The PSAT or the Preliminary SAT is just like a stepping stone in your dreams to making it to the most prestigious colleges. And it not just serves the purpose of being a first step or primer for the SAT.
Moreover, it helps you qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. And this will certainly help you bring many more opportunities your way. You can even consider it as your foundation to clearing the SATs. So, how to actually prepare for the PSAT?
Let us dive deeper into the world of PSAT and get to know what strategies you can apply to score higher in the PSAT.
Understanding the PSAT format
It is really important that you know what you are getting into. This exam is divided into 3 sections just as the SAT: Reading, Writing and Math. you need to understand that this tests your critical thinking abilities, grammar knowledge, and your problem-solving capabilities.
However, it is a little easier as compared to the SAT, but it still helps you build your foundation for the SATs. And you also need to understand the exam format very closely and study smart, not hard.
Don’t wait for the last minute
To succeed in this exam, you cannot wait until the last minute and start preparing just before the exams. And for this, you need to set clear goals that would help you prepare from a very early stage, months before the actual exam.
You can actually use this test to help you analyze your mistakes and how to improve your SAT score.
You need to understand where to focus your efforts and thus determine your strengths and weaknesses.
Mock tests that simulate actual PSAT
Everybody talks about mock tests and how you should take as many mock tests as possible. But in reality, it is important to practice with realistic mock tests that are timed and full length, as they will give you a clear picture of where you stand in the competition and also help you understand and become confident about the real PSAT test.
This will eventually help you refine your test taking abilities and overall strategies that you would otherwise apply to your preparation for the PSAT.
Managing your time efficiently
Time is a very important tool in scoring higher in your PSATs. The more you learn about managing your time efficiently with every question you come across, the more are your chances of succeeding at the exam.
You must learn to allocate proper time for each question, learn to allot a particular time for skimming through passages, coming back to tough questions later and not wasting your time behind any question, and so on. Remember, time is very crucial for your success.
Work on your strengths and core skill set
The PSAT exam is not just about reading passages, writing essays and solving mathematical problems. You need to dive deeper to understand that there are many foundational skills that the exam tests you for, such as your grammar knowledge, mathematical formulae, and conceptual clarity.
Strategize for your test
Remember, that strategy is not just about gaining knowledge, but how you are putting it to great use effectively. You need to have a proper strategy in place that would help you narrow down your approach.
One such example of test strategy would be to read the questions before you skim through the passages to give you a better understanding of where to focus in your passage.
Make mistakes and learn from them
You are bound to make mistakes and what is important here is that you learn from them. This way you can avoid the same mistakes altogether and not repeat them, and even fill in all your knowledge gaps efficiently.
Consistency is definitely a key here
You must have heard this sentence almost everywhere. However, note that you also need to be highly motivated to stay consistent in your preparation and stick to your strategies.
It is indeed very difficult, but not impossible. You need to balance your lifestyle accordingly and make sure you have enough motivation surrounding you in the form of cool mentors, equally ambitious friends who are also appearing for their PSATs, and so on.
Conclusion
So, more than a test, the PSAT gives you an opportunity to set your stage for the upcoming SATs. If you really score higher here, chances are that you would end up scoring very well in your SATs as well and therefore, accomplish your dreams of making it to the top colleges.
And for this very reason, it is important to have an expert like EduQuest – one of the best coaching institutes for PSAT, who can help you with the minutest detail that you would otherwise need to prepare effectively and efficiently for the PSAT.