<p>Hey so I just took my PSAT today and I really think I did pretty bad for ivyleague standards.</p>
<p>So how can I improve?</p>
<p>Math- 70s -> 80s : best way to achieve this score beside buying Dr.Chungs or just hardcore practicing?</p>
<p>Reading: 65s -> 80s : how?? I really improved a lot by getting into the passage, noting the line references. Any other good tips? Also is Barron word list good? </p>
<p>Writing: 55s-> 80s : HOW! I read silverturtle. I suck completely on identifying errors (6 wrong usually). Help please!</p>
<p>How can I reach all of these goals by next year PSAT??</p>
<p>Math: Take higher level math classes. In class, whilst doing homework and learning new concepts, you’ll find tricks that work for you, not just for other people. When I say higher level, I’m talking Algebra II, Pre-Calc, even Calc (taking Calc is definitely NOT necessary whatsoever though).</p>
<p>Reading and Writing: Read higher level prose. Complicated prose. If you don’t feel nervous doing so, check out your school’s AP English Language textbook and read through whatever you find interesting. I cannot even BEGIN to tell you how much AP English has helped me.
CR: 59-~70
W: 61-~73</p>
<p>I’m really surprised that your writing score is that low. CC is really crazy with the writing section. For identifying errors, try to argue “why this choice is grammatically correct”, not “this is an error because it sounds awkward.” If you are really strong in your writing foundation, this should help you.</p>
<p>Well I’m currently in precalc. So probably by senior yr I’ll be taking calc bc.
And AP english helps? I can’t take that class this year (only a sophomore. AP only for upperclassmans).</p>
<p>If you’re scoring around 65 on the PSAT, you’re in good shape.
Do you have trouble with SC or passage?
If you get more than 1-2 wrong in SC, you should memorize some vocab/read more. If the problem is in passage reading, do as many practice tests as you can. Don’t forget to go over the answers fully. It’ll certainly help.</p>
<p>Like I said, if your problem is in SC, Direct Hits certainly help. (I rarely get any SC wrong now.) However, for passage reading, DH won’t really do much.
I have never used Dr. Chung since I didn’t have any problem with SAT Math.</p>
<p>Since you have time, try different methods. (trusting your ears until level 5 writing questions, and etc.)
Maybe you’re just over-thinking the questions. What questions are you usually getting wrong? Try to find which area(s) you lack in.</p>
<p>I think it really helps to know, “oh, this was what CB thought many students would trip on.”
Be level headed. For level 1-3 questions, fully trust your first instinct. For level 4-5, try to find the “trap” that CB set for the students and always try to prove your first answer wrong. If your answer prevails after scrutiny, you can be confident in your choice.</p>
<p>Quintessential to the verbal part of the test is having a handle on sophisticated vocabulary. As you have seen, the SAT is going to try to confuse you with unfamiliar words, so you need to be ready.</p>
<p>I recommend using a website called Vocabulary.com. It is by far the best vocabulary studying website out there in my opinion. It is free, free of advertisements, and its user-friendly and highly customizable nature make it especially attuned to each user’s distinct experience level. One way to use it is to let Vocabulary.com figure out what your level is and give you words to study that it thinks are appropriate for you. However, you can also search for (using the dictionary feature) and add exactly what words you want to your Words I’m Studying list. There are also already SAT prep lists out there made by others that you can use.</p>
<p>The best thing about Vocabulary.com is that it gives its word definitions in refreshingly simple language, unlike all Oxford and Merriam-Webster. Additionally, it provides memorable anecdotes for a lot of the words that will be helpful for encoding them.</p>
<p>I would also recommend checking out SATcomVideo.com - their vocabulary videos are really helpful and they have a really cool blog that gives you a word of the day and links to a bunch of interesting SAT prep items…</p>