II. Our Textbook

1. II. Our Textbook • Bring your textbook every day. • We will use it in class as well as for homework. • The Official SAT Study Guide, Second Edition • by CollegeBoard • Contains 10 tests • Provides access to exclusive online tools

2. Our Textbook, continued • Chapters 1-3 Introduction to the SAT and test-taking tips • Chapters 4-21 – Descriptions of types of questions and approaches to answering them. Solutions to sample questions.

3. Our Textbook, continued • Critical Reading Strategies: Chapter 7 • Writing Practice: Chapter 21 • Math Strategies: Chapter 21 • Math Concepts: Chapters 15-18

4. Our Textbook, continued… • There is an essay on the SAT but not on the PSAT. • You may participate in the College Board’s practice essay-writing program, Score Write. However, your participation in Score Write will not affect your PSAT score. • Chapter 9 includes examples of essay topics with sample scored essays.

5. Our Textbook, continued… • Part V of the book provides 10 official practice tests to help you become familiar with the test and practice under timed conditions.

6. Our Textbook, continued… • You will complete Practice Test 3 (pages 514-555)as homework over 4 days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Monday). • As you do your homework, you will mark your answers on the answer grid in your book (pages 508-511). • You will also mark your answers in your book by each question, and grade each section yourself. • At the beginning of each session, we will discuss questions from the previous day’s homework.

7. Our Textbook, continued… • We will work with practice questions from the textbook in group sessions each day. • You will have a choice each day whether to focus on Math Strategies or Reading Comprehension/Writing strategies in concurrent breakout sessions.

8. Our Textbook, continued… • Errata • Note the yellow insert in the front of your book. • Some answer keys and questions are printed incorrectly. • Please take time now to make the corrections in your book.

9. Textbook Errata

10. More Textbook Errata

11. More Textbook Errata

12. Final Textbook Errata

13. PSAT Scores What's the range of possible PSAT scores? • Each PSAT section has a scaled score from 20-80 points. What are average PSAT scores?

14. III. Scoring the PSAT The Math, Critical Reading, and Writing sections of the PSAT are scored separately, with each score ranging between 20 (lowest) and 80 (highest). The Selection Index used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation is the sum of these three scores. A “perfect score” would be 240 .

15. Scoring the PSAT • Students receive one point for each correct answer, regardless of difficulty. • For incorrect answers to multiple-choice questions, a quarter (1/4) of a point is deducted. (This is a ‘guessing penalty’. ) • Nothing is deducted for unanswered questions or for incorrect answers to student-produced response (grid-in) questions.

16. Scoring your practice PSAT • Check your responses with the correct answers. • Guessing Penalty: Count how many you got wrong in each section (except for the Math Grid-In Section). A = that number times 0.25 • Count how many you got right in each section =B. • Subtract A from B. Round. • Use the Conversion Table for each section to find your 3 scores.

17. Scoring the PSAT • The raw score is converted to a score on the PSAT/NMSQT scale of 20 to 80 points. This statistical procedure, called equating, adjusts for differences in difficulty between various forms, or editions, of the test.

18. The National Merit Scholarship Program and Awards • Scoring high on the PSAT as a junior can qualify you for National Merit Scholarships and other awards. • Juniors taking the PSAT are automatically entered into the National Merit Program, a competition for recognition and undergraduate scholarships conducted by The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (a not-for-profit organization). The most outstanding participants receive scholarships worth a total of $50 million for undergraduate study.

19. Awards granted in the National Merit Program

20. Semifinalists • 16,000 students who score in the upper 99th percentile in their states receive a letter announcing their status as a semifinalist, along with information about the requirements for qualification as a finalist. • These include: • Maintaining high grades • Performing well on your SAT • Getting an endorsement from your principal

21. Semifinalists, continued… • Semifinalist PSAT scores are usually in the range of 200-215. • This means approximate scores of: • 70 in Critical Reading • 70 in Math • 70 in Writing Skills

22. Finalists • The majority of semifinalists (more than 90%) go on to qualify as finalists. • Students who meet all of the eligibility requirements will be notified in February of their senior year that they have qualified as finalists. • This means that they are eligible for scholarship money. • Only about half of National Merit finalists actually win scholarships.

23. Finalists, continued… • 8,000 total scholarships are awarded • 3 groups of Scholarships: • National Merit $2,500 scholarships • Scholarships sponsored by grants from more than 500 corporations & private foundations • Scholarships sponsored by colleges & universities • Renewable, 4-year Merit Scholarships may be worth as much as $10,000 a year for four years.

24. Your Self-Assessment and Goals • On the back of the yellow scoresheet, make 3 sections to fill in after you score your practice test: • My Strengths • Areas needing Improvement • My Goals for this Course