By this time, you may have already taken the PSAT and are just waiting to hear back on your results. Taking the PSAT is a great way to prepare yourself and possibly predict how you will perform on the actual SAT. A huge benefit of taking the PSAT is simply to familiarize yourself with the type of test it is and to try your hand at actual SAT questions. However, you will only get the full advantage of the PSAT if you use your results to analyze your performance and work on correcting weak areas before you take the SAT. So, here’s what you should do after taking the PSAT.
Personal review
Take some time after the PSAT – maybe even immediately after the test – and write down any questions or scenarios where you know you felt weak or unsure. Anything you felt like you were stuck on or really unsure of the answer – write it down while you still remember so you can remind yourself to brush up in those areas.
Interpreting your scores
The PSAT scores are different than the actual SAT scoring, but it’s still a great way to predict what you SAT score will be. There are three sections to the tests – math, writing and critical reading. You can earn up to 80 points on each section. When you receive your PSAT scores, simply add a zero to the end of each (80 becomes 800) and you will get a good idea of your projected SAT scores. However, this is the score you can expect to get if you don’t study or prepare any more after this point.
Raising your score
If you want to perform better on the SAT than you did on the PSAT, you should expect to put some work into it. Raising your scores is possible, but it takes work. Knowing your strong and weak areas will be a big help when choosing what to focus your study and preparations efforts on.
Review your answers
You should take some time to review all your answers on the PSAT. When you receive your scores, you will also receive the answers to the questions for review. Instead of just reviewing the wrong answers, take some time to look the entire test over – it can’t hurt to be thorough!
Share your results
If you have a tutor, mentor or parent helping you prepare for the SAT, share both your results and experiences with them. You should go over your answers and results, but you should also share your overall impressions and reflections on the test and see if they have any advice to offer.
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