SAT Math Strategies Lesson 1

What math topics do you need to know?  Basic Math~add, subtract, mulitply, divide  Order of Operations~PEMDAS  Percents, fractions, decimals  Algebra I concepts~Algebra II + some pre-calc helpful  Geometry concepts

What types of problems are there?  Solving equations  Substituting for variables  Know your terms  Number lines  Inequalities  Exponents  Factors~factoring  Ratios  Mean, median, mode  Probability~sequences

 Prime numbers  Absolute value  Direct and inversely proportional  Basic functions  Translations  Triangles, quadrilaterals~area & perimeter, some volume  Circles~area & circumference~circle graphs  Coordinate Geometry~ slope, points, parallel & perpendicular lines  Pythagorean Theorem  Angle measurements~equilateral, isosceles,  Congruency

44 Multiple Choice & 10 grid-ins  Difficulty Levels easy-medium-hard [by SAT standards]  3 scored sections~2 field test sections that don’t count medium = 54 questions 3-5 grid-ins answered correctly by an average student  16 questions in the short section~get the most right here  Know when to answer and when to omit or skip Never forget the penalties~they add up quickly!

Strategies  Read question~read all the answers~solve~choose  Math questions generally move easy-to-hard  Set a goal for number correct in each math section check ‘correct answer’ page for difficulty levels  Eliminate obviously wrong answers~what’s left?  Try the answers to see what works  Look for clues in the question or in the answers  Never spend more than 2 minutes on one problem unless it’s the last one!

Ready-Set-Go!  Ask yourself a few questions…  What type of math student am I?  What score do I need for the college I want to attend?  What is my reasonable SAT Math goal?  How good am I at analyzing problems?  How much preparation do I need?  Can I practice on my own or do I need help?  Plan to take the SAT twice…that’s it!  Be serious about taking the SAT