Award-Winning PSAT Tutors

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test that acts as a practice test for the SAT. The PSAT also acts as a potential qualifier for National Merit Scholar, which is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and university scholarships. The PSAT 10 can be taken before the PSAT as a practice exam. The PSAT is highly relevant to your child's future success because it will assess whether your child has learned the various skills and knowledge that are the heart of education. The PSAT test measures what your child learned in high school and what they'll need to succeed in college. PSAT tutors can help make sure your student understands the value of doing well on the PSAT exam and can be a huge motivator in getting your child to take them seriously.

The following section provides some more information about why the PSAT is important:

Why Take the PSAT?

• Practice for the SAT
  • Get used to the format, question types, exam content, and other aspects of the SAT
• National Merit Scholarships
  • The top 1% of test takers (by state) become eligible for consideration for a $2,500 scholarship and recognition as a National Merit Scholar.
• To get ready for the PSAT/NMSQT
  • High school sophomores can take the PSAT 10 as a practice exam for the PSAT in the spring. This can be to get more familiarity with the PSAT in anticipation of the SAT and/or to prepare to reach for National Merit Scholar status.

What advantage can my child gain by connecting with a PSAT tutor?

Even in the best schools, it is difficult for your child to get the kind of one-on-one instruction that comes from working with a private PSAT tutor. During PSAT tutoring sessions, your child's PSAT tutor has the unique opportunity to really get to know your child. This allows the instructor to more clearly identify your child's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the upcoming PSAT exam. PSAT tutors are also able to learn what a particular child's learning style might be, which allows PSAT tutoring sessions to be tailored to meet that child's exact needs. If your child learns best by hearing something, a PSAT tutor might structure their sessions around a lecture format or suggest a podcast for your child to listen to that provides tips and tricks that pertain to the PSAT. If your child is a visual learner, PSAT tutoring sessions can consist of lots of hands-on practice so your child can see what he or she needs to learn over and over. This kind of personalized PSAT tutoring allows an instructor to break down information in a way that allows your child to learn the subject matter easily. Using "PSAT tutoring near me" also allows for immediate feedback, ensuring that your child is able to understand what he or she is doing wrong as the mistake is being made so that it can be corrected before an incorrect habit can be formed.

In addition, a PSAT tutor can spend time going over the various sections of the PSAT so your student is not surprised on test day. The following list is an overview of the subject sections that can be found on the PSAT:

PSAT Sections

• Reading
  
  • 47 questions
• Writing and Language
  
  • 44 questions
• Math
  
  • One portion allows a calculator
  • One portion prohibits a calculator
  • 48 total questions

When your student takes the Reading Test, he or she will be reading various passages and interpreting informational graphics. Then your child will be expected to use what was read to answer questions. Some questions ask readers to locate a piece of information or an idea stated directly. But your child will also need to understand what the author's words imply. For every passage or pair of passages on the Reading Test, at least one question will ask your child to directly identify which part of the text best supports the answer to the previous question. In other instances, readers will be asked to find the best answer to a question by pulling together information conveyed in words and graphics. If reading and comprehension are topics you know your child struggles with, a PSAT tutor can help your child work towards gaining the skills needed to read a passage and understand what it is saying. PSAT tutors can spend extra time working on this concept with your child, which will improve their chances of carrying these skills into test day, but also will benefit them throughout life since reading is a vital skill for academic success.

When your child takes the Writing and Language Test, he or she will be tested on three things: reading, finding mistakes, and fixing them. Your child will be expected to be able to analyze a series of sentences or paragraphs and decide if it makes sense. Other questions ask test takers to interpret graphics and to edit a part of the accompanying passage so that it clearly and accurately communicates the information in the graphics. A private PSAT tutor can provide many chances to practice these skills by creating practice sheets and providing real-time feedback.

The Math Test covers a range of math practices that your child's PSAT tutor can help your child understand. This portion of the PSAT places an emphasis on problem-solving, modeling, using tools strategically, and using algebraic structure. The goal is not to test your child on each and every math skill they've learned but to assess the problem-solving skills that are necessary for all aspects of life. The problem-solving section is about being quantitatively literate and includes using ratios, percentages, and proportional reasoning to solve problems in science, social science, and career contexts. The algebraic questions focus on the mastery of linear equations and systems, which helps students develop key powers of abstraction. There is also a section that focuses on more advanced math, such as complex equations and the manipulation they require to be solved. This can sound overwhelming, but when your child works with a PSAT tutor, the information can be broken down into smaller pieces, making it easier to understand and retain.

Are you convinced yet? If so, stop searching for "PSAT tutors near me," and let Varsity Tutors connect you to the right PSAT tutor to help you and your child. By letting us do the work of finding a tutor, you and your child can begin working on making sure they are ready for the PSAT exam.

The following section provides a more detailed outline of the PSAT sections and how long your child will have to answer the questions for each of the sections we discussed above:

PSAT Overview

• 2 hour and 45 minute exam
  • Reading
    • 1 hour
    • Multiple-choice questions
  • Writing and Language
    • 35 minutes
    • Multiple-choice questions
  • Math
    • 1 hour and 10 minutes
    • Multiple-choice questions
    • Grid-in questions
      • Find the answer on your own

How can searching for "PSAT tutors near me" help my child with test-taking skills?

In addition to working on reading, writing and language, and math skills, your child's tutor can also be an invaluable resource for basic test preparation skills. By going over the specific format of questions, your child's tutor can help your student understand how long to take on each question and when to move on if they've been struggling over the same question for too long. The PSAT scores questions in each section differently so knowing when to move on and which questions carry more weight can help your child when taking the PSAT. This lesson in time management can be used for the PSAT and any tests your child might need to take in the future. Dealing with test day jitters is another basic test preparation skill your child can work on with a PSAT tutor. Many students, both child and adult, deal with test anxiety. A private tutor can teach your child various tips and tricks to reduce this anxiety on test day. These are tools that your child will be able to use throughout their entire academic career and can help your child stop dreading standardized tests.

The following section gives a more detailed look at how the PSAT scoring works:

PSAT Scoring Overview

• Section Scores
  • Math
  • Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Combines Writing and Language and Reading test scores)
  • 160-760 each
• Total Score
  • 320-1520
• Test Scores
  • Individual Scores for the Math, Writing and Language, and Reading tests
    • 8-38
  • Scores are multiplied by 2 and added for National Merit Scholarship consideration
• Cross-Test Scores
  • Analysis in History/Social Studies and Analysis in Science
    • Determined by specific questions in the Math, Writing and Language, and Reading tests
  • 8-38
• Subscore
  • Scores for subsections of the main PSAT tests
  • 1-15

How can using Varsity Tutors to find a "PSAT tutor near me" help my child?

When you stop searching for a "PSAT tutor near me" and allow us to do the work for you, Varsity Tutors will make every effort to connect you to a tutor who is available to work within your family's schedule. If you are busy during the week, your tutor can plan your tutoring sessions for the weekend. If weekends are filled with extracurricular activities such as clubs or sports, your tutor will make every effort to meet with your child during weekday evenings. Using our unique online learning platform, your child will be able to meet with a tutor wherever a computer and high-speed internet are located. This allows your child to receive face-to-face tutoring in pajamas at home, in the local library, or while hanging out at their favorite coffee shop. Using our live learning program, there is no reason why your child can't get started today. Give our Education Consultants at Varsity Tutors a call and let us help you connect your child to a PSAT tutor today.