Students who took the PSAT as a way of preparing for their SATs have found great benefits from writing the test. The following is what some Grade 10s and 11s have to say about their experience:
- I came into the test purposely not having studied in order to lower my SAT stress in the future. The idea is that this is the worst I can do; I can only get better from here.
- I know my strengths, and I know my weaknesses, and I know what sections I need to study. The problem is how to study.
- I went into the PSAT not knowing any strategies, but during it, I realized how helpful learning knowing strategies could be.
- The reading sections and the math sections are the toughest. The writing went by quickly, but I didn’t do as well as I’d hoped.
- The reading passages were the hardest. I know I need better strategies to beat these, but they just take so long.
- I can see that this is a standardized test: I can tell what I am being tested on, and I can tell how they are doing it. Now I just need the strategies and the practice to beat it.
A lot of SAT tutors would agree that the PSAT not only prepares students for the format and material covered on the SAT, but also acclimates them to the stress and nerves involved in taking a test of this scope. It is the self-educating process that comes from taking the PSAT that is important. By going blindly (or not) into the test, students often leave with a realization of the importance of developing test-taking strategies. Whether these strategies are for reading passages or for answering multiple choice questions, a personal realization of this kind may motivate students to get the help they need, or simply to develop some personal strategies to allow them to remain focused and active during the test. By taking the PSAT, students get the chance to hone their skills and become comfortable with them in order to eventually walk into the SAT confident and nerve-free.
