Once you have a firm grasp on how the SAT Math section is set up, the next step is mastering the best strategies for the section. Part of the shortcut to getting a good score on the SAT Math Test is finding a balance between reviewing old content, learning any necessary new content, and practicing techniques that can be applicable to a variety of question-types. Here are some of the best strategies to approach the SAT Math section.
Best SAT Math Strategy #1: Do the grid-ins first
As I mentioned in my previous post about the structure of the SAT Math section, one of the defining features that separates SAT Math from ACT Math is the SAT’s inclusion of Student-Produced Response questions, or grid-ins. These problems don’t include answer choices, instead requiring students to enter a specific numerical answer into a series of cells. Both halves of the Math Test include some number of grid-in questions, with a total of 13/58 questions (almost 1/4 of your Math raw score) falling into this category. It’s therefore very important for students to factor these questions into their approach to the test.
The impact grid-ins have on test strategy is primarily due to how difficult it is to guess on them effectively. The hardest multiple-choice question ever created by the College Board still gives you a 1/4 chance of guessing the correct answer, even if you simply close your eyes and pick a choice randomly. In contrast, the absolute simplest grid-in question has 104 (give or take) different numerical answers that can be bubbled in—and that’s not even factoring in the possibility that the answer is a fraction or a decimal, which raises the number of possible responses even more. Suffice it to say that you are much more likely to guess a multiple-choice question correctly than you are a grid-in.
Why does this matter? Timing. Because the grid-ins are located at the end of both Math sections, students who have pacing issues and address the problems in the order that they’re presented will be running short on time when they hit the grid-in portion of the section. If you’re one of those students, you’ll then be faced with the unenviable situation of being forced to guess on a question where your chance of guessing correctly is functionally zero—basically, you’ll be throwing away a quarter of a point for each grid-in problem you have to guess on.
Because of this, I always recommend that students start with the grid-ins. Get them out of the way, then go back to the beginning of the section and start on the multiple-choice portion. This ensures that if you run low on time, you’ll be guessing on problems that you still have a chance of actually getting right.
SAT Math Strategy #2: Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize
One of my best strategies for every part of the SAT is the following: Address the questions in the order that makes the most sense for you, not necessarily the way the test lays them out. On the Math section, this means a couple of different things.
First of all, know your content strengths and weaknesses. Maybe you’re awesome at linear equations but hate quadratics; if that’s the case, save any problems that deal with second-degree equations for last while actively looking for questions that include linear functions. Bank the points that are easiest for you while you have time, and save the problems that you’re less likely to get right anyway for the end when you may be running short on time.
Secondly, be familiar with the difficulty gradient for the questions in each Math section. The multiple-choice portion of the section starts out on the easier end of the spectrum and gets harder as you progress. The difficulty level then resets at the first grid-in question: early grid-ins will once again feel a little easier, while the last few grid-ins will likely feel more challenging. It’s important to note, however, that the hardest multiple-choice questions are typically more challenging than the hardest grid-in questions. This isn’t always the case, but in the majority of the tests that I’ve worked through, the most difficult problem is typically a multiple-choice question.
So what does this mean for you? If you’re doing the grid-in portion of the section first, as I mentioned above, you should naturally be completing the final multiple-choice questions as your last stop in the section, which means that you’re already saving the hardest problems for the end—that’s a great start. Within those last 5-6 multiple-choice questions, however, you should also be prepared to skip around as necessary. Remember that difficulty in math is a malleable concept: if you’re an awesome geometry student, the hardest geometry questions are likely to feel easier to you than the hardest algebra questions. Even in the most difficult portion of the section, be on the lookout for points that are going to be comparatively easier for you to pick up. Constantly be thinking about how you can optimize your time and maximize the number of points that you gain.
Math Strategy #3: The answer is always plug-ins
Very early in my work with students, I tell most of them, “if I ask you a question when we’re going over a Math section together and you weren’t paying attention, just say ‘plug-ins’ because that’s pretty much always the answer.” While that’s a slight exaggeration, it’s fair to say that if I could only teach a student one thing before they took SAT Math, it would be plug-in strategy.
Plug and Chug
There are two main flavors of plug-ins. Answer plug-ins represent a strategy that is familiar to almost every student who’s taken a multiple-choice test before: when the answer choices are simply a list of numbers, plug each one back into the question until you find the one that works. This is a fantastically intuitive and easy-to-use technique that, while it can sometimes be slightly time-consuming, rarely leads students astray.
Make Some Stuff Up
The other, and arguably more versatile, side of the plug-in coin is the variable plug-ins technique. This approach is designed to allow students to remove the abstraction from questions in the SAT Math section so that they can focus on the core math mechanics. If you notice that most or all of the answer choices in a given problem are in terms of a variable or variables, then the numerical answer to that question depends on the value of those variables. There’s a pretty good chance that you have the flexibility to come up with your own numbers to stand in for the variables and answer the question using those values.
The best part about variable plug-ins is that the steps in the process are generally very consistent and don’t depend on which topic is being tested:
- Recognize the opportunity.
- Identify your variables.
- Determine the restrictions that the problem has placed on the values of those variables.
- Come up with some numbers that satisfy those restrictions.
- Solve the problem based on those numbers.
- Plug your numbers into the answer choices and see which one spits out that same solution.
Or, if it’s easier, just remember the acronym RIDCSP! (Yeah, we’ll keep workshopping that one.) Bad acronyms aside, plug-ins are a fantastic ‘side door’ method that can compensate for a lack of content knowledge in a number of areas, and you should constantly be on the lookout for opportunities to utilize them.
SAT Math Strategy #4: You have a calculator (most of the time), so use it
Unlike ACT Math, which is entirely calculator-active, only one of the SAT Math Test’s two sections allows you access to a calculator; however, the SAT Math With Calculator section is almost twice as long as the Math No Calculator section, so you will still be able to utilize that handy-dandy Texas Instrument on the majority of the SAT Math Test. Accordingly, two of the best things you can do for yourself on the SAT Math With Calculator section are 1) know how to use your calculator and 2) look for opportunities to save yourself time by letting the calculator do the heavy lifting for you.
Having access to a calculator on this section is a great benefit; however, if you’ve ever taken a practice test, you might know that just because the SAT allows you a calculator, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the clear. Proper SAT calculator usage is tricky: many students find that while they were itching for a calculator on the Math No Calculator section, they use their calculation machine much less frequently than expected on the Math With Calculator section. We’ve got a few tried and true SAT calculator tips and tricks to help guide you in this half of the Math Test.
How to Use Your Calculator on the SAT: Tips and Tricks
Let’s start off with the things you absolutely want to use your calculator for:
- DO use your calculator for annoying arithmetic.
- This test section will throw some big numbers at you. No need to do the work in your head; that’s what the previous section was for. Don’t be a hero!
- DO use your calculator to graph things.
- This is one of the biggest SAT Math calculator tips and tricks. Though you may know how to find intersection points, vertices, and minima and maxima of functions by hand, a graphing calculator will simplify and speed up this process for you.
- DO know how and when to use parentheses.
- As a tutor, I can’t say this enough. Your calculator follows the order of operations (PEMDAS). It does not know what you’re thinking. That means that if you type in -5², you will get -125. If what you were looking for was the square of negative five, you’ll need to type in (-5)².
- DO use your calculator to check your work.
How NOT to Use Your Calculator on the SAT: Calculator Usage to Avoid
And here are some things you don’t want to use your calculator for if you’re looking to approach the SAT Math section using the best possible strategies:
- DON’T use your calculator for every little calculation.
- I know you can do 9 x 5 in your head.
- DON’T use your calculator in place of your paper.
- Do your calculations in the calculator, but put your math on the paper. In other words, write your work down. This will save you time and effort, especially if you make a mistake and have to find it later on.
- DON’T type in exceedingly long number sequences at once.
- Break your calculations up. Not only is it easier to make a mistake if you’re typing a novel into your calculator, but doing calculations step-by-step will also help you catch mistakes (like squaring a negative number and getting a negative answer in return).
- DON’T rely on your calculator for every little thing.
- This is especially important when considering the test as a whole. If you can only work with exponents and radicals using your calculator, you’re going to be at a loss when these questions come up on the No Calculator section.
How can I get better at SAT Math?
Now that you know the best strategies for the SAT Math section, you’ll want to keep building your comfort level with this section so that you can get better at SAT Math. The next step is to practice these strategies, shortcuts, and techniques repeatedly—consistent practice is crucial to improve your score. If you’d like help to get better at SAT Math, or any other section of the SAT, check out GoTutor’s SAT prep headquarters and let our expert courses help you master the test!