Princeton Review PSAT/NMSQT Prep, 2023-2024 : 2 Practice Tests + Review for the NEW Digital PSAT (2023)

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Build your confidence with Princeton Review PSAT/NMSQT Prep, 2023-2024 : 2 Practice Tests + Review for the NEW Digital PSAT (2023), a must-have for certification seekers.

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PSAT/NMSQT is a registered trademark of the College Board and the National Merit
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Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Kenneth Brenner, Sara Kuperstein, Amy Minster,
and Scott O’Neal for their contributions to this edition.
Thanks also to Anne Bader, Kevin Baldwin, Grace Cannon, Nicole
Cosme, April Davis, Gina Donegan, Anne Goldberg-Baldwin, Brian
Hong, Brad Kelly, Aaron Lindh, Jomil London, Dave MacKenzie,
Jason Morgan, Amanda Nowotny, Danielle Perrini, Gabby Peterson,
Xander Posner, Jess Thomas, Christina Torturo, and Jimmy Williams.
The Princeton Review would also like to thank Deborah Weber, Emma
Parker, and Heidi Torres for their time and attention to each page.
Special thanks to Adam Robinson, who conceived of and perfected
the Joe Bloggs approach to standardized tests, and many other
techniques in this book.

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Contents
Get More (Free) Content
Part I: Orientation 1
1 What Is the Digital PSAT/NMSQT?
2 All About the National Merit Scholarships
3 General Strategies
Part II: Practice Test 1
4 Practice Test 1
5 Practice Test 1: Answers and Explanations
Part III: PSAT/NMSQT Prep
6 Reading and Writing Introduction
7 Reading Comprehension
8 Rules Questions: Punctuation
9 Rules Questions: Grammar
10 Rhetoric Questions
11 Math Basics
12 Math Techniques
13 Advanced Math
14 Geometry and Trigonometry
Part IV: Drill Answers and Explanations
_144228926_

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Get valuable advice about the college application process

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Chapter 1
What Is the Digital PSAT/NMSQT?
The Digital PSAT/NMSQT—from now on, we’ll just call it the PSAT—is a
standardized test given primarily to high school juniors to give them a
“preliminary” idea of how well they could do on SAT question types. The
test is also used to determine which students are eligible for National Merit
Scholar recognition. This chapter will give you a general overview of the test
and how it is used, along with the basics to start your preparation. We’ll also
give you a glimpse at the other tests in College Board’s Suite of Assessments:
the PSAT 8/9 and the PSAT 10.

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THE DIGITAL PSAT/NMSQT
College Board’s “Suite of Assessments” ranges from the PSAT 8/9 to the
SAT. If you are reading this book, you are likely most interested in the PSAT
at this time, so we’ll start there. Just like the other tests in the Suite, the PSAT
contains a Reading and Writing section and a Math section, each divided into
two modules. The content of all the tests in the Suite is similar, and the
number of questions and time per module are identical.
Psst…
College Board makes the PSAT 8/9, the PSAT 10,
and PSAT/NMSQT. But when we refer to just the
plain old “PSAT” in this book, we’re referring to the
PSAT/NMSQT.
This is what College Board says about the Reading and Writing section:
“The section focuses on key elements of comprehension, rhetoric, and
language use that the best available evidence identifies as necessary for
college readiness and success. In this section, students answer multiple-
choice questions requiring them to read, comprehend, and use information
and ideas in texts; analyze the craft and structure of texts; revise texts to
improve the rhetorical expression of ideas; and edit texts to conform to core
conventions of Standard English.”
Here is the Princeton Review’s take: Be prepared to justify your selected
answer with evidence from the text and/or graph provided. This test is not
about making up anything; it’s about finding the correct answer based on the
text.
College Board has this to say about the Math section:
“The digital SAT Suite Math section focuses on key elements of algebra,
advanced math, problem solving and data analysis, and geometry and
trigonometry (except for the PSAT 8/9 which does not test trigonometry) that

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evidence identifies as necessary for college and career readiness and success.
Over the course of the Math section, students answer multiple choice and
student-produced response (SPR) questions that measure their fluency with,
understanding of, and ability to apply the math concepts, skills, and practices
that are most essential for readiness for entry-level postsecondary work.”
Here is the Princeton Review’s take: Expect to see Algebra I and II, some
Geometry, and questions that have charts, graphs, data tables, scatterplots, or
other forms of data.
The Digital Suite of Assessments has a built-in Desmos calculator that can be
used on all Math questions. In addition, students may bring their own
approved calculators if they prefer. Even though this tool is always at hand, it
is up to the test-taker to determine whether the calculator will help solve a
question. According to the College Board, “students who make use of
structure or their ability to reason will probably finish before students who
use a calculator.”
The bottom line: Write down your work and use the calculator for tedious
calculations, but a calculator most likely will not be necessary to solve most
of the questions.
All questions in the Reading and Writing section are multiple-choice. Most of
the Math questions are multiple-choice, but about 25% of the questions are
“student-produced responses,” for which students enter their own answers.
Each correct answer earns points, and there is no penalty for an incorrect
response or a question left blank.
The bottom line: Don’t leave anything blank!
When Is the PSAT Given?
Prior to the switch to Digital, the PSAT was officially administered twice
each year, typically on a Wednesday and Saturday of the same week in
October. Now, the Digital PSAT will be administered in a testing window of

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several days. Your school will announce the exact dates at the beginning of
the school year, and you can find out more about the testing windows at
PrincetonReview.com or through College Board at CollegeBoard.org.
Keep on Schedule
You’ll officially take the PSAT in the fall of your
junior year. Plan to take the SAT anytime between
the winter of your junior year and the fall of your
senior year.
How Do I Sign Up for the PSAT?
You don’t have to do anything to sign up for the PSAT; your school will do
all the work for you. Test registration fees can vary from school to school, so
be sure to check with your school counselor if you have questions about how
much the PSAT will cost you.
What About Students with Special Needs?
If you have a diagnosed physical or learning disability, you will probably
qualify for accommodations on the PSAT. However, it’s important that you
get the process started early. The first step is to speak to your school
counselor who handles learning disabilities. Only your counselor can file the
appropriate paperwork. You’ll also need to gather some information
(documentation of your condition) from a licensed practitioner and some
other information from your school. Then your school counselor will file the
application for you. You will need to apply for accommodations only once;
with that single application you’ll qualify for accommodations on the PSAT,
SAT, and AP Exams. The one exception to this rule is that if you change
school districts, you’ll need to have a counselor at the new school refile your
paperwork.
Does the PSAT Play a Role in College Admissions?
No! The PSAT plays no role in college admissions. It’s really just a practice
test for the SAT. The one exception is for that very small group of students,
about 4 percent of all students nationwide, whose PSAT scores qualify them

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for National Merit recognition. (We’ll tell you more than you ever wanted to
know about that in the next chapter.) Recognition as a commended scholar,
semifinalist, or finalist for National Merit is a fairly impressive addition to
your college admissions portfolio and is something that you should certainly
pursue if you are seriously in contention for it.
What Happens to the Score Report from the PSAT?
Only you, your high school, and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation
(which co-sponsors the PSAT) will receive a copy of your score report. It
won’t be sent to colleges.
Do I need to prepare for the PSAT?
You might be thinking, If colleges don’t see my PSAT score, why do I need to
bother doing well on this test? Do I even need to prep for it? That’s a very
good question because the truth is that you don’t necessarily need to prepare
for or do well on the PSAT. If you don’t think that with a little bit of
preparation you could score in the top 4% of PSAT test-takers in your state,
then there’s virtually no benefit to scoring better-than-okay on the PSAT.
That being said, if you plan to take the SAT, your PSAT preparation will
transfer, so there’s no harm in preparing for a slightly easier version of a test
you will be taking soon enough. However, if you plan to take the ACT
instead of the SAT, aren’t aiming to qualify for National Merit, and don’t
have any other reason to do well on the PSAT, you have our permission to
put this book down in favor of a more worthwhile activity.
WHAT DOES THE PSAT TEST?
As you begin your prep, it’s useful to remember that the PSAT is not a test of
how capable you are academically, how good of a person you are, or how
successful you will be in life. The PSAT simply tests how well you take the
PSAT. That’s it. And performing well on the PSAT is a skill that can be
learned like any other. The Princeton Review was founded over 40 years ago
on this very simple idea, and—as our students’ test scores show—our
approach is the one that works. It can feel extremely daunting to hear that

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changes to tests could heavily influence your college admission outlook.
However, remember that any standardized test is a coachable test. A beatable
test.
The PSAT doesn’t measure the stuff that matters. It
measures neither intelligence nor the depth and breadth of
what you’re learning in high school. It doesn’t predict college
grades as well as your high school grades do. Colleges know
there is more to you as a student—and as a person—than how
you do on a single test.
Who Writes the PSAT?
The PSAT is written and administered by the College Board and used for
scholarships by National Merit Scholarship Corporation. You might think
that the people at College Board are educators, professors of education, or
teachers. They’re not. They are people who just happen to make a living
writing tests. In fact, they write hundreds of tests, for all kinds of
organizations.
The folks at College Board aren’t really paid to educate; they’re paid to write
and administer tests. And even though you’ll be paying them to take the
PSAT, you’re not their customer. The actual customers College Board caters
to are the colleges, which get the information they want at no cost. This
means that you should take everything that College Board says with a grain
of salt and realize that its testing “advice” isn’t always the best advice.
(Getting testing advice from College Board is a bit like getting baseball
advice from the opposing team.)
Every test reflects the interests of the people who write it. If you know who
writes the test, you will know a lot more about what kinds of answers will be
considered “correct” answers on that test.

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HOW IS THE PSAT STRUCTURED AND
SCORED?
Category PSAT/NMSQT
Time Overall 134 minutes plus break
Components Reading and Writing section
Math section
Number of
Questions
Reading and Writing: 54, including 4 experimental
questions
Math: 44, including 4 experimental questions
Answer Choices Reading and Writing: all multiple-choice with 4
answers per question
Math: 75% multiple-choice with 4 answers per
question, 25% student-produced responses
Time by Section Reading and Writing: 64 minutes in two 32-minute
modules
Math: 70 minutes in two 35-minute modules
Relationship
Between
Modules
Module 1 has a broad mix of levels of difficulty.
Performance on Module 1 determines the difficulty
of Module 2.
Students who do well on Module 1 will get a Module
2 that is harder, on average.
Students who do less well on Module 1 will get a
Module 2 that is easier, on average.
Scoring The score is based on the number of questions
correct and the difficulty of the questions seen.
Students who do well on Module 1 are put into a
higher bracket of possible scores.
Students who do less well on Module 1 are put into a
lower bracket of possible scores.
Section scores range from 160 to 760.
Total score is the sum of the section scores and
ranges from 320 to 1520.

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With the move to a digital PSAT starting in fall of 2023, College Board took
the opportunity to alter not just the delivery format but the content of the test
from its previous version. All Reading and Writing questions are now
attached to short texts, with one question per text. There will be a wide range
of text complexities presented, and the passages will cover a variety of topics
from history, science, and literature (even some poetry).
The Math content is fairly similar to the form it took on paper tests in 2022
and earlier. There is a strong focus on algebra, problem-solving, and
analytical topics, and it includes some high-level content such as
trigonometry. Some questions require student-produced responses, and these
will be scattered throughout the Math modules. As previously stated,
calculator use will be allowed on all math questions.
As you can see from the table above, both sections (Reading-Writing and
Math) are divided into two modules. On the Digital PSAT, your performance
on the first module in each section will determine the makeup of your second
module. Do well on the first module, and you will see a harder (on average)
mix of questions on the second module. Miss more questions in the first
module, and you will get an easier (on average) difficulty for the second
module. You always want to do as well as possible, of course, but it’s worth
keeping in mind that you will need to get the hard second module on each
section in order to earn a top score.
To help you do your best, we recommend that you review the explanations
for the questions in the drills and the practice tests, even if you answer a
question correctly. You may discover techniques that help to shave seconds
from your solutions. A large part of what’s being tested is your ability to use
the appropriate tools in a strategic fashion, and while there may be multiple
ways to solve a given problem, you’ll want to focus on the most efficient path
to a solution.
Scoring on the PSAT

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The PSAT is scored on a scale of 320–1520, which is the sum of the two
section scores that range from 160–760. The two sections are the Reading
and Writing section and the Math section. Wrong answers are not penalized,
so you’re advised never to leave a question blank—even if that means blindly
picking a letter and clicking it for any uncompleted questions before time
runs out.
So, how do the two modules work together to determine your score in a
section? Well, if your raw score is high enough on the first module, you will
automatically be bumped into a possible score range that is overall higher
than you would be in if you had a lower raw score on the first module, though
the two ranges may overlap some. Some questions within a module are also
weighted, so doing better on those will increase your score more than doing
well on easier, non-weighted questions. As such, your score is determined not
only by how many questions you got right but also by how hard the questions
were that you did. Although the scoring curve on each Digital PSAT may
calculate your score slightly differently, you will always have two jobs:
understanding which questions can maximize your score and building your
stamina to stay sharp through both modules in each section. Throughout this
book, we will show you how to do just that.
On the recent paper-and-pencil versions of the SAT Suite of Assessments,
various subscores and cross-test scores were reported in addition to the

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section and overall scores. On the Digital Suite, only your section scores and
total score will be reported.
What Does the PSAT Score Mean for My SAT Score?
The SAT is scored on a 1600 scale, whereas the PSAT is scored on a 1520
scale. However, because the PSAT and SAT are aligned by College Board to
be scored on the same scale, your PSAT score indicates the approximate SAT
score you would earn were you to have taken the SAT on that same day.
Since the PSAT is slightly easier, you can’t score quite as high on it as you
can on the SAT.
PSAT 10
Now that we’ve covered some basics about the PSAT, let’s discuss how it
works with the other tests in the SAT Suite of assessments. Though there is a
test called the PSAT 10, it is identical to the structure of the PSAT/NMSQT
in terms of both number of questions and time limits per section. Just as with
the SAT and the PSAT, the PSAT 10 includes a Reading and Writing section
and a Math section. The major differences between the PSAT and the PSAT
10 are who takes the PSAT 10 and when: 10th-graders, sometime in the
spring. Additionally, the PSAT 10 test does not qualify you for National
Merit Scholarship consideration.
PSAT 8/9
The PSAT 8/9 is designed for eighth and ninth graders, as the name would
imply. The Digital version of the test will also match the other tests in the
Suite in terms of structure, timing, and number of questions. The content of
each section is comparable to the content of the SAT and PSAT, but it is a
little easier and is therefore scored on a somewhat lower scale.
WHAT’S WITH ALL THESE TESTS?!
So, if the PSAT 8/9, the PSAT 10, and the PSAT/NMSQT all have the same
sections, number of modules, number of questions, and time to take them,

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what exactly ARE the differences between the tests? There are two main
ones: the content covered on each test and the possible score ranges. See the
chart below for a comparison of all the tests in the Digital SAT Suite of
Assessments.
According to College Board, the SAT Suite of Assessments is designed to
reflect how prepared you are for college and the working world. By creating a
series of tests given over several years, College Board claims to measure a
student’s progress toward readiness for higher education and beyond. The
tests in the Suite all use the same vertical scale, meaning that the score you
get on a PSAT 8/9 should be the same score you’d get on the PSAT or SAT if
you took those tests on the same day.
College Board maintains that the best way to prepare for the test is to do the
following:
Take challenging courses
Do your homework
Prepare for tests and quizzes
Ask and answer lots of questions

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We at the Princeton Review are dubious about these claims, especially in
regard to college and career readiness. Moreover, we think the best way to
prepare for an exam is to know the content and structure of that exam. By
reading this book, you are already on your way to improving your test scores.
WHAT IS THE PRINCETON REVIEW?
The Princeton Review is the nation’s leading test-preparation company. In
just a few years from our founding in 1981, we became the nation’s leader in
SAT preparation, primarily because our techniques work. We offer courses
and private tutoring for all of the major standardized tests, and we publish a
series of books to help in your search for the right school. If you’d like more
information about our programs or books, give us a call at 800-2-REVIEW,
or check out our website at PrincetonReview.com.
Shortcuts
The Princeton Review’s techniques are the closest
thing there is to a shortcut to the PSAT. However,
there is no shortcut to learning these techniques.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
This book is divided into five parts. The first three parts of the book contain
Practice Test 1, general testing strategies, and question-specific problem-
solving instruction. Use the first practice test as a diagnostic tool to see which
sections of the test you need to work on when you read through the content
chapters. The last part of the book contains drill answers and explanations.
After working through the content chapters and checking your answers and
the explanations to the chapter drills, take Practice Test 2 online and apply
everything you’ve learned to improve your score. The “Session-by-Session
Study Guide” starting on this page will give you a plan of attack for these
tests and the rest of the book. There is no single plan that will fit everyone, so
be prepared to adapt the plan and use it according to your own needs.

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Use our online tools to take your practice tests
digitally or use our online proctor to time you while
you take the test in the book, then enter your
answers online. Either way, you’ll see your results
and a breakdown of the question categories. See
this page for more info.
Practice Test 1 will give you an idea of your strengths and weaknesses, both
of which can be sources of improvement. If you’re already good at
something, additional practice can make you great at it; if you’re not so good
at something, what you should do about it depends on how important it is. If
the concept is one that frequently appears on the test, you should spend a lot
of time on it; if it comes up only once in a while, you should spend very little
time working on it and remember that it’s something you should either put
off until you’ve completed easier things or skip it entirely.
How do you know what’s important? We’ll tell you throughout this book,
when we discuss techniques like Plugging In and so forth, but you can also
get an idea of what to focus on simply by observing how this book is laid out.
The Reading and Writing Introduction tells you how to jump to the questions
you want to work on first. In the Math chapters, the most important concepts
appear first. For example, if you’re shaky on Reading, you know you’ll need
to devote some time to Reading questions because there is a total of 25–29
such questions on the test. And if you’re not so confident when it comes to
geometry, don’t panic. Geometry questions appear only in the last math
chapter, which tells you that this topic isn’t as much of a priority as Plugging
In or Math Basics.
One important note: In this book, the sample questions are in numerical
order within a chapter. The question number does not indicate where you can

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expect to see a similar question on the test. As we’ll show you later, what
really matters is your Personal Order of Difficulty.
How Much Should I Prepare for the PSAT?
If you’re in that very small percentage of students who are in contention for
National Merit recognition, it may be worth your while to put in a good deal
of time to prepare for this test. After all, your extra hard work may well put
you in a better position for National Merit recognition. Otherwise, you should
prepare enough so that you feel more in control of the test and have a better
testing experience.
(Nothing feels quite as awful as being dragged through a testing experience
feeling like you don’t know what you’re being tested on or what to expect—
except perhaps dental surgery.) The other reason to prepare for the PSAT is
that it will give you some testing skills that will help you begin to prepare for
the test that actually counts: the SAT.
The bottom line is this: The best reason to prepare for the PSAT is that it
will help you get an early start on your preparation for the SAT.
Study
If you were getting ready to take a biology test,
you’d study biology. If you were preparing for a
basketball game, you’d practice basketball. So, if
you’re preparing for the PSAT (and eventually the
SAT), study the PSAT. The PSAT can’t test
everything, so concentrate on learning what it does
test.
How Can I Be Prepared if the Test is So New?
If you’ve done any research on the Digital PSAT, you may have found that
there isn’t all that much information available. In fact, if you’re preparing for
the 2023 Digital PSAT, you’ll be among the first students to take this new
version of the test. This might seem nerve-wracking, especially if you took

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the PSAT 10 or started your SAT prep early and are now facing a somewhat
different test.
The good news is that everyone else taking the Digital PSAT is in the same
position as you. The National Merit cutoffs are based on percentiles, which
means that you only need to do better than the other students who take the
test, not hit an arbitrary score. Rest assured that by completing the practice in
this book and applying our strategies, you will be much better prepared than
the vast majority of students, even if some aspects of the test are a little
mysterious.
Time Management
To manage your PSAT preparation, make use of the study guide on the
following pages. This guide will break down the seemingly daunting task of
PSAT prep into bite-sized pieces we call “sessions.” We have mapped out
tasks for each session to be sure you get the most out of this book. The tests
will be the first and last sessions, so you should be sure to plan to have about
two-and-a-half hours for these sessions. Most other sessions will last between
an hour and two hours, so plan to take a short break in the middle, and if it
looks like the session is going to exceed two hours, feel free to stop and pick
up where you left off on the next day.
When You Take a Practice Test
You’ll see when to take practice tests in the session outlines. Here are some
guidelines for taking these tests:
If possible, take your practice tests online. Although one test is printed in
this book, taking it online instead of on paper will allow you to become
more comfortable with the online environment.
When taking an online test, make sure to practice using the online tools.
Use the annotation tool to mark important text in the passages and
questions. Use the Answer Eliminator to get rid of the wrong answers.
Mark questions you want to return to.

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Take a practice test in one sitting, under conditions similar to those of a
proctored test. Sit in a quiet place and remove distractions like phones
from the area. You need to build up your endurance for the real test, and
you also need an accurate picture of how you will do. However, do take a
10-minute break between the Reading and Writing section and the Math
section. On the real test you will have a break, so it’s important not to
skip it on the practice tests.
If you take your tests online, you will be able to use the on-screen timer
to keep track of the time remaining in each module. If you take the first
test in the book instead of online, you can time yourself or use the online
proctor in your student portal. Just make sure you do not allow yourself
to go over time for any module.
Whether you take a test online or on paper, write down the things you
need in order to answer the question. For the Digital PSAT, you will get
three sheets of scratch paper. Make sure to write down calculations or
make notes you need. Do not write on the questions or answers
themselves on the paper test, as you will not be able to do so on the
Digital PSAT.
For more information about how to take and score
your practice tests, see this page.
Session-by-Session Study Guide
Session Zero You’re involved in this session right now. Finish reading the
first chapter so you’ll know what the test is about, how it is used, and what to
expect from the rest of the book. This step probably won’t take you long, so
if you have about two-and-a-half hours after you complete Chapter 1, you can
go on to Session One and take the first practice test.
Session One Take Practice Test 1 and score it. You’ll use this result to get an
idea of your strengths and weaknesses, and the parts of each section you
should concentrate on. Note that our explanations refer to concepts discussed

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elsewhere in this book, so you may want to wait until after Session Four
before reviewing this test.
Session Two Work through Chapters 2 and 3 of the Orientation and Chapter
6, Reading and Writing Introduction.
Session Three Read Chapter 7, Reading Comprehension.
Session Four Work through the Math Basics in Chapter 11 and the
corresponding drills. Then do Chapter 8, Rules Questions: Punctuation.
Session Five Work through the Math Techniques section in Chapter 12 and
associated drills. Take a look at Chapter 9, Rules: Grammar.
Session Six Review Advanced Math, Chapter 13. As you work through this
chapter, be sure to apply techniques like Plugging In that you learned in
Chapter 12. Since these techniques are central to doing well on the Math
section, you can never practice them too much. If there’s time, start Chapter
14.
Session Seven Work through Geometry and Trigonometry in Chapter 14.
When you finish, read through Chapter 10, Rhetoric. This will complete your
work in the content chapters.
Session Eight Take Practice Test 2, available online in your student portal.
Use the techniques you’ve been practicing throughout the book. Score your
test and go through the explanations, focusing on where you may have
missed the opportunity to use a technique and your decisions about whether
you should have attempted a question or not, given your pacing goals and
Personal Order of Difficulty.
Some of the terminology in the study guide may be unfamiliar to you now,
but don’t worry, you’ll get to know it soon. Also, you’ll want to refer back to
this study guide at each session to keep yourself on track.

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Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test

Princeton Review PSAT/NMSQT Prep, 2023-2024 : 2 Practice Tests + Review for the NEW Digital PSAT (2023)

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