barrons or anything else be useful for that?</p>
<p>From anecdotal evidence:</p>
<p>You’re on-the-right-track-ness depends on how much effort you put in. I know several, and I mean several people of the current senior class at my school who tried their sophomore year and got 215+. They said “oh I don’t need to study for junior psat if I did that well” and got a 200. Likewise there are people (namely me) who did awful their sophomore year and got say a 171, but shaped up and put a bunch of effort in for test prep. I jumped 51 points to a 222 this year.</p>
<p>You seem weakest in reading and writing. I can’t help you with reading besides to mention patterns and vocab. They generally test the same skills so now you know what to look for. For the writing, where I did the most (although still my worst) improvement, I just learned a butload of grammar rules. Miss something on a practice test? become an expert on it. </p>
<p>Last two pieces of advice: 1) don’t neglect your math score even though it was almost perfect. Stupid mistakes will kill you. 2) If you can find a used book store, they often have used prep books. On the shelf across from me I see: 3 psat prep books, 1 sat, 1 sat math level 2,1 ap gov, 2 ap calc, 1 ap stats, and probably 3 other dozen prep books of sorts. Total cost around $100, but original value probably $800. I consider the prep books integral in my studying.</p>
<p>Ok thanks for the tips. If you dont mind me asking, what books did you study from to get a 222? Also, do you know any websites that are very helpful for SAT? Lastly, where could I find all these grammar rules/ math formulas / reading patterns and study from?</p>
<p>Im really confused on what are the best SAT/PSAT study websites…</p>
<p>Here is a link that sets forth the cut-off scores for all the states for the Class of 2015 and earlier: <a href=“http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/NationalMerit.html”>http://www.collegeplanningsimplified.com/NationalMerit.html</a></p>
<p>You can get an idea of the range for your state over the past few years, and whether you have a chance, based on those past scores, to qualify as a National Merit Semifinalist.</p>
<p>Where can I learn all of the grammar rules for the writing section?</p>
<p>Q1: “What can I do to improve my scores even more (especially reading and writing, because i am weak in those)?” </p>
<p>Q2: “Where can I learn all of the grammar rules for the writing section?”</p>
<p>A1: Read more and write more. Presumably you are taking some sort of English literature/grammar/composition class in your high school; you may want to talk to your subject matter teacher(s) in those areas and try to get extra help outside of class; or engage a tutor. There is really no quick fix for this, but you have 10 months in which to work on it.</p>
<p>A2: See A1 above.</p>
<p>What about SAT prep courses? Are there any that you highly recommend? I heard those help your score drastically…</p>
<p>And what are the best books for the individual subjects of SAT (Math, Reading, Writing) or the SAT as a whole (i have the blue book)?</p>
<p>Hopefully the more books I discover, the more I can improve my scores</p>
<p>I’m a freshman at my high school. I am fairly advanced, so I took the PSAT’s and scored a 200. Personally, if you want to know how to improve your reading/writing, the best recommendation I can give is to do it more often. The only real way to improve those scores is to practice. Practice makes perfect after all.</p>