SAT Mathematics Test
To identify the skills that need extra work, complete a practice SAT
test that gives additional information, and have a look at the evaluation
that is produced and look at the areas where you excelled, and the
areas where struggle was apparent.
Your "critical" math skills will be in the areas where you have made the
most wrong answers on your practice SAT test. Those will be the math
skills that will best help your score in the shortest period of time, if
you manage to practice and better these skills. This is the area in
which you can maximize your score increase potential.
To master your critical math skills, there are certain steps you may
take:
- Find some practice SAT tests and work specifically on the questions that test your critical math skills, practicing the new skills that you have learned in through your review.
- Use textbooks for increased detail, assistance, and question examples for the areas in which you are struggling the most.
- Practice, practice, practice!
The best way to get to learn your math skills is to rehearse them with
as many new sample questions as you can get your hands on. The
questions you do, the more you will become familiar and comfortable
with that type of question, so that you can move on and concentrate
on other areas for perfection.
Mathematical Reasoning
There are two different mathematics sections in the PSAT, each
containing a different kind of question. These are:
- Standard Multiple-Choice
- Hand-calculated responses (with Grid-ins)
Within each section, the questions become increasingly difficult as you
proceed. Therefore, the first few questions will always be much easier
to solve than the last few questions will be.
To give you an idea as to the types of questions presented, please
consider the following examples:
Standard Multiple-Choice
Standard multiple-choice questions are made up of either word
problems, algebraic manipulations, or geometry. Here is a sample of a
word problem:
If one-sixth of all female students at Princeton like chips, and one-
third of Princeton's male students have nachos. Therefore, what
fraction of the entire student population likes chips?
A. 1/9
B. 1/3
C. 5/18
D. 10/18
E. It cannot be determined from the given information
(Note: The answer would be E, this type of question acquaints you with the fact that all question in the SAT do not necessarily have an answer to them!)
Hand-calculated responses (with Grid-ins)
These questions are similar to the Standard Multiple Choice Questions.
The difference is that you acquire the answer and enter it directly on
the grid. These problems are not difficult to solve, and as you become
familiar with them, they do become easier. Basically all you need to
know is how to enter your answers onto the grid.
Here are the rules for grid-ins. Each column represents a digit from your
answer, and each column has a specific purpose.
Also, as both decimals and fractions are acceptable, you don't have to
worry about the format of your answer. For example, the scoring
machine will accept both 0.5 and ½, so feel free to enter whichever
format is most comfortable to you.
However, the grid machine doesn't understand mixed numbers, so if
your answer is 2 ½ then you'll either have to mark it as 5/2 or 2.5.
As the grid does not accept negative answers, you know that none of
the answers will be negatives.
So should your answers be:
1) 5/16 and 2) 5.6
You will properly mark them in in the following way:
Question Types
The test is very consistent with the type of mathematics questions that
it uses, year after year. The following are the types of mathematical
questions that you are likely to encounter:
- Arithmetic
- Divisibility
- Multiplication
- Addition
- Subtraction
- Evens and Odds
- Prime Numbers
- Percents
- Square of a Number
- Exponents
- Roots
- Averages
- Arithmetic
Arithmetic skills refer to the questions that can be solved by using
addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division.
Since calculators are permitted in the test, the questions will obviously
not be purely arithmetic - they're not out to measure your ability with
a calculator. So in this style of question, you'll need to recall your
order of operations. A good trick to recall your order of operations is
"Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" before you say "huh?" recognize
the first letters in this phrase:
- Work within Parenthesis
- Simplify Exponents
- Multiplication and Division
- Addition and Subtraction
The majority of arithmetic questions will require you to take multiple
steps, and will likely test other skills as well, instead of being purely
arithmetic. Often, the questions will be presented in the form of word
problems, where you will need to decide when to add, subtract,
multiply and divide.
For example:
How many egg cartons are needed to hold 300 eggs, if each carton
can hold one dozen (1 dozen = 12)
A. 15
B. 18
C. 22
D. 25
E. 28
Note: the answer is 25
Divisibility
The factors of integer X are the integers by which X can be divided
without leaving a remainder. Thus, X is divisible by its factors.
For example:
The
number 10 is divisible by both 5 and 2. 10 can be divided by both
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