- Draw Pictures
- Apply Logic
- Answer the Question That They Ask You
- Check the Choices
- Pick Numbers for the Variables
- Skip Around
- Read the Questions Carefully
- Look for "New Operations"
- Arithmetic
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Multiple Choice Versus Student-Produced Response
- Practice Questions
- Answer Explanations
Pick Numbers for the Variables
You can sometimes simplify your work on a given problem by using actual numbers as "stand-ins" for variables. This strategy works when you have variables in the question and some of the same variables in the answer choices. You can simplify the answer choices by substituting actual numbers for the variables. Pick numbers that are easy to work with. If you use this strategy, remember that numbers on the PSAT can be either positive or negative and are sometimes whole numbers and sometimes fractions. You should also be careful not to use 1 or 0 as your "stand-ins" because they can create "identities," which can lead to more than one seemingly correct answer choice.