What Your PSAT Scores Mean What Your PSAT Scores Mean
Agenda Why the PSAT/NMSQT matters Know the impact PSAT scores have on admissions Your Scores Understand what your scores mean and how to improve your scores. SAT and ACT What is on the SAT and ACT? Resources Free and other resourses!
Why the PSAT/NMSQT Matters
Why the PSAT/NMSQT Matters Excellent practice for the New SAT Connect students to schools & scholarships National Merit Scholarships and more
The Essentials
PSAT/NMSQT Overview Category Features Timing 2 hours, 45 minutes Structure Evidence-Based Reading 60 min Writing & Language 35 min Math No Calculator 25 min Math With Calculator 45 min Scoring No guessing penalty Now scored on a scale of 320-1520
Making Sense of the Numbers New SAT: 400-1600 PSAT/NMSQT: 320-1520 300 600 900 1200 1500 Composite Score Range
Score Report
Score Report Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 SAT/12 390 410 430 460 480 ERW 430 450 480 510 530 MATH
Score Report
Test Changes
Score Report
National Merit How to calculate Selection Index: Find your three test scores: (Range of 8-38) Reading, Writing & Language, Math Add together Double your total- Favors ELA over Math Example- 18 - Reading 20 Writing and Language 24 - Math 62 x 2 = 124 Selection Index STANDARDIZED TESTS
222 221 220 219 218 Massachusetts California Connecticut Arizona Colorado New Jersey Maryland Texas Georgia Delaware DC Virginia Washington Illinois North Carolina 217 Florida Hawaii Indiana Kansas Ohio Rhode Island 212 Mississippi 216 Michigan Missouri New Hampshire 209 North Dakota 215 Alabama Iowa Kentucky Nebraska South Carolina Utah Vermont Wisconsin Minnesota New York Oregon 214 Idaho Louisiana Maine Nevada Pennsylvania Tennessee 213 Alaska Arkansas New Mexico Oklahoma 210 Montana South Dakota West Virginia Wyoming
STANDARDIZED TESTS SAT
SAT Overview Category Features Timing 3 hours plus 50 minutes optional Essay at end of test Scoring Scored on a scale of 400-1600 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing Math Optional Essay scored separately No guessing penalty 4 answer choices Approx. 65 seconds/question SAT VS ACT
SAT Overview Category Evidence-based Reading & Writing Section Features Reading and Writing combined and scored on a scale of 200-800. Reading details: No sentence completions Passage topics include US and World Literature, History/Social Studies, and Sciences (500-750 words) 65 minutes Writing and Language details: Focus on extended prose (400-500 words) 35 minutes SAT VS ACT
SAT Overview Category Math Section Features Scored on a scale of 200-800 Three areas of concentrated focus: Problem solving and data analysis The Heart of Algebra Passport to Advanced Math Math fluency emphasized 25 minutes without a Calculator 55 minutes with a Calculator Questions with student produced answers and Multi-part question SAT VS ACT
SAT Overview Category Essay Features Essay is optional 50 minutes Requires students to analyze a 650-750 word document and explain how the author builds an argument 3 Scores (2-8) Reading Analysis Writing SAT VS ACT
SAT VS ACT 13%* of Colleges Will Require the SAT Essay
STANDARDIZED TESTS ACT
ACT Overview Category Timing Features 2 hours 55 minutes plus 40 minute optional Essay at end of test Scoring Scored on a scale of 1-36 English Math Reading Science Optional Essay scored separately No guessing penalty 4 answer choices except 5 for math Approx. 55 seconds/question SAT VS ACT
ACT Overview Category English and Reading Sections Features Each section scored on a scale of 1 36 Reading: 4 sections (1 long passage or 2 shorter) Passage topics social studies, natural sciences, literary narrative, and humanities 35 minutes English: Usage/Mechanics (punctuation, sentence structure) Rhetorical Skills (strategy and organization) 45 minutes / 5 passages SAT VS ACT
ACT Overview Category Math Section Features Scored on a scale of 1-36 Includes math through early 12 th grade level (some trig) 60 minutes Calculator use allowed for whole section SAT VS ACT
ACT Overview Category Science Section Features Scored on a scale of 1-36 Not testing science knowledge, but interpretation of graphs, charts, and experiments 35 minutes SAT VS ACT
ACT Overview Category Essay Features Essay is optional 40 minutes at the end of test Requires students to analyze 3 different perspectives Score is average of 4 domain scores (2-12) Ideas & Analysis Development and Support Organization Language Use SAT VS ACT
Reading Passage Topics SAT ACT SAT VS ACT
Math Skills Tested SAT ACT SAT VS ACT
SAT and ACT: Top 5 Key Differences 1. The SAT has a greater focus on History & Social Studies passages, while the ACT requires more Science reading. ACT? SAT? 2. Both focus on Algebra, but the SAT has a greater emphasis on Data Analysis & Problem Solving. What s the Difference? 3. Both essays are optional, but the SAT essay requires additional text analysis. 4. The New SAT has a No Calculator Math section. 5. Pacing: On the SAT, students have ~65 seconds per question, while on the ACT, students have ~55 seconds. SAT VS ACT
NEXT STEPS RESOURCES STANDARDIZED TESTS
Practice with a Purpose Take a free quiz or practice test & help a student in need. www.kaptest.com/purpose
QUESTION of the day.. Sign up at SAT www.kaptest.com/satquestion ACT www.kaptest.com/actquestion Questions reviewed in detail so next time that question type come up, you ll be ready. STANDARDIZED TESTS
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THANK YOU! Sherry Brass sherry.brass@kaplan.com 978-595-1042 For more information, visit kaptest.com or call 1-800-527-8378