By Matthew Bullington

The PSAT includes two critical reading sections, two math sections, and one writing section.  Below you will find a layout of the content of the individual sections (from the CollegeBoard website).  Make sure to check out the links to practice questions of each type.

Critical Reading

The critical reading part consists of two 25-minute sections with a total of 48 questions.

• 13 Sentence completions (you are given a sentence and asked to fill-in-the-blank with the most appropriate word from a list, based on context)
• 35 Critical reading questions  (you are given a reading passage between 450 and 850 words long and asked to read and then respond to the multiple-choice question)

Math

font: 12.0px Helvetica;">This part consists of two 25-minute sections for a total of 38 questions.

• 28 Multiple-choice math questions (you are given a math question from the topics listed below, and given multiple choice answers to choose from)
• 10 Student-produced responses or grid-ins (the only questions not in the typical multiple-choice format, you are given blanks where you are asked to fill in the number of the correct answer)

Students are advised to bring a calculator with which they are comfortable. Students should have basic knowledge of 4 math categories:

• Numbers and Operation
• Algebra and Functions (but not 3rd year level math that may appear on the new SAT)
• Geometry and Measurement
• Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability

Writing Skills

This section is comprised of one 30-minute writing section with a total of 39 questions.

• 14 Identifying sentence errors (you read a sentence with several underlined sections, and identify which sections contain errors, if any)
• 20 Improving sentences (you are given a sentence with one underlined section and several alternatives, and you choose the wording that creates the most effective sentence)
• 5 Improving paragraph questions (you are given a paragraph and asked to change a section of a sentence, re-order sentences, or make other adjustments to the paragraph, keeping in mind the context)

These multiple-choice questions on writing skills measure a student's ability to express ideas effectively in standard-written English, to recognize faults in usage and structure, and to use language with sensitivity to meaning.

Familiarize yourself with these types of questions.  Check out the List of Recommended PSAT Resources to find books and online tools to help you master these sections, and make practicing for the PSAT a daily habit.

Matthew