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Students who took the PSAT in October should have received an e-mail with instructions for how to set up a CollegeBoard account and access your scores. Once you have the scores, the real question is what to do next. How can this test help you prepare for future standardized testing? Most students plan to start taking the SAT in the spring of their junior year. The PSAT can be used as a tool that will help guide you on how to be fully prepared every time you take the test.

The way that the PSAT presents questions is the same as how you will see them on the SAT. So the score from the PSAT can give you a good indication of how you would do on the SAT if you were to take it right now. So if your score on the PSAT is lower than what you would like to get on the SAT, this is a good time to get started with preparation! There are many different ways to help improve your scores on standardized tests, and you should investigate what option works best for you.

Remember that nothing will get better just by wishing it would be so. There are so many different resources available to you, so take some time to explore your options. Self-study can be great for some students. Use the resources available from CollegeBoard, buy a test prep textbook, and review the math concepts that you’ve learned in school that you know will show up. For many students, self-study isn’t enough. Classes or private tutoring are great options for students who need more structure to their learning. Remember that the SAT covers so much material – it’s a comprehensive test from all your years of learning, not just your most recent classes. That’s a lot of material to wade through, so finding some experts to guide your path can be invaluable.

Look at what sections of the PSAT you struggled most on. Was your math score your best? Then you should focus your practice on reading and writing. If math was where you struggled, then focus on those sections instead. Think about how you felt on the test day. Did you run out of time? Were you confused by what the questions were asking? Two students with the exact same score might have had wildly different issues when they took the test. Think hard about what problems you noticed. If you know that you have test anxiety, now is a great time to start looking into strategies that you can use to help manage those issues.

Preparation is so important when it comes to standardized tests. Remember that these aren’t “intelligence” tests – they’re not meant to be taken cold. Use every tool at your disposal to help you show colleges your best possible self.