PSAT 8/9 study plan
PSAT 8/9 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Reading and Writing
Diagnose baseline Reading and Writing accuracy by completing and scoring one full-length timed Reading and Writing section
Classify every missed question by skill type (main idea, inference, vocabulary-in-context, transitions, grammar/usage, punctuation)
Build a personal error log template that records question type, reasoning error, and correct rule for each miss
Review the four most common punctuation rules and practice applying each to ten original sentences
Your checkpoint
Completed error log with at least 40 missed questions tagged by skill and error type, plus a ranked list of your three weakest Reading and Writing skills
Reading and Writing
Distill the main idea and structure of ten short informational passages in under 90 seconds each
Identify the function of specific sentences within a passage and justify each choice in one written sentence
Practice eliminating answer choices that are true-but-not-supported versus directly supported by the text
Your checkpoint
A one-page summary sheet of passage-structure and main-idea strategies with ten worked examples and your reasoning for each
Reading and Writing
Apply transition-word logic by sorting 30 transitions into contrast, cause-effect, addition, and example categories
Resolve vocabulary-in-context questions by predicting a word's meaning before reading the answer choices
Correct subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, and modifier errors in 25 original sentences
Complete a 25-minute timed Reading and Writing drill and score it
Your checkpoint
Timed 25-minute drill scored with an accuracy percentage and a written comparison against your week-1 baseline
Reading and Writing & Math
Consolidate Reading and Writing skills by completing one full timed section and reviewing every miss
Establish a Math baseline by completing one full-length timed Math section and logging errors by topic
Identify which Math topics (linear equations, ratios, geometry, data analysis, quadratics) cause the most errors
Set up a formula and concept reference sheet for the Math topics you missed
Your checkpoint
Two scored full sections (one Reading and Writing, one Math) with a topic-by-topic error breakdown for each
Math
Solve linear equations and inequalities, including word problems, with 85% accuracy on a 20-question set
Translate verbal relationships into equations and check solutions by substitution
Practice rearranging formulas and interpreting slope and intercepts in context
Review each missed problem by rewriting the correct setup from scratch
Your checkpoint
20-question linear-equations set scored at 85% or higher with rewritten solutions for every miss
Math
Compute with ratios, rates, proportions, and percentages in multi-step word problems
Interpret tables, graphs, and scatterplots to answer data-analysis questions
Calculate mean, median, and range and reason about how outliers shift them
Complete a 25-minute timed Math drill and score it
Your checkpoint
Timed 25-minute Math drill scored with an accuracy percentage and a log of each error's cause (concept, setup, or arithmetic)
Math
Solve geometry problems involving area, volume, angles, and the Pythagorean theorem
Factor and solve basic quadratic equations and interpret their graphs
Apply the no-calculator mindset by estimating and simplifying before computing
Revisit the top three error categories from weeks 4-6 and re-solve ten problems in each
Your checkpoint
A corrected-problem portfolio of 30 previously missed Math problems, each re-solved and verified correct
Reading and Writing & Math
Complete one full-length timed practice test under exam conditions
Review every missed question and reclassify errors to confirm patterns have shrunk
Drill the two weakest skills in each domain until accuracy exceeds 80%
Finalize a test-day pacing plan that allocates time per section and per question type
Your checkpoint
Full-length practice test scored with a written comparison to the week-1 and week-4 baselines plus a finalized pacing plan
Milestones
Week 2: Error log shows at least 40 tagged Reading and Writing misses and a ranked list of your three weakest skills
Week 4: Both a Reading and Writing section and a Math section completed and scored, with topic-level error breakdowns in hand
Week 6: Math drill accuracy at or above 75% and error causes logged for every miss
Week 8: Full-length practice test score improves over the week-1 baseline and weakest-skill accuracy exceeds 80%