Top SAT strategies: math

October 7, 12:51 PMCollege Admissions ExaminerLauren Starkey

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We've discussed it before: scoring well on the SAT has as much to do with your testing taking skills as it does your content skills. Knowing and applying key strategies can remarkably increase your score.

Today, math teacher and SAT Bootcamp instructor Karen Needler offers her best tips for tackling the math section.

"Some students dread the math section of the SATs, while others enjoy the challenge of racing through the math problems like playing a game of wits. No matter your attitude about math, if you consider some important prepping and test-taking strategies, you can improve you score. Content review is important, and here are some of the strategies Lauren and I teach in our SAT Bootcamp.

Flex your math muscles

It's true, practicing lots of math problems is like calisthenics for the brain. Your ability to think on demand will be greatly improved with ample practice. Think of how rusty you'd be if you played a match of tennis without practice; you wouldn't fare your best. Math is a participation sport.

Know how to use your time

Until you know how much time it takes you to complete a section, you're at a disadvantage. So time yourself taking practice sections. If you find you run short on time, then focus on how you can pick up the pace. Make sure you know the directions, formulas and assumptions in advance, and focus on the problems at the beginning of each section since they are ordered by level of difficulty.

On the other hand, if you find yourself with extra time, don't waste it! Go back and check answers using another method, and reexamine any answers you may have chosen “cannot be determine with given information;” that's often a trap.

Use your strengths!

Problems can be solved in more than one way - analytically (equations), numerically (plug in numbers as an example), graphically (picture or graph on a calculator). And even though the math content is based on three college preparatory classes - Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry, you may be able to solve a problem using methods learned in other classes: some exponential problems can be solved quickest using logarithms, trigonometry can be used to find area. Be creative! Even careful intuition can guide you to the right answer, and don't be afraid to guess if you can eliminate an answer or two.

Not your math teacher's problem

These problems may look familiar; surely you've seen these types of questions before, right? But look out. If you're too hasty reading the problem, you may miss the fact that the question really asks for something else. And you can be sure you'll find your (wrong) answer among the choices. Remember, since you're not in math class, you don't have to show your work!

Student-Produced Responses - Grid-Ins

This is a new type of question that merits study. First, you don't lose any points for an incorrect answer! Second, know the directions beforehand to know what is and isn't an acceptable answer; you may be surprised. What a shame to solve a problem only to fill in the grid incorrectly. For example, if an answer is 2/3, your acceptable grid-ins could be 4/6, .666, .667, but not .6, .7 or .67. And since there are no units in the grids, be sure to convert percentage answers to decimal.

Math has vocabulary too

Complementary, supplementary, inverse variation, proportion,slope to name a few. If you don't know these words, you won't even know how to start the problem. Make sure your content review includes brushing up on your math vocabulary, especially geometry if it's been a year or two since geometry class.

Applying these strategies, plus a review of content, will help you know what to expect on the test, and more importantly, have the confidence and experience to do your best."