2008-10-18 PSAT Exams

Yesterday, I did my first PSAT Exam! Boy, it sure was tiring, especially with all those reading. I never thought PSAT was so difficult. The vocabulary was overwhelming. It is something I must improve. The writing section and critical reading section are two major areas I need to improve on. The math portion was relatively easier, but there were some tricky math questions. So I must remember to read the questions carefully. Remember, all the information provided have a reason to be there.

Timing for each section also made the exam quite stressful. For the first four portions, we were given 25 min each. I found that it was very short for the critical reading sections. Thankfully, I did the practice PSAT so I had an idea on the timing. However, it was very restricted for me and I wasn’t able to look over my answers. Complete concentration when reading is highly desired. I don’t know if I like the two separate portions of critical reading and the math section. It’s good because it provides us with better time management and also because we won’t get bored and lose concentration. However, I wonder if I’ll have more time to check it over if we have 50min to do the entire section.

Now I have an idea what PSAT is like. I also found many good study tools during my preparation. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/psat/about.html and http://testprep.sparknotes.com/ are helpful with practice exams and helpful hints. “New to the SAT by Sharon Green” is a great book that prepares you for SAT months advance. There are also good vocabularies to study from. The book also provided a website:www.barronstestprep.com.

Also, another lesson learned, DON’T PROCRASTINATE in studying. Always learn new vocabulary and practice grammar and general writing rules!!