The SAT, part 2: The Math Section

by Ilana W-B

The SAT is a three-part (math, critical reading, and writing) test required by manycolleges in their admissions processes. I plan to write a post with suggestions for each section of the SAT. This is the second post in the series, and I will be focusing on the math portion of the test.

Preparation 

The SAT math section covers concepts through Algebra II. However, the majority of questions will be drawn from material covered in Algebra and Geometry. Take the SAT right after Algebra II—wait any longer and you might forget the material!

The test will not require knowledge of trigonometry. However, you should know your special right triangles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_right_triangles) and the Pythagorean Theorem well. The Princeton Review also recommends reviewing sets, absolute value, radical equations, exponents, and functions.

Once you have learned the relevant material, the best way to prepare for the SAT math section is to practice. Work with a tutor or choose a book with explanations and ask a friend if the explanations don’t make sense. If you know the necessary concepts, the trickiest part of the test will be the questions that require clever reasoning. Practice in recognizing these questions and determining the best approach will help.

As always, you should practice with a time limit. Time can feel very tight on the math sections, especially if you get bogged down and spend too much time on a particularly tricky question. You have, on average, 78 seconds per question. Spend less than that on the easy ones and save time for those that require more thought and work. 

Taking the Test

You are allowed a calculator. Don’t waste time evaluating everything with it, but do use it when it will be of help, particularly if you are not confident in your arithmetic.

There are two types of math questions on the SAT. The majority (44 of the 54) are multiple-choice. For the other 10, you fill in your own answers (grid-in questions). Follow the guessing tips I outlined in my first SAT post for the multiple-choice questions. But always guess on the grid-in questions: You lose no points for doing so. I suggest picking a reasonable guessing number and sticking with it. 0 is probably your best option, though .333 and .667 also seem to turn up fairly often.

Negative numbers are not possible in the grid-in section. If you get a negative number, you did something wrong. Go back and re-evaluate the problem.

Also in the grid-in section, do not try to enter mixed numbers! This is one of the most common errors people make. If your answer is 3 and ½, you should enter 3.5 or 7/2. If you enter 31/2, it will be interpreted as thirty-one halves, which is incorrect.

If a diagram says it is not to scale, it is not. But if it says nothing, it is to scale. You can use that information to make an educated guess on geometry questions if you’re not sure how to evaluate them numerically.

The test booklet includes a list of formulas you might need. Hopefully, you know these and won’t have to waste time referring to them. However, if you have any doubts, check. You don’t want to get several questions wrong because you misremembered the formula for the area of a circle.

It is often very helpful to try plugging the answer choices into the problem to see whether they work. But this can be time-consuming. Do it only when you cannot quickly evaluate the problem directly. And do it smartly—start with the answer choice in the middle (numerically, not in terms of how they are listed). Your attempt should give you information about whether the correct value ought to be higher or lower, so you can save time by only trying those choices.

Don’t be fazed by the strange symbols the SAT uses to represent functions or series of functions. If the symbol distracts you, re-write the expression with whatever it stands for.

Sometimes the easiest way to determine the answer is to plug in a value. Pick one that will be easy to evaluate (though not too easy—zero generally doesn’t provide much helpful information). For percent questions, 100 is a good choice.

Finally, relax. It’s the best way to stay rational, which is important for those tricky problem-solving questions.

Resources

http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-practice-questions-math/math-concepts -- a list of concepts covered and practice questions from the College Board, the makers of the SAT

http://www.sattest.us/math/ -- test-taking tips and practice questions

http://www.majon.com/testprep/strat-satm.html -- a good description of the material covered by the SAT math section and a list of common question types with sample questions

A quick internet search will offer you dozens of other resources and free practice tests to help you prepare.