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PSAT / PSAT-NMSQT SYLLABUS (COMPLETE)

SECTION 1: Evidence-Based Reading & Writing (ERW)

A. Reading Test Syllabus

📘 What you read

Literature passages (fiction, narratives)

U.S. founding documents or global texts (history/social science)
Social science passages
Natural science passages
Sometimes paired passages

• 📌 Skills Tested

Main idea & central theme

Supporting evidence
Inference
Vocabulary in context
Author’s purpose & tone
Logical relationships
Data interpretation (graphs/tables linked to passages)

📌 Question Types

Command of evidence

Words in context
Analysis of arguments
Interpretation of charts & data

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B. Writing & Language Syllabus

📘 What you edit

Passages with underlined portions

Grammar, usage, and style corrections

📌 Grammar & Language Topics

Subject-verb agreement

Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Verb tense consistency
Parallelism
Modifiers (dangling/misplaced)
Comparisons

📌 Punctuation

Commas

Semicolons
Colons
Apostrophes
Dashes

📌 Sentence & Style Skills

Sentence structure

Conciseness & clarity
Logical transitions
Combining sentences
Removing redundancy
Tone & formality

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SECTION 2: Mathematics

A. Math – No Calculator

📘 Core Topics

Linear equations

Linear inequalities
Solving systems of equations
Ratios & proportions
Integers, fractions, decimals
Basic geometry
Percentages
Absolute value

📌 Skills Tested

Algebraic manipulation

Logical reasoning
Problem solving

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B. Math – Calculator Allowed

📘 Advanced Topics

Quadratic equations

Polynomial expressions
Functions (linear & quadratic)
Exponents & radicals
Word problems
Data analysis
Mean, median, mode
Probability
Scatter plots
Line of best fit

📌 Geometry

Area & perimeter

Volume
Circles (radius, diameter, circumference)
Angles
Coordinate geometry

📌 Trigonometry (Basic)

Sine, cosine, tangent (introductory level only)

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IMPORTANT: WHAT IS NOT IN PSAT

❌ Calculus
❌ Advanced trigonometry
❌ Logarithms
❌ Matrices
❌ Complex numbers
❌ Statistics formulas beyond basics

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SYLLABUS WEIGHTAGE (Approximate)

Section	Weight
Reading	~30%
Writing & Language	~30%
Math	~40%

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PSAT SCORE CONTRIBUTION

Section	Score Range
Reading + Writing	160–760
Math	160–760
Total	320–1520

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HIGH-YIELD TOPICS (EXAM FOCUS)

🔥 Must-Master Areas

Algebra (linear & quadratic)

Grammar rules
Evidence-based reading questions
Word problems
Data interpretation

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BEGINNER STUDY ORDER (RECOMMENDED)

1️⃣ Grammar basics
2️⃣ Linear equations
3️⃣ Reading comprehension
4️⃣ Word problems
5️⃣ Data analysis
6️⃣ Full-length mock tests

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🎯 FINAL TIP

PSAT syllabus is concept-based, not memorization-based. Accuracy, logic, and speed matter more than advance