Good PSAT Score

10 Invaluable Tips for a Good PSAT Score

Good score makes your way to get a chance to enjoy a National Merit Scholarship, based on your performance in the test. This is why the test can also be termed as the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). Your eligibility for this scholarship is based on the Selection Index (SI). The SI is the sum of scores, which you earn from each sections of the test. Each state keeps a Selection Index of 201 for each test-taker. Therefore, a good score can only be 201 or higher. As each of the three sections is scored on a scale of 20-80, you need to have an average score of 67 or more from each section.

However, the score does not only decide your scholarship eligibility. It portrays your possible performance in SAT as well. If you add up a ‘0’, to your PSAT score, you will get an idea about your SAT score. Hence, a PSAT score of ‘200’ would mean a score of ‘2000’ in SAT out of 2400, which is actually a good SAT score, vis-à-vis a good PSAT score.

Why Do You Need Good Scores in PSAT?

A good score in PSAT indicates a good chance to earn scholarship and fee-waivers for higher studies. It also reflects your preparation for SAT as it lays stress upon your readiness to take admission exams for colleges. The score signifies your prowess in three particular qualities namely the Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing Skills. It focuses on your weaknesses and develops your strengths. As the PSAT and the SAT test structure are similar, hence the name Preliminary SAT or PSAT. Therefore, the score tells you a lot about your probable performance in SAT.

What Are Some Reliable Ways to Score High?

You do not have to be tensedJust follow the following recommendations to score high:

    1. Practice: This should be the first word in your dictionary. Practice more test papers, get to complete more practice tests and make a habit to practice maximum questions from each section.
    1. Improve Vocabulary: An important thing is that 2/3rd of it is based on your vocabulary database. Such questions like sentence completion, passage-based reading and paragraph improvement rigorously test your vocabulary. Therefore, make flashcards or word lists which you can memorize thoroughly for scoring high.
    1. Maintain the Time Limit: You have to maintain the proper time limit in the test. Pace yourself through the easier questions in the beginning and then deal with the harder ones. Make educated guesses while answering during the last few minutes of the test.
    1. Always Workout Official Practice Tests: The Official PSAT Study Guide, published by the College Board contains test questions from previous years. Practice these and go through the detailed explanation of answers given in the guide.
    1. Being Stuck Is Not an Option: In case you are clueless about a calculation, you cannot afford to leave it. Expand it and write relevant expressions for the calculation, to relate to and solve it.
    1. Read More: You should invest more time reading unconventional articles and those you find disinteresting. Remember you may not get passage of your choice of interest. Hence, you should practice reading different topics during preparation to achieve a good score.
    1. Special Triangles: Often in the Math section, you might be stuck with a triangle-based question. All you have to do is to check whether the triangle is a 30-60-90 or 3-4-5 triangle. The latter is a ratio that works like 6-8-10 or 30-40-50 etc.
    1. Write Things Down: The Math section may often contain sums, which you can possibly work out in your mind. However, silly mistakes occur while formulating the answers mentally. Hence, it is recommended that you write all the steps of the calculation while solving it. This is one great tool to avoid minute errors and get a high score.
    1. Guessing: You have to guess the correct option in certain multiple-choice questions. In such cases, eliminate the options which you are sure are not right. This will reduce the options available to you and increase your chances of a correct answer choice.
  1. Try Different Strategies: For the passage-based questions, you can try different methods to score high. Read the questions first and try to relate to the passage. Alternatively, you can scrutinize the whole passage and concentrate on the introduction and conclusion to answer the questions effectively.

In order to get a good scoreyou can follow the above suggestions. Nevertheless, these tips can only work if you allocate enough time for studies. Hence, you need to discipline yourself and be dedicated to your routine.