1. PSAT Advisory September 23, 2015

2. October 14 th All 9 th -11 th grade students will be taking the PSAT 9 th grade students will take the PSAT8/9 10 th & 11 th grade students will take the PSAT/NMSQT Students will test in their Advisory Room -Some Advisories will be relocated

3. Room Relocations Current RoomAdvisorNew Room D104ScharmbergB214 F154MoseleyB212 F147FoxB210 D126LunsfordB208 C104 (LIB Lab)RushB211 A150ApparicioB209 A151RichB207 A152PaltrineriB205 G153HarvieB225 B119SekcienskiB227 D119DavisB229 D122Knable-CoffinB222

4. PSAT The PSAT measures reading, writing & language, and math skills developed over many years, both in and out of school You will not be asked to recall facts from literature, history, or science, or to complete math formulas, because this test measures your reasoning & critical thinking skills

5. PSAT The PSAT offers great preparation for the SAT The PSAT tests the skills and knowledge essential for college and career readiness Provides students with better access to data & personalized study through the online College Board & Khan Academy resources

6. Why take the PSAT? Prepare for the SAT Get free, personalized, and focused practice through Khan Academy Start getting ready for college See which AP courses you might be ready for (AP Potential) Receive feedback on your academic skills

7. How long is the PSAT? PSAT8/9 (9 th grade): – Actual testing time is 2 hours & 45 minutes, plus 15 minutes for breaks – Reading Section: 42 questions (55 minutes) – Writing & Language Section: 40 questions (30 min) – Math Section- No Calculator: 13 questions (20 min) – Math Section- Calculator: 25 questions (40 minutes)

8. How long is the PSAT? PSAT/NMSQT (10 th & 11 th grade): – Actual testing time is 2 hours & 45 minutes, plus 10 minutes for breaks – Reading Section: 47 questions (60 minutes) – Writing & Language Section: 44 questions (35 min) – Math Section- No Calculator: 17 questions (25 min) – Math Section- Calculator: 31 questions (45 minutes)

9. Scoring & Guessing On the redesigned PSAT8/9 & PSAT/NMSQT there is no penalty for wrong answers or for answers left blank Since there is no penalty for wrong answers, it makes sense to give the best answer/best guess to every question

10. Score Reports Score reports will be returned to students in Advisory in January The score report will show the correct answers, the answers you gave, and the difficulty level of each question There will be a section to see your potential for success in AP courses based on your scores

11. Test Taking Strategies Focus on the easy questions first (you receive 1 point for each correct answer, no matter how hard the question is) Work steadily (don’t waste time on a question that is too hard for you- answer it & go back to it if you have time) It’s okay to guess (you will not lose points for a wrong answer)

12. Test Preparation Take the practice test in the Official Student Guide to the PSAT/NMSQT Familiarize yourself with the test’s format, questions types, and directions. Read all of the directions and read all of each question’s answer choices.

13. Accommodations Students must be pre-approved by College Board to get accommodations on the PSAT Having a 504 or IEP does not guarantee the student has accommodations for the PSAT Mrs. Statham will inform students with approved accommodations if their testing location has changed Any student who has a question about accommodations should see their counselor

14. Schedule for 10/14 7:25- 11:05 Testing Students should go directly to their Advisory Room PSAT for grades 9-11 11:10- 1:00 Period 3 & Lunch 1:05 – 2:25 Period 4 We will follow the Advisory schedule for Periods 3 & 4

15. Materials to Bring on Test day Bring #2 Pencils (not mechanical) Bring a calculator with working batteries AHS does not have extra calculators or batteries!

16. PSAT Practice Test Start looking through the practice booklet Review the test taking strategies Start the Practice Test – pay close attention to the directions & format. They will be the same on the actual PSAT The practice test has an answer key at the end