West Geauga High School Strategy Session for the PSAT, SAT and ACT

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West Geauga High SchoolStrategy Session
for the PSAT, SAT and ACT

• David Schordock
• Director, The Princeton Review-Cleveland
• 1-800-2Review DaveS_at_review.com

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What is the PSAT?

• WHY TAKE IT?
• It is good practice for the SAT, and it's a
  qualifying test for National Merit Scholarships
  and Letters of Commendation.
• HOW IS IT SCORED?
• One Critical Reading, one Math and one Writing
  Section, each worth 20 to 80 points
• HOW LONG IS IT?
• 2 hours and 10 minutes

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PSAT Math Section

• Two 25 minute sections
• Multiple-choice and grid-ins
• Scored on 20-80 point scale

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No Algebra II

• You may have heard there are Algebra II questions
  on the SAT. That's true, there are. Fortunately,
  there's no Algebra II on the PSAT.
• Be sure you understand basic arithmetic, algebra
  and geometry concepts.

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PSAT Critical Reading Section

• Two 25 minute sections
• Multiple-choice
• Scored on 20-80 point scale

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A Good Reflection of the SAT

• Passage-Based Reading  Students will be asked to
  read some short and long passages, each of which
  will be followed by some multiple-choice
  questions.
• Sentence Completions  Students will be presented
  with an incomplete sentence and be asked to
  finish it with the correct word or words.

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PSAT Writing Section

• 30-minute section
• Multiple-choice
• Scored on 20-80 point scale

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SoWheres the Writing?

• Identify Error Questions  You'll be presented
  with a sentence that may or may not have a
  grammatical or syntax error in it. You'll be
  asked to identify the error, or indicate if there
  is no error.
• Improving Sentences  Students will be asked to
  look at a sentence and try to improve it, without
  changing its meaning.
• Improving Paragraphs  These are just like the
  improving sentence questions except...you guessed
  it...you'll be looking at and improving
  paragraphs.

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2004 Ohio NMSQT Data

• 55,633 Entrants
• 1,234 Commended Students
• 729 Semifinalists
• Commended Students and Semifinalists usually
  score in the 96th percentile or higher
• More information at www.NationalMerit.org

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Scoring

• Each correct answer earns1 full point, regardless
  of level of difficulty.
• Each unanswered question earns a student 0
  points.
• Each incorrect answer to a Student-Produced
  Response question earns a student 0 points.
• Students LOSE 1/4 point for each incorrect answer
  to a multiple-choice question.

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SAT vs. ACT
SAT ACT
When is it administered? Seven times per year Five times per year
What is the test structure? Ten-section exam plus a masked Experimental section. Four-section exam. Clearly Experimental
Penalty for wrong answers? Yes No
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SAT vs. ACT
SAT ACT
Math Basic Arithmetic, Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry
Science None Charts/Experiments, Conflicting Viewpoints
Reading Sentence Completions short and long Reading Comprehension Four long Reading Comprehension passages
Writing Essay and Grammar Essay (Optional) and Grammar
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Need More Information?
SAT ACT
Collegeboard.com ACTStudent.org
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Guessing

• What is the capital of Malawi?

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Guessing

• What is the capital of Malawi?
• Washington, D.C.
• Paris
• Tokyo
• London
• Lilongwe
• The test writers know how high school students
  think!

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Who is Joe Bloggs?

• Peanut Butter Jelly
• Boy Girl
• Left Right

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Dont Be Like Joe!
Joe Right Wrong Blank
Easy Questions (6) 5 1 0
Medium Questions (6) 4 2 0
Hard Questions (6) 1 5 0
Total 9 8 0
Multiplier 1 -0.25 0
Total 9 -2 0
Total For Section 7
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Dont Be Like Joe!
Jane Right Wrong Blank
Easy Questions (6) 6 0 0
Medium Questions (6) 5 1 0
Hard Questions (6) 0 0 6
Total 11 1 0
Multiplier 1 -0.25 0
Total 11 -0.25 0
Total For Section 10.75
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Process of Elimination

• 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST
  number of nonoverlapping regions into which the
  shaded region can be divided with exactly two
  straight lines?
• 6
• 5
• 4
• 3
• 2

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Process of Elimination

• 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST
  number of nonoverlapping regions into which the
  shaded region can be divided with exactly two
  straight lines?
• 6
• 5
• 4
• 3
• 2

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Process of Elimination

• 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST
  number of nonoverlapping regions into which the
  shaded region can be divided with exactly two
  straight lines?
• 6
• 5
• D. 3
• E. 2

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Process of Elimination

• 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST
  number of nonoverlapping regions into which the
  shaded region can be divided with exactly two
  straight lines?
• 6
• 5

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Process of Elimination

• 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST
  number of nonoverlapping regions into which the
  shaded region can be divided with exactly two
  straight lines?
• B. 5

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Process of Elimination

• 18. In the figure below, what is the GREATEST
  number of nonoverlapping regions into which the
  shaded region can be divided with exactly two
  straight lines?
• B. 5

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More Math

• A woman drove to work at an average speed of 40
  miles per hour and returned along the same route
  at 30 miles per hour. If her total traveling
  time was 1 hour, what was the total number of
  miles in the round trip?
• 30
• 30 1/7
• 34 2/7
• 35
• 40

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Sentence Completions

• 2. Although the beginning of the campaign was
  ______, later victories ______ the initial
  disappointments.

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Sentence Completions

• 2. Although the beginning of the campaign was
  ______, later victories ______ the initial
  disappointments.
• (A) propitious . . nullified
• (B) unsuccessful . . complicated
• (C) inauspicious . . eclipsed
• (D) foreboding . . confirmed
• (E) unexpected . . magnified

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Sentence Completions

• 2. Although the beginning of the campaign was
  ______, later victories ______ the initial
  disappointments.
• (B) unsuccessful . . complicated
• (C) inauspicious . . eclipsed
• (D) foreboding . . confirmed

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Sentence Completions

• 2. Although the beginning of the campaign was
  ______, later victories ______ the initial
  disappointments.
• (C) inauspicious . . eclipsed

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Writing

• Dont believe your ears. Memorize the rules.
• In the year 1492, Columbus discovered the New
  World even though he was actually trying to reach
  India.

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Writing

• Each night, the majority of people goes hungry.

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Great Birthday Gifts!

• English Grammar for Dummies by Geraldine Woods
• The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
• The Deluxe Transitive Vampire The Ultimate
  Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager
  and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon

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Writing The SAT Essay

• Tips
• Length will count. Fill up most of the lines.
• Think before you write!
• Neatness will count.
• Answer the question.
• Conclusion

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Try it yourself!

• LiveGrader
• October 19-23
• PrincetonReview.com/Essay

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West Geauga High SchoolStrategy Session
for the PSAT, SAT and ACT

• David Schordock
• Director, The Princeton Review-Cleveland
• 1-800-2Review DaveS_at_review.com