<p>OMG SO I TOOK A PRACTICE psat TODAY..</p>
<p>And I got 6 wrong just on the identifying errors. And I am so mad at myself!</p>
<p>I need major help. Like to all you people who score 800 on writing section :(</p>
<p>Please. How did you study???</p>
<p>I'm totally stressing right now. Seriously. And I'm only a 10th grader..</p>
<p>Don’t be mad. Be calm. Basically, just slow down if you can, and you’ll think more clear.</p>
<p>I went hardcore for myself.
For me, every time I made a silly mistake, I made myself read the writing section of Silverturtle’s guide or Sparknotes.
This made me read those guides numerous times.
In the end, it’s about how you approach the problem. If you’re strong with your grammar skills(I recommend reading the guides at least ten times to obtain them), you can approach the problem that are confusing with “why is this correct” rather than “why can this be wrong?” This really makes the difference after the 700’s range.</p>
<p>You need to realize that SAT is a mind game. If you lose focus, you lose the game. Be calm and be prepared.</p>
<p>Calm down you probably just got them wrong because you are stressing</p>
<p>The best advice I can give anyone for the SAT: know your material and think critically.
It seems that silverturtle’s guide is the most comprehensive free resource on here for those of us looking to familiarize ourselves with grammatical rules. I highly reccomend you review it thoroughly. Make sure to learn all about comma splices, and how to avoid them. Additionally, run through some Blue Book tests to get a feel of the types of questions College Board likes to throw at you - as many people on here say, writing section is quite formulaic, i.e., if you know one test, you know them all.</p>
<p>so basically I should just super analyze one BB test…</p>
<p>Speaking from experience, I say relax! Get a good night’s sleep from here on out to PSAT day. Your winding yourself up too much. </p>
<p>While honest self-assessment and high goals are great, getting stressed over a test that doesn’t even count in sophomore year is too much. </p>
<p>There are few panaceas for a “low” PSAT score. Analyzing BB tests is a good idea, but analyzing just one isn’t a viable long-term strategy. </p>
<p>So what does it take for a “great” PSAT score? Again, from experience, it takes rest and recuperation. If you are frustrated when taking any test, you won’t do as well as you could have. </p>
<p>You should try putting off PSAT prep until Sunday, or even Monday. Take a long-deserved break. I did, and I think it worked ;). </p>
<p>I slept for a solid 10-11 hours last weekend, which washed away my frustrations, and took 2 PSATs to confirm my score. The improvement in my scores was incredible.</p>
<p>Yes. Analyzing and truly understanding the real tests is really the best way to perform well on the SAT.</p>
<p>Thanks both of you.</p>
<p>And yeah, I hope it works! Ugh only like 9 more days!</p>
<p>I can tell how stressed/nervous you are… You should study until Monday, and Tuesday should be your rest day before PSATs. Don’t be too stressed. You’ll be fine!</p>
<p>Oh I wish so! Ugh I’m scoring around 190s. Give or take.</p>
<p>Now just prayying for a easy grammar section :/</p>
<p>^That score may just go up 20 points with rest over the weekend :o.</p>
<p>Seriously, if that happens:</p>
<p>:( -> :DDDD</p>
<p>crap … i totally forgot to study for writing… hopefully I can break my former 700 atleast…</p>
<p>How pathetic of me…</p>
<p>Ok first of all, you’re in 10th grade. You shouldn’t be stressing at all over the PSAT. </p>
<p>Second, 6 wrong in that section isn’t terrible for 10th grade. That can easily b raised to 2-0 by next year or even next week.</p>
<p>But for some real advice: Read Silverturtle’s guide a LOT and do as many practice IE questions as you can.</p>
<p>Thank you ^
But my parents are expecting high from me because they basically told me if I score 200+ this year, I can go to columbia. And I know this sounds insane, but my parents think columbia is overrated.</p>
<p>well that is if columbia even accepts me /:</p>
<p>Good luck on Columbia :)!</p>
<p>I know you’ve been through a ton of books, and I think that it’ll pay off in dividends on Wednesday (or Saturday) :).</p>
<p>@Dorkyelmo</p>
<p>You make me feel so bad about myself…!
I barely do two~three practice tests per week. (sometimes one)
It looks like you do like two a day. haha</p>
<p>nah. I really just do a couple of sections, rest, sleep. repeat.</p>
<p>and I hope it does pay off ):</p>
<ol>
<li><p>do practice tests in blue book… there are 180 error identification problems in the book’s practice tests (18 per test)… hardly an insurmountable number</p></li>
<li><p>go online and read the college board’s own explanations… it’s a bit of a pain to navigate to the explanations, but it’s really helpful to see how the test makers themselves justify why the correct answer is correct and why the incorrect answers are incorrect</p></li>
<li><p>don’t stress out over the PSAT… it doesn’t count for very much, and it certainly won’t be the deciding factor for whether you get into Columbia… PSAT scores aren’t particularly important in the world of college admissions, and even if they were, even a perfect score wouldn’t guarantee admission</p></li>
<li><p>Maybe I’m interpreting this incorrectly, but are you saying that your parents will forbid you from going to Columbia – even if you get in – unless you score a 200+ on the PSAT? This sounds ridiculous. Realize that by the time you are accepted to Columbia (if you’re accepted), the PSAT will be a distant memory, and other factors, such as financial aid, will weigh much more heavily in your (and your parents’) decision!</p></li>
</ol>