SAT Math

All about the SAT Math Section

The SAT exam consists of three sections, which are the Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing sections.

Introduction to the Math Section

The Math section of SAT measures the reasoning ability of students at two levels: Mathematics level 1 comprises questions related to basic Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry, the concepts of which one has learnt at pre-college level, and Mathematics level 2 comprises higher level of Mathematics which includes Trigonometry and Precalculus (an advanced form of Algebra) which are required to study Mathematics at college level. The Math section constitutes multiple choice questions and grid-in questions which are student produced responses as answers are not provided in the form of multiple options, but are produced by students themselves after solving questions. Once an answer for a grid-in question is obtained, it is filled in printed grids which are available for providing the answer. Grid-in answer facility constitutes number choice from 0 to 9 along with point (.) and slash (/). To get more information on Grid-in questions one can refer to the webpage http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-practice-questions-math/student-produced-response.

Type of Questions in Math Section

The Math section comprises a total of 54 questions- Multiple choice questions (44) and Grid-in questions (10) with a total time limit of 70 minutes.

Calculator is allowed in the exam to calculate and solve questions quickly within the stipulated time limit.

Topics Included in SAT Math Test Section

The Math section comprises questions from number and operations (percent, ratio, proportion, etc.), Algebra, Geometry, Data Analysis, Probability, Statistics, etc.

Difficulty Level

Questions are set in such a way that examinees, in general, first encounter easy questions, move to medium level questions and finally reach tough questions. This helps students to maintain their confidence in solving questions all through the section.

Sample Questions

If one wants to know about the type of questions being asked in the Math section, one can refer to the books written by the test administrators (SAT Collegeboard) themselves. The Official SAT Study Guide, 2nd edition holds a number of real test questions as well as practice questions comprising various topics such as Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Probability, Statistics, etc. Answers along with their explanations, and suggestions to approach tough questions are also mentioned in the book.

The Official study guide for All SAT Subject, 2nd edition is an improvement over the earlier mentioned book. It contains tips to solve difficult Math questions. Besides, one can practice question sets followed by their answers and explanations, and recommended course work for improvement is also provided.

The Official SAT Online Course helps one to practice Math questions online.

To get more information, one can log on to the webpage, http://store.collegeboard.com/sto/productdetail.

Useful Tips

  • First read the instructions mentioned in the test booklet, then answer questions.
  • One need not memorize formulas as they are already given in the test booklet. One has to decide which formula would be appropriate to use in each question.
  • After going through a question one should ask oneself ‘what is the question asking?’, then can one solve the question correctly.
  • One can also solve certain questions by drawing sketches according to the questions. Sketching helps one to grab the concept behind a question.
  • Remove incorrect choices first while attempting the multiple-choice questions. Elimination of all wrong answers helps one to find the right answer and will not create confusion in mind.

Last but not least, one has to go through various media to prepare for the section as this is one of the toughest known sections in the SAT exam. To practice for the Math section, one needs to know the types of questions being asked, the marks and the time allocated to solve questions, the topics to be consulted, the books to be referred to, the online courses to be accessed, the tips to be followed to crack tough Math questions, etc. This article intends to meet these test requirements of SAT aspirants.