S.A.T. Math Testing Tactics Tactic 10: Don’t Do More Than You Have To

Don’t Do More Than You Have To! Look for shortcuts Many problems have more than one correct way to obtain the right solution Think: Quick, Efficient, Accurate

Example 10.1 If, what is ? First: Notice that there is a 3x in the given equation AND the expression we are evaluating. This means we can solve for 3x instead of x. This will save time! 3

Example 10.2 If and, what is the average (arithmetic mean) of x and y? First, what does the average of x and y look like?

Ex 10.2 (continued) Next, since we have two equations, let’s try adding them together (Tactic 17): Average of x and y = 1.8

Example 10.3 If, what is the value of ? Notice the equation and the expression both have a 5x 7

In conclusion: EVERY SECOND IS PRECIOUS– WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER! ALWAYS LOOK FOR SHORTCUTS! Don’t find 20% and 30% separately if you can find 50% once. Don’t find x if you really only need 5x. Don’t find individual numbers if you only need their sum. DON’T WASTE PRECIOUS TIME!