Kenny Harten ‘25

REPORTER

Test-taking is hard. Standardized test-taking is even harder. If you’re a high school junior preparing to take the daunting PSATs with lofty goals of achieving National Merit, you’re in luck because this is the foolproof guide to how to score a perfect 1520 on your test. Even better, you don’t have to look at this guide until the night before test day.

Step 1: NO STUDYING: The only preparation you should be doing happens the night before.

• Lock in for the test, but don’t cloud your brain with useless information

• If you feel like you need to prepare somehow for your mental state, practice guessing test answers on questions you’ve never seen before; after all, guessing games will be very important.

Step 2: Make sure you are ABSENT on test day: Obviously, you have to have a rock-solid excuse for your absence, but it is key that you are not there.

• On test day, kids are packed into uncomfortable rooms that are NOT conducive to test-taking

• However, if you’re absent, the make-ups are in the district office, where they have comfortable swivel chairs and massive desks that can ACTUALLY fit both your computer and scrap paper!

Step 3: Yes, good sleep and breakfast are important: Now we’re on the morning of make-up, and you have to be mentally prepared.

• At least 8 hours of sleep is a necessity if you want to stay focused for a lengthy PSAT, the math homework you don’t have time to do at night won’t matter once you are a National Merit Scholar

• Wake up, brush your teeth; now it’s time for breakfast. Must haves: at least 150 mg of caffeine, preferably more, and at least 400 calories so you don’t get sick from the caffeine. My personal recommendation: Pipeline Punch Monster Drink with two Bacon Eggs and Cheese Jimmy Dean biscuits.

Step 4: Pack up and go: Make sure to bring your lucky pencil (everybody has one) and another energy drink for your break.

• Red Bulls are smaller and easier to chug; do what you will with that information. On the ride to school, listen to your lock-in playlist.

• This is the most important step in this whole guide because pretest music is the key to getting your mind focused.

• After four years, the mix of Metallica and Yeat has yet to fail me, but of course, whatever your music preferences are will work.

• You’ve done all you can. Trust your preparation and your intuition. Good luck!