Scores: PSAT scores vary from a low of 20 to a high of 80 in each category. The score is the result of the number of correct answers minus 1/3 or ¼ of the number of incorrect answers. Answers left blank are not figured in the score. The result is called the raw score. The raw score is then matched to a scale which goes from 20-80. A few points on the raw score may affect a final score by many more points, for example, 2 points on the raw score of the PSAT may be 5-6 points and on the SAT may equal 10 or 20 points on the final scale.

There are two ways to improve a score: first, get more correct answers by learning how to answer the question types which your results indicate give you trouble, and second, get fewer wrong answers by learning when to guess in the easy (first third of a section on the math) and medium (middle third of a section on the math) sections and when to leave an answer blank in the hard areas (last third of question section on the math). The Verbal sections are not set up the same way, but you can follow this procedure: leave blank answers to questions you have no clue about the answers. Guess when you can narrow down the answer choice sufficiently to feel confident about guessing. Both strategies will result in a higher raw score and therefore a higher scaled score.

"Percentile" indicates where you would place from 1-100 on a cross-section of people who took the test. If your percentile is 45, for example, you would be 55th in a typical cross section of 100 people who took the test (subtract 45 from 100). The higher your percentile is, of course, the better your score is.

Ranges:This area presents an estimate of what you would do on the SAT test considering what your PSAT scores are on this test. In other words, your score would be somewhere within the two scores given. Unlike the PSAT, the SAT at present does not score writing.

Useful information:
Answers- Correct Answers, Your answers, Level of Difficulty:
The number of correct/wrong answers in an area section tells you which areas you might have trouble with, for example, analogies, quantitative comparisons. Your reaction should be to find out how to answer this type of question:study a book, cd rom program, take a course, ask a person to help. This may help you to increase your number of right answers.

Level of Difficulty- Getting a lot of wrong answers in the Hard Question area indicates that you do not know how to guess. Never guess in the hard area, that is, the last third of a section of questions. (1-3 easy 4-6 medium, 7-10 hard: leave 7-10 blank unless you are positive you know the correct answer.) Ninty-nine percent of the people taking the test will get these wrong. If you omitted easy questions, you should guess in these areas. Most people will get them right. Learning how/how not to guess can decrease the number of wrong answers, increasing your score.

How to Improve your Skills- These suggestions are based on your personal results-read them and follow them! The Quickstart program explains them more fully. Some other ways: learn the math areas; study flash cards for vocabulary; learn how to scan the readings, learn how to figure out analogies and fill-ins; learn how to guess; learn how to leave out some answers.

Scores may be seen as SAT scores if you add a Zero to the Verbal and the Math scores, for example, a Verbal score of 56 = 560. A Math score of 50= 500. The combination would be 1060. Unlike the PSAT, the SAT at present does not score writing.
An average SAT score is generally around 1000. The younger you are in school, the more likely you will improve your score over time if you work at understanding the PSAT and SAT tests.

When do you take SAT’s?
You may take the SAT’s whenever offered. See the College Office for dates and applications, or check out the College Board Site. It is recommended that Juniors take the SAT’s twice in the spring, for example May and June. It is recommended that Seniors take the SAT’s in the fall, October, November preferably.