What to Do Once You Receive Your PSAT Scores

What to Do Once You Receive Your PSAT Scores Receiving your PSAT scores can be stressfuland confusing. Its all too easy to transfer how you feel about your results onto your overall academic self-esteema natural but not necessarily helpful connectionand its easy to feel at a loss for what to do next. So what should you do once you receive your PSAT scores? Take these three steps. Once you receive your PSAT scores, assess your strengths and weaknesses If you took the PSAT in October 2018, you will be able to access your scores between December 10 and 12, depending on what state you live in. (Visit The College Board to find out which date corresponds to your state.) Your score report will include results that correspond to math, reading, and writing and language. Youll also receive section scores for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and for Math. Additionally, there are cross-test scores, which pull out selected questions across the previously mentioned subjects of math, reading, and writing and language, and analyze them for your performance in history/social studies, as well as science. Finally, your report will include subscores, or more detailed sections under the umbrellas of: Math Reading Writing and Language. These results will give you more information about what content areas you were strong in, as well as which areas you need more practice inwhether youre planning to retake the PSAT as a junior or in preparation for the ACT or SAT. [RELATED: What is an Average PSAT Score?] Create a study plan for the ACT or SAT once you receive your PSAT scores The next step is to make a study plan for the ACT or SAT, depending on which test you would like to take. In addition to analyzing your subscores/content areas, look at your score report to see how you did on easy, medium, and hard questions. This can help you come up with the best test-taking strategies for yourself. For example, if you frequently missed easy questions, it could be because of careless mistakes. Youll want to spend a bit more time, then, reading carefully so as not to miss easy points. If, on the other hand, you missed a lot of hard questions, use best practices like checking that youre not missing anything at every step, and again, that youve read the question carefully. Not only can online resources be helpful at this juncture, but ACT/SAT test prep books can be great. You may also want to sign up for ACT tutoring or SAT tutoring. Lastly, once youve decided on your SAT or ACT test date, create a plan in terms of how much time you want to spend studying daily, weekly, and monthly leading up to the exam. This will help you stay on track in terms of content areas, as well as taking practice tests (which youll want to do in the weeks leading up to the actual test). Once you receive your PSAT scores, visit your guidance counselor After youve received your scores, visit your academic counselor. They will be able to give you tips and insight into how to move forward. If your PSAT score qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship Program, which offers funding for college, and youre not sure what to do next, your guidance counselor can help you. They can also help you look up colleges that may be good matches for you, depending on your scores and your overall academic progress. In addition to a counselor, a teacher or other academic professional may be a great resource for you as you look ahead to the next standardized test and to college. When youve received your scores, you should celebrate regardless of whether youve received the score you wantedyouve taken an important test, youve come through to the other side, and you now have more information about yourself as a test-taker. Now its time to look forward. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

English Grammar When to use the Present Continuous Tense

English Grammar When to use the Present Continuous Tense The following sets out the use of the Present Continuous format of verbs. There are examples given in each situation. How to Form the Present Continuous Tense The Present Continuous tense is formed with the present  tense  of the verb to be and the present participle of the verb (verb + -ing). Verbs are not normally used in the Present Continuous Some verbs are not normally used in the Present Continuous form. We usually use the following verbs in simple tenses only:knowunderstandforgetpreferwantrememberlikehateneedPresent Continuous relates to something that is usually happening at the time we are speaking.For example:Michael goes to work every day in his car. Today he is driving to work in his car. Michael is in his car now so we can use the Present Continuous to describe the act.Michael is driving  to work in his car (the verb: to drive, the present continuous: is driving). There are several other situations when it is appropriate to use the Present Continuous. These are as follows:1. When you are doing something not necessarily now at the time we are talking but close to that time.e.g. Michael and his friend Mary are talking over lunch. Michael says “I am reading (to read) a really good book now. I will tell you about it when I finish”.This does not mean he is reading it whilst talking to Mary but is reading it around that time and continues to do so.2. When something is being done around a period of time close to the present.e.g. Michael is working (to work) hard today. Or Michael is not skiing (to ski) this winter because he injured his knee.3. Finally we use Present Continuous when we talk specifically about situations that are changing.e.g. The weather is improving (to improve) quickly. or The temperature is falling (to fall) fast. or The winter snow is melting (to melt) now. Signal Words used with the Present Continuous nowat the momentListen!Look!tonightin the morning/in the afternoon/in the eveningthis week/this month/this yeartodayrightnowthese days List of State Verbs in English Check your understanding by doing this short exercise. You can write your answers below.Exercise:Try this exercise. You need to put the verb in brackets into the correct format using Present Continuous.Please be quiet. I ____________(try) to concentrate.Look! It ________________ (snow).Why _________________ (you/look) at me like that? Did I say something wrong?You ____________(make) a lot of noise. Can you be a little bit quieter?Excuse me, I ___________________ (look) for a phone booth. Is there one near here? When to Use the Present Continuous Tense - Video Lesson This video English lesson explains when to use the Present Continuous Tense in English. The Present Continuous Tense is also called the Present Progressive Tense. The Present Continuous Tense can be used in a number of ways.