On October 14, Brookfield Central offered students the PSAT, which recently underwent significant changes to its style and format.  To help test-takers get themselves ready for the new PSAT, Central’s National Merit Scholars provided a brief preparatory course during resource periods the week leading up to test day.

Given the novelty of the test format, there was considerably less that students could do to prepare compared to previous years, though there was a common belief that the new test was less difficult than the old version. Nonetheless, the Scholars did their best with what was available. “The new PSAT kind of scared us,” Michael Fung (’16), one of the Scholars, confessed. “We analyzed the information that was released, and considered it to be easier, but given the lack of resources, we wanted to ensure that the students were as prepared as they could be.”

Students were first taught basic PSAT-centered test taking strategies. They then went through a review of the whole layout of the new test, which students reported was effective at minimizing the general confusion surrounding the changes. Following this, students worked through the offered practice material and soon exhausted these resources provided by the College Board, the organization that creates and administers the PSAT. “We hammered through the available practice questions, as well as questions provided by us based on the learning standards we observed,” Fung explained.

Despite the limited resources, several students took advantage of the opportunities provided. “The turnout was absolutely fantastic. It warmed our hearts to see so many students engaged and interested in performing to the best of their abilities,” Fung said. “We’re graduating, and Brookfield Central will be but a memory, so it’s great to know that the students are heading in the right direction.