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Class vs. Trash Vol 16: How to score exceptionally well on tests (PSAT, SAT, ACT, CLT, MCAT, LSAT, GMAT & GRE)



Welcome back, scholars. Today is the one year anniversary of "Class vs. Trash". Thank you for the support. A year ago, I expected this to be a 17-part, limited segment but no, it's elevated and changed a lot of lives. Speaking of excellence, let's talk about acing tests and remember the goal is to shoot for the perfect score.

Let's start first, what is the PSAT? 

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test administered by the College Board in the United States. The PSAT serves as a practice test for the SAT, which is a college entrance exam, and it's also used to identify students who may be eligible for scholarships and recognition through the National Merit Scholarship Program. The PSAT is typically taken by high school students in their sophomore or junior year, and it includes sections on reading, writing and language, and math. The test is scored on a scale of 320 to 1520, with separate scores for each of the three sections.

What is the format of the PSAT?

The PSAT/NMSQT consists of four sections: 

1. Reading: The Reading section includes multiple-choice questions based on passages from literature, science, history, and social studies. This section consists of 52 questions and students have 65 minutes to complete it.

2. Writing and Language: The Writing and Language section includes multiple-choice questions that test a student's understanding of grammar, usage, punctuation, and sentence structure. This section also includes questions on reading comprehension. There are 44 questions in this section, and students have 35 minutes to complete it.

3. Math (No Calculator): The Math section without a calculator consists of 20 multiple-choice questions and 5 grid-in questions. This section tests a student's understanding of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Students have 25 minutes to complete this section.

4. Math (Calculator): The Math section with a calculator consists of 38 questions, including 30 multiple-choice questions and 8 grid-in questions. This section also tests a student's understanding of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Students have 45 minutes to complete this section.

In total, the PSAT/NMSQT has 139 questions and takes 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. There is also an optional essay section that students can take, which is scored separately and takes an additional 50 minutes to complete.

How to prep for the PSAT?

Here are my tips for preparing for the PSAT:

1. Familiarize Yourself with the Test Format: Become familiar with the test format, timing, and question types. Practicing with sample questions and taking practice tests can help you get a better sense of what to expect on test day.

2. Review Basic Concepts: Review basic concepts in math, grammar, and reading comprehension. Make sure you understand the fundamentals before moving on to more advanced topics.

3. Practice Time Management: Practice time management by timing yourself when taking practice tests and working on practice questions. This can help you get a better sense of how long you should spend on each question and section.

4. Read Widely: Read widely to improve your reading comprehension skills. Try to read a variety of materials, including novels, newspapers, and nonfiction articles.

5. Build Vocabulary: Build your vocabulary by studying root words, prefixes, and suffixes. This can help you understand unfamiliar words in context.

6. Take Advantage of Resources: Take advantage of resources such as study guides, online practice tests, and tutoring services. These resources can provide additional support and help you identify areas where you need to improve.

7. Get Plenty of Rest: Make sure to get plenty of rest the night before the test. Being well-rested can help you stay focused and alert during the test.

Here are some examples of colleges and universities that consider PSAT scores for admissions and scholarships:

1. University of Alabama: The University of Alabama offers scholarships based on PSAT scores through its Capstone Scholar Program.

2. University of Arizona: The University of Arizona considers PSAT scores for admission to the Honors College and for scholarship consideration.

3. University of Oklahoma: The University of Oklahoma considers PSAT scores for admission to the Honors College and for scholarship consideration.

4. University of South Carolina: The University of South Carolina considers PSAT scores for admission to the Honors College and for scholarship consideration.

5. University of Virginia: The University of Virginia considers PSAT scores for admission to the Echols Scholars Program, an honors program for top-performing students.

It's important to note that policies regarding the use of PSAT scores for admissions and scholarships can vary by college or university, and may change over time. It's always a good idea to check with the specific college or university you are interested in to see if they consider PSAT scores in their admissions process or for scholarships.

What is the SAT?

The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized college entrance exam administered by the College Board in the United States. The SAT is used by colleges and universities to assess a student's readiness for college-level work and for admissions and scholarship decisions. The exam consists of four sections: Reading, Writing and Language, Math (with calculator), and Math (without calculator). 

The Reading section includes multiple-choice questions based on passages from literature, science, history, and social studies. The Writing and Language section includes multiple-choice questions that test a student's understanding of grammar, usage, punctuation, and sentence structure. The Math sections test a student's understanding of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. The SAT also includes an optional essay section, which tests a student's ability to analyze a written argument.

The SAT is scored on a scale of 400-1600, with separate scores for each of the four sections. The essay section, if taken, is scored separately on a scale of 2-8. Students can take the SAT multiple times in order to improve their scores, and colleges will typically consider the highest score achieved by a student.

What is the format of the SAT? 

The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) consists of four sections and an optional essay section. Here is an overview of the format:

1. Reading: The Reading section includes multiple-choice questions based on passages from literature, science, history, and social studies. There are 52 questions in this section, and students have 65 minutes to complete it.

2. Writing and Language: The Writing and Language section includes multiple-choice questions that test a student's understanding of grammar, usage, punctuation, and sentence structure. This section also includes questions on reading comprehension. There are 44 questions in this section, and students have 35 minutes to complete it.

3. Math (No Calculator): The Math section without a calculator consists of 20 multiple-choice questions and 5 grid-in questions. This section tests a student's understanding of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Students have 25 minutes to complete this section.

4. Math (Calculator): The Math section with a calculator consists of 38 questions, including 30 multiple-choice questions and 8 grid-in questions. This section also tests a student's understanding of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Students have 55 minutes to complete this section.

5. Essay (Optional): The essay section is optional and tests a student's ability to analyze a written argument. Students have 50 minutes to complete this section.

In total, the SAT has 154 questions and takes 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete. If a student chooses to take the optional essay section, the test takes an additional 50 minutes.

How to prep for the SAT? 

Here is my main tip for preparing for the SAT:

Managing Test Anxiety: Develop strategies for managing test anxiety, such as deep breathing, positive self-talk, and visualization. Practicing these techniques can help you stay calm and focused during the test.

Remember, preparing for the SAT takes time and effort. Be patient with yourself, set realistic goals, and stay focused on your long-term academic and career goals. This is important greatly, work months before the test even if you're very advanced and/or proficient in the area. To avoid sounding repetitive, let's go through a brisk of all acronyms of these tests.

ACT - American College Test
CLT - Classic Learning Test
MCAT - Medical College Admission Test
LSAT - Law School Admission Test
GMAT - Graduate Management Admission Test
GRE - General Record Examination

Here's my personal stance on how to study,

- Blocking out distractions
- Remove all forms of entertainment
- The 4-2-1-60 plan
The 4-2-1-60 is study early in the morning for 4 hours. 2 in the afternoon. 1 in the late night and try that for 60 days consecutively.
- Building a study group with academic variety
By academic variety, I don't mean weaknesses. Get at least a group of 5-10 people bent on excelling. Variety can be plenty, when I was in school, my strong suit was mathematics. Let's say you're a pro at English & Literature, a friend who's a pro at Math, a friend who's a pro at Biology, a friend who's a pro at the Social Science & History. Since all of you guys are well-rounded but have specialty subjects, that rapidly develops your mentality. Iron sharpens iron. That way if you may be a B+ student at Math and the friend great at Math may be a B+ student in English so as the English pro, trade specialities so that way you go from well-rounded to absolutely perfect! 
- Hiring tutors
- Going to lectures
Going to your local TED talk or college lectures expands your view as you hear things from various perspectives and greatly improves comprehension.
- Diet change
Cutting out junk, meat and caffeine & working out while taking vitamins and eating right. Consume more greens, lentils, beans, herbs, fruits, honey, mushrooms etc. No smokes or drinks. Discipline is mind, body and spirit.
- Alumni consultation
As an alum, I let it be known I'm available to be reached out to. A lot of alum are willing to work with students to pursue their goals and dreams of success. Speak to alum who were Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude or Cum Laude in general. The highest achievers. This is success and to acquire, always be willing and diligent to be taught lessons.
- Having a spouse
It's very beneficial to have that first lady while recruiting in college. Find another go-getting professional to study with as well. This is how a lot of young couples became so successful in the 1940-1950's, antisocial behavior and social media ruined a culture & men will be the losers on the back end unfortunately. 

To the final segment of this 1 year anniversary blog, here's 8 colleges per region to aim to. Since I can't recommend something specialized like Grad Schools, here's the undergrads.

Midwest:
- University of Michigan
- Ohio State University
- University of Chicago
- Northwestern University
- University of Minnesota
- University of Notre Dame
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Grinell College

East:
- Harvard University
- Princeton University
- Georgetown University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Villanova University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Johns Hopkins University
- Columbia University

West:
- Stanford University
- University of California-Los Angeles
- University of Southern California
- University of California at Berkeley
- California Institute of Technology
- Loyola Marymount University
- University of Washington
- University of Oregon

South:
- Vanderbilt University
- Duke University
- University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
- Wake Forest University
- University of Florida
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Emory University
- University of Texas at Austin

Fellas, become presidential. Make the right moves. Thank you so much for a year of support. Thank you for viewing!
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