Overview
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test that provides practice for the SAT Reasoning Test and is also one of the criteria used to select students for National Merit Scholarship programs.
The PSAT/NMSQT consists of:
Two 25-minute critical reading sections
- 13 Sentence completion
- 35 Critical reading
Two 25-minute mathematics sections
- 28 Multiple choice
- 10 Grid-in
One 30-minute writing skills section
- 14 Identifying Sentence Errors
- 20 Improving Sentences
- 5 Improving paragraph
Although only juniors in high school participate in the National Merit Scholarship program by taking this test, freshmen and sophomores are encouraged to practice for the SAT by also taking the PSAT. The test is graded on a scale of 20 to 80 for each section, with a possible combined score of 60 to 240.
Critical Reading
College Prep's Critical Reading Program is based on a focused approach to learning vocabulary and critical reading. Students are given new words to learn and work constantly with these words through drills, sentences, word origins (roots, prefixes & suffixes), reviews, quizzes, and tests. Students are also encouraged to use their newly learned words in their school setting, thereby making the words "their own." Instructors constantly emphasize that the words presented in class are not only "SAT words," but useful tools with which to express their own ideas more effectively.
The critical reading section of the class is focused on helping students learn the skills of critical thinking. Students work with a myriad of articles which they break down, analyze, and discuss. Instructors take the students through the process of realizing what they already know, understanding new information, and demonstrating that understanding through answers to questions.
Writing
The writing portion of the course will lead students in a basic review of English grammar such as parts of speech, agreement, and parallelism as they relate to the tests. The course includes practice with essay writing that will prepare students for the essay portion of the test. After lectures and exercises, students will also practice by taking timed tests that contain questions similar to those that appear on the test, including essay writing, identifying sentence errors, and improving sentences and paragraphs.
Mathematics
College Prep's program begins to build the knowledge foundation by teaching students the concepts they need to know in Geometry (such as triangles, quadrilaterals, circles) and Algebra (such as percentage, ratio, fractions). Once the students are secure in their knowledge of the mathematical basics, the course emphasizes the application of these concepts in solving SAT Reasoning Test (SAT I)/PSAT problems by practicing with questions similar to those that appear in the real tests.
Our program will reflect changes proposed by the College Board by incorporating advanced math concepts such as fractional exponents, absolute values, and function notations. After the March 2005 test, we will also adapt to the format changes in the new SAT Reasoning Test (SAT I) and PSAT by eliminating quantitative comparison questions and providing more multiple choice and free response ("grid-in") problems.
One Last Word about our classes
You will find the most current schedule of classes on our Schedule page. For most classes, many different sessions are available:
New Classes: these courses are designed for students who have not taken classes with College Prep.
Continuing Classes: these courses are designed for students who have taken courses with College Prep and now want to brush up on their skills before taking the actual test.
Testing Class: these courses are designed for students who simply want to take practice tests before the real deal. Students take full tests in the morning under test-taking conditions, and instructors will go over the tests in the afternoon.
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