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SAT Math Posts

SAT Math: What to Expect

By posted February 7, 2012

Get to know the structure of SAT Math before test day so there are no surprises!  It’s a great idea to know the directions ahead of time so you can get started answering questions right away on the real thing.

Timing: SAT Math is comprised of two 25 minute sections with approximately 20 questions and one 20 minute section with 16 questions.  Some questions will be strictly computational and take only seconds to complete; others could take up to a few minutes.  If you are totally baffled by a question or have been working on it for too long, move on to an easier question and come back to it at the end if you have time.  Each question is worth the same amount, so don’t waste your time on one question you might not even answer correctly.

Try this SAT math practice question and test your quantitative skills!

Format: There are two question type formats, multiple choice and student-produced response.  For multiple choice you will select one out of five answers.  For student-produced response, you will not be given any choices and will have to write your answer in a grid on the answer sheet, as well as fill in the corresponding bubbles.

Content Overview: The math section covers arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability.  So don’t sweat it if you never made it to calculus!  You will be given some basic formulas to refer to, such as the area of a triangle and the volume of a cylinder.  Refer to the collegeboard.com website to see exactly which formulas appear on the test so you don’t have to worry about memorizing them.

SAT Math has the least variety of question formats for you to learn, so you can focus on brushing up on math concepts, practicing solving problems, and learning relevant strategies.

Find out how you can get customized tutoring on SAT to hone your skills with a Grockit tutor.

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The SAT Essay: What to Expect

By posted February 1, 2012

The thought of writing an essay before delving into three hours of multiple-choice testing might send shudders down your spine, but the more you know about the SAT essay, the less daunting it will seem.  Read on to learn all the basics of the SAT essay.

Timing: The essay portion of the SAT comes first on the test.  You will have 25 minutes to read the prompt, decide on your viewpoint, brainstorm, outline, write, and proofread your essay.  Whew, that’s a lot in such a short time!  Obviously steps such as outlining are going to be very condensed versions of what you would do with a take-home essay for school, and some steps you may have to skip altogether.  Definitely write timed practiced essays at home before the big day so you’re prepared for what a time crunch it can be.

Format: You will be given a short paragraph relating to the prompt, usually a quotation from a historical figure, literature, etc.  Don’t ignore this information!  It can give you valuable ideas for your essay.  This will be followed by the prompt itself, which will ask you to formulate a point of view on an issue and support that viewpoint with examples and analysis.  You will be writing your essay on the lined pages provided.

Content Overview: Read through old SAT essay prompts to get an idea of the type of topics the test makers typically use.  You can find the most recent ones at collegeboard.com.  You will find a common thread through the prompts of “life’s big questions,” covering everything from ambition to honesty.  Every prompt will tell you to use examples from “your reading, studies, experience, or observations.”  Go into the essay armed with several examples from these areas that you feel comfortable writing about to support a thesis.

Now that you know the basics of the SAT essay, start writing!  Find out how Grockit’s expert tutors can help you to critique your practice essays so that you can learn from your mistakes.

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SAT Math: Qualitative Behavior of Graphs and Functions

By posted October 25, 2011

Harder SAT Math questions might ask you how a graph or function changes when its equation is adjusted. For example, a line with the equation y = 4x + 2 will be two places higher on the y-axis than a graph with the equation y = 4x. On the SAT, you will need to identify whether the x-coordinate or the y-coordinate is changing, and use the rules in the table to correctly identify the new graph.

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Note that if the change in the equation is that x is multiplied or divided, then the slope of the equation will be affected, and the shape of the linear equation will change. Remember that for the x-coordinate, even when we are adding to the x-coordinate, the graph will shift to the left (in the negative direction on the x-axis). It’s almost the opposite of what you’d expect! If you are ever in any doubt about the rules of translation, you can always pick values for x and plug them into the new function!

Let’s check out a couple of these Qualitative Behavior questions from the Grockit question bank!

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SAT Math Practice: How to Find the Perimeter of a Polygon

By posted October 20, 2011

A polygon is a many-sides figure whose sides are straight lines. The perimeter of a polygon is the sum of the lengths of its sides. A regular polygon has side lengths that are all equal. The number of sides a polygon has determines its name. A triangle has 3 sides. A quadrilateral has four sides. A pentagon has five sides, and a hexagon has six sides. A square is a special type of quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same measure and whose interior angles are each equal to 90 degrees. These four types of polygons (triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon, and hexagon) are the ones you’ll see the most often on the SAT. Let’s try an easy-level question from Grockit’s SAT database:

Question 1: A triangle in the xy-plane has vertices at the coordinates (2,1), (6,1), and (6,6). What is the triangle’s perimeter?

Since two coordinates share an x-value and two coordinates share a y-value, we can tell this triangle is a right triangle, so we can quickly find the lengths of the horizontal and vertical legs by subtracting the x- and y-coordinates. The leg with endpoints (2, 1) and (6, 1) is 6 – 2 = 4 units long, and the leg with endpoints (6, 6) and (6, 1) is 6 – 1 = 5 units long.

Check out this article for advise on how to find an area of a polygon.

To find the length of the hypotenuse, we need to apply the Pythagorean theorem: c2 = a2 + b2
c2 = (4)2 + (5)2 c2 = 41

c = √41

Since the sides of the triangle are 4, 5, and √41, the triangle’s perimeter is equal to 4 + 5 + √41 =

9 + √41 units. Sometimes perimeter questions will involve figures that have already been drawn for you:

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Fractions & Rational Numbers on the SAT

By posted October 17, 2011

Fractions are one of the important building blocks of SAT Math. All fractions are rational numbers. A rational number is a number that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers. Therefore all integers are also rational numbers. Rational numbers either have no decimal (4/1), or have a terminating or repeating decimal (1/4 = .25, 1/3 = .3333).

Try this SAT math question for practice!

Equivalent fractions are fractions that simplify to the same form. For example, 6/8, and ¾. In a fraction, when you multiply the numerator and the denominator by the same non-zero integer, it’s like multiplying the entire fraction by 1. The value of the fraction doesn’t change.

To simplify fractions, you need to understand the LCM, lowest common multiple, and the LCD, least common denominator. The LCD is the LCM (the smallest number that is also a multiple of both integers). For example, if we were to solve: 2/3 + ¼  – 1/2. The LCD is going to be the smallest number that 3, 4, and 2 divide into evenly. Since 2 is already a factor of 4, we can choose 12. Since 3, 4, and 2 will all evenly divide into 12.

When you multiply fractions, you can multiply the numerators straight across, then the denominators straight across. Before you multiply, you can also cancel out numbers across the numerators and denominators. For example: 1/5 * 5/6 * 12/2 * 1/3 = ?. One way to start if by crossing out the 5 in the denominator of the first fraction, and the 5 in the numerator of the second fraction. That gives us:

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SAT Practice: How to Find the Area of a Polygon on the SAT

By posted September 19, 2011

Polygons can be a confusing concept for SAT students with even a strong grasp of Geometry because they don’t appear as often as triangles, circles, and other geometric shapes. You’re likely to find a polygon question towards the end of a SAT Math section as it’s considered a more challenging concept. Let’s review a few basic properties and then learn how to calculate the area for one!

Find out how you can Collaborate with your peers to reinforce your knowledge and theirs on Grockit today!

A polygon is a many-sided closed figure whose sides are straight lines. A regular polygon has sides of equal length.

Every time you add a side to a polygon, you add 180 degrees to the sum of its interior angles. That is why a triangle has a sum of 180 (3 sides), a square has a sum of 360 (4 sides), and so on.

The area of a square is side x side. The area of a rectangle is length x width. But what about for shapes with more than 4 sides?

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Multiple Choice on the SAT: How to Use the Answer Choices

By posted September 6, 2011

Contrary to what you may think, the answer choices on the SAT are not designed to trap or trick you! We may describe them as “tricky” or “tempting” but seeing the answer choices can actually be a huge asset on Test Day. After all, we know that 1 of the 5 must be correct! Unlike grid-ins, we can often utilize the answer choices in problem solving questions to help us find the solution and get better SAT scores overall. Here are 5 ways you can make the answer choices work for you on your SAT Test!

For Writing question, remember that “No Error” is a strong option. For Identifying Sentence Error test questions, parts of a sentence are underlined. For this SAT question, Choice (E) is “No Error.” There is not always going to be an error. In fact, about 1/4th of the time, “No Error” is correct! Trust your instincts. If a sentence “sounds” okay, and you’ve checked the other four choices and found no grammatical mistake, the SAT alternative is choice E.

Eliminate (-) or (+) choices in Sentence Completions using your prediction. On test day, don’t simply read the sentence and plug in the answer choices, re-reading the SAT sentence five times. Identify the keywords that relate to the blank and write in your OWN word for the blanks, or at least predict whether the blank is a (+) or (-) word. Ace these tricky SAT questions by then eliminating answer choices that contain words with the opposite word charge!

Find out how Grockit can predict your performance on the SAT

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SAT Geometry and Measurement: Definitions to Memorize

By posted August 26, 2011

The SAT Math predominantly tests both Algebra and Geometry. Knowing the following definitions is essential to improve your SAT Math scores. You can apply these basics to all levels of SAT test questions. Remember to look for these Geometry building-blocks inside larger figures on test day!

An angle is formed by two lines or line segments which intersect at one point. The point of intersection is called the vertex. Angles are measured in either degrees or radians.

Try this SAT math question for practice!

An acute angle is an angle whose measurement in degrees is between 0 and 90. A right angle is an angle whose measurement in degrees is exactly 90. An obtuse angle is an angle whose degree measure is between 90 and 180. A straight angle is an angle whose degree measure is exactly 180 degrees.

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When are the 2012 SAT test dates?

By posted August 17, 2011

The SAT is offered 7 times a year. You should be familiar with the college application deadlines for the schools you will be applying to and decide which SAT test date to register for. Most students will take the SAT the spring of their junior year and some will take the test again, or the first time, the fall of their senior year. Make use of SAT test prep to help familiarize yourself with the SAT before test day by knowing the SAT test structure and content tested.

2012 SAT test dates:

Exam Date:          Register By:            Late Registration:

1/28/2012              12/30/2011                  1/11/2012

3/10/2012              02/10/2012                  2/22/2012

5/05/2012              4/06/2012                   4/18/2012

6/02/2012              5/08/2012                   5/16/2012

TBD                            TBD                            TBD

TBD                            TBD                            TBD

TBD                            TBD                            TBD

Check out this SAT Identifying Sentence Errors question. Good luck!

Register to take the SAT at collegeboard.org

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When are the 2011 SAT test dates?

By posted August 3, 2011

The SAT if offered 7 times a year. You should be familiar with the college application deadlines for the schools you will be applying to and decide which SAT test date to register for. Most students will take the SAT the spring of their junior year and some will take the test again, or the first time, the fall of their senior year. Make sure of SAT test prep to help familiarize yourself with the SAT before test day by knowing the SAT test structure and content tested.

2011 SAT test dates:

Exam Date:          Register By:            Late Registration:

1/22/2011              12/23/2010                  1/07/2011

3/12/2011              02/11/2011                  2/25/2011

5/07/2011              4/08/2011                   4/22/2011

6/04/2011              5/06/2011                   5/20/2011

10/01/2011            9/09/2011                   9/21/2011

11/05/2011           10/07/2011                 10/19/2011

12/03/2011          11/08/2011                  11/16/2011

Test your SAT skills on this SAT sentence correction question. Good luck!

Register to take the SAT at collegeboard.org

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