The PSATTest Taking Tips for the Verbal

Sections

Critical Reading Tips for Success: Vocabulary

O When you come across an unfamiliar vocabulary word try the following techniques to determine the meaning:O Break the word apart into its different

components (prefix, suffix, root)O Use context clues to help you

determine the meaning of the word. Use what is happening around the word in the sentence to help you determine the meaning.

Critical Reading Tips for Success: Sentences

O Pay attention to the elements of the sentence to help you figure out what the question is asking. O Pay attention to punctuationO Look for introductory or transitional

words:O Words that connect ideas: also, and, for

example, in other wordsO Words that connect dissimilar ideas:

although, but, despite, in contrastO Words that indicate cause-and-effect: as a

result, because, consequently

Critical Reading Tips for Success: Reading Effectively

O When you read a passage be an active reader and do the following: O Determine the main idea/purpose

of the pieceO Determine the tone conveyed by the

words usedO Be able to make inferences beyond

what is explicitly stated

Approaches to the Critical Reading Section

O Comprised of two types of questions: sentence completion (13 questions) and passage-based reading (35 questions)

O Do sentence completion first-they take less timeO Sentence completion questions increase in difficulty

as you move through the set. Passage-based questions do not.

O All the information you need is in the passage they give you. If an answer is not supported by the text, its not the right one.

O Don’t jump from passage to passage. Mark answers you don’t understand to return to if you have time.

Tips for Sentence Completion

O Sentence completion questions test your “knowledge of the meanings of words and your ability to understand how the…parts of a sentence fit together…”

O If the question has two blanks you need to fill, try answering one blank at a time. This may help with eliminating answers.

O The correct answer will complete the logic of the entire sentence, not just one part.

Tips for Passage-Based Reading

O Passages are around 100-850 words, taken from a variety of sources. You may also have to look at paired passages.

O If you are answering questions about paired passages, be sure to distinguish what one authors says from the other.

O If the question asks you to focus on similarities/differences between passages, choose the answer that is true for both.

O Read over the passages carefully, and pay attention to line numbers if referenced.