The PSAT (Preliminary SAT) is a standardized test that serves as a practice version of the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test). It is designed for high school students to assess their readiness for college-level work and to provide practice for the SAT. The PSAT is also used to determine eligibility for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Structure of the PSAT:
- Reading:
- Content: Includes passages from various genres, such as literature, history, social studies, and science.
- Skills Tested: Reading comprehension, understanding of main ideas, details, inferences, and vocabulary in context.
- Writing and Language:
- Content: Focuses on grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and rhetorical skills.
- Skills Tested: Standard written English, sentence correction, and improvement of passages.
- Mathematics:
- Content: Covers topics including algebra, geometry, and data analysis.
- Skills Tested: Problem-solving, mathematical reasoning, and application of mathematical principles. The math section is divided into two parts: one that allows the use of a calculator and one that does not.
Scoring:
- Section Scores: Each section (Reading, Writing and Language, Mathematics) is scored on a scale of 160 to 760.
- Total Score: The total score ranges from 320 to 1520, which is the sum of the scores from the Reading, Writing and Language, and Mathematics sections.
