Surviving the Math SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)

I have tutored high-schoolers in SAT Math preparation for some two years. My approach is definitely anti-"No Child Left Behind." I ensure that my students know the math, not just the tricks to solving certain types of problems. In this article, I'm going to share some of what I tell my students.

First, recognize that the test creators have failed both Art/Drawing and English. They can't draw figures to scale and their word problems are sometimes (no, make that often) incomprehensible. Thus, you need to read each question carefully. It is what you know, as well as what you don't know, that counts. List both knowns and unknowns. Then, even if a figure is provided, draw your own. Annotate and label it to help you figure out what additional information might be known. Many times, your figure can actually guide you toward a solution.

I love technology; but for the SAT, I want my students to know how to do things the old-fashioned way. This helped Wayne, one of my more dedicated tutees, when he inadvertently left his calculator in his car on SAT day. He had no choice but to compute by hand. The result was his highest ever SAT math score!

Most SAT questions are multi-step and involve tapping into many facets of your math knowledge base. Initially, the problem may, therefore, appear daunting. Instead of panicking, break up the problem into manageable pieces. Sometimes this involves going forward; sometimes working the problem backward; and sometimes going both ways. Even though your teachers may have discouraged this, note that most math problems have many correct routes to solution.

Always be careful when negative numbers are around. I like to make the minus sign darker using the turned edge of a pencil or overwriting the sign several times. In this way, the sign doesn't get lost.

If you go through your work step-by-step and show what you've done, then double-checking your work is easier. If time permits, check the answer you get by putting it back into an original equation or figure.

For multiple-choice questions, you can always look to eliminate obviously incorrect answers. You may have to do this by finding out how one of the parameters of the problem is not met by the choices shown. It can also involve incorrect signs (plus versus minus), answers that are flipped (1/5 versus 5) or problems that have obvious order of magnitude errors. For the SAT, where guessing may result in penalties, reduce your choices to 2 or 3 before taking the guessing plunge. By making more educated guesses, statistically, you should gain points overall.

The bottom line is that you really want to be selfish and keep as many give away points from the SAT test scorers as possible. This means not making careless errors (or as they say in tennis, keeping those unforced errors to a minimum).

Finally, think through each problem and always follow the K.I.S.S. Principle (Keep It Simple, Smarty).

By learning math concepts and then carefully and methodically tackling the test, you should be able to easily add 100 to 200 points to your math SAT score.