10 tips to do well in PSAT/NMSQT

Exam: PSAT Test - Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test: Math, Reading


10 tips to do well in PSAT/NMSQT are stated below:

  1. You should bear clear idea about the PSAT/NMSQT test structure

    It is highly recommended for the PSAT/NMSQT candidates to understand and remember the latest PSAT/NMSQT test format. It will give you a great advantage in the test. The PSAT/NMSQT test includes of three sections: Writing Skills, Critical Reading and Math. The exam duration is about two hours and ten minutes. All of these sections are scored under a scale of 20-80 points. And the total scale sums up to 240 points. The question type is predominately multiple-choice items. This test also includes 10 numbers of math questions given in open-response format that require the test takers to put their calculated responses inside the grids. In the PSAT/NMSQT tests the candidates are permitted to apply calculators for answering the math problems.  

  2. You can follow a study plan for the PSAT/NMSQT Preparation

    To Crack the PSAT/NMSQT, it is advised to the candidates to formulate a pertinent study plan, depending on the time left for the exam. If a student starts his or her preparation about three months before the PSAT/NMSQT testing date, then s/he can certainly expect good score. The study plan needs to be created in a systematic way, in which a candidate must keep enough time to study at least one particular sub-test subject or section – Writing Skills, Critical Reading and Math – in each single day for minimum one/two hours.  

  3. You need to collect study materials for PSAT/NMSQT

    To Crack the PSAT/NMSQT, it is advised to the candidates to collect study guides and online resources developed by reputable companies to take a good preparation on the entire seven sections. The students should search study materials from both offline libraries as well as the Internet. At present diverse study materials for PSAT/NMSQT are available online for free.

  4. To attain full-length PSAT/NMSQTpractice tests

    The candidates should take full-length practice tests for PSAT/NMSQT during their preparation phase in order to identify the areas of their strength and weakness. In other words, practice tests will assist the candidates to determine their level of performance as well as test-taking readiness. Diverse companies like Kaplan, McGraw-Hill, Pearson, etc. offer free and paid practice tests along with the correct answers as well as corresponding explanations, which assist the candidates to understand, analyze and evaluate the every section of the PSAT/NMSQT test.

  5. You can make a good PSAT/NMSQT score, if you emphasize on the fill in the blanks

    The questions made from ‘Sentence Completion’ category examine both vocabulary knowledge as well as reasoning skills of the candidates. While solving a ‘Sentence Completion’ item, you need to scan the whole sentence. This will assist you to make prediction about what words will suit to the blanks to make the sentence complete along with making it grammatically correct and meaningful. However, you might observe that you can guess only one word to fulfill only one blank. Then, stop being panic and apply your reasoning skill. Now, carefully analyze the given answer options and find out the option that matches with the word, you have predicted for one blank. After that you can easily eliminate the other answer options that go against your prediction and reasoning consequence.

  6. You need to extend your thinking to crack the critical reading section

    Most of the test-takers face problems to solve the exercises that follow the reading comprehension passages. To mount over this problem an effective tip is to grip the key ideas as well as themes told in the text. Many test-takers do a grave mistake by attempting to remember every details of the passage, while they read. This strategy will do nothing but overload your memory. You can look back to the specific area of the text later, if necessary. At first, you need to scan the whole text comprehensively in order to get an overall concept about the subject matter of the passage. After that you have to identify the specific areas of the reading comprehension that refer to the specific the questions. You can solve the easier questions at first. If you have extra time, then you can try out the tough questions.

  7. You can select the right option through elimination strategy

    In the multiple-choice items, the right answer is given among the answer choices and it is the challenge for you to find out the right one. You can either make a direct prediction or try to find out the right answer among the available options. However, if you cannot make a direct prediction, then you can follow the elimination strategy. This method will allow you to eliminate the wrong options to get the right one in the PSAT/NMSQT test.

  8. You can make guessing for the tough questions

    If you fail to find any particular answer for any math problems, then you can make a guess. The PSAT/NMSQT will give you negative marking for wrong answers in the items like fill-in the blanks and multiple-choice answers. Therefore, you can make a logical guess rather left the grids blank or putting answers blindly.

  9. You can follow some tricks in the math section

    While you calculate answers of the math problems, you need to consider that the grids do not contain any minus signs; therefore your answers must be positive numbers. Another trick is you cannot put the mixed numbers inside the grids. Therefore, if you find mixed numbers in any answer, then switch that into a decimal number or improper fraction.

  10. You can use conferencing skill and vocabulary storage in the writing section

    In the writing section you can score higher marks through applying rich vocabulary, coherence and conferencing skill to satisfy the reader/examiner.


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