How To Boost Your SAT Math Scores

Most SAT aspirants hear of the troubles that the SAT Math section can bring to their preparation and learning plans. But why is the SAT Math section dreaded for its complication? The test intends to test the student’s reasoning abilities apart from their knowledge of high school mathematical concepts and skills. And this sounds reasonably normal for a test. Let’s take a deeper and more technical look at how this section of the SAT functions.

Boosting your scores is not possible without disciplined learning strategies or in the absence of dedicated mentorship. At Miles Smart Tutoring, our online math tutors have incorporated learning methods into their classes that have long proven to be part of SAT exam success stories. These score-assuring math courses can even be from a math tutor near your locality.

Working along with your online math tutor to improve your scores can guarantee your SAT exam goals. Below are a few practically tried and tested points that we think have helped students and tutors like scoring what they have aimed for.

1.Understand the intention behind the test

The first step for the SAT aspirant would be to look into the intention behind the SAT Math test before dwelling on practice tests. The College Board has listed the following subjects to be the crux of this section,

• Linear equations, functions, and inequalities, including linear patterns in word problems;
• Polynomial expressions and functions, quadratic equations and functions, and parabolas;
• Ratios, rates, and percentages, including averages and probability.

These topics will be tested under Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, Problem Solving and Data Analysis (all official categories), or Additional Topics, which intends to test one’s skills in geometry, trigonometry, and imaginary numbers. Apart from equations like the circle equation, the quadratic formula, and the distance-rate-time equation, the SAT’s math section carries essential mathematical formulas that students can use to solve questions.

If you wish to score high in the SAT math test, you should be aware of questions that have appeared in the past SAT papers to know how the test works. This is possible in private SAT tutoring sessions, where the tutor ensures that the student gets the best exposure to these past papers to understand the test’s nuances better. The best SAT prep tutors would agree that students who know why these questions and topics are asked will automatically learn how to plan their prep better.

2. Practical usage of the calculator

It is recommended that students use calculators that comply with the College Board’s policies. You can solve most of the SAT’s math questions with graphing calculators. Our online SAT tutoring emphasizes the importance of knowing how to use the calculator and when. Students tend to overlook the time management needed in such situations. Those who have had lesser practice might attend the test under the impression that a calculator could simplify their test, but it can prove otherwise.

Math tutors have a flare for shortcut methods that are required when time is not a luxury. Students are expected to keep stock of similar tricks to have a smoother experience without exhausting their time. The graphing calculator becomes handy in such situations.

3. Jotting down things when it gets tricky

This is not stressed enough. We all have faced difficult questions that can make us stressed during a test. The best trick is to write things down in the rough-use sheet. If the question revolves around finding the variables, then bring up tables to jot down values that are to be applied to a function.

Work closely with your SAT math tutor to know how to organize such tables or solution methods. Sketching or making small diagrams for solving trigonometric or geometric problems are always suitable methods to help you cruise through such turbulent questions. These are to help you declutter any confusing question and ensure that you know where the pain points are.

4. PITA and PIN for indirect questions

PITA (Plugging In The Answers, also called guess-and-check method) and PIN (Plugging In Numbers) can be used to help you solve indirect questions and in situations where your direct solving strategies might not prove fruitful.

PITA method or the guess-and-check is for questions that require you to form an equation from a situation or in word problems that require the perusal of multiple possible answers. The guess-and-check method is popular for student-produced questions or “grid-ins.” You could reverse-engineer by aligning the solutions to see if it fits the situation or information given.

The PIN is helpful for questions that require solving variables by having a list of possible numbers to solve the equation. This would require a trial and error approach where substituting your list of numbers could throw light on the solution.

5. Common sense must prevail

The best SAT math tutors could stress on a long list of functional equations and tricks that can come in handy. But any online or private math tutor will agree that when all else fails, common sense must prevail. This is true, especially in questions that might get ambiguous. These could come in the form of ‘hidden rules’ that are to be observed by the reader.

Action in such situations is to re-read the question multiple times to recollect everything you have learned and help open up to more common sense. Being fearless of word problems is a task, but grammatical rules are obeyed while framing a mathematical question. It is imperative to know basic grammar rules for mathematical questions. The instinct to answer complicated questions comes only through common sense, extensive practice, and presence of mind. Before you start your online math tutoring sessions, try and find different learning material sources that revolve around such ambiguous questions. We are sure that your private math tutor would be ready to help in practicing and solving these questions.

Wrapping up, we believe that students with the experience of appearing for the SAT exam more than once possess the knowledge of how the Math section can influence your score. This experience can help in reshaping your preparation plans through an online SAT tutoring class or while preparing under the mentorship of a private SAT math tutor.

The key is to stay focused and to remain ambitious to achieve a scholarship or dream admission. our SAT prep tutors look for these qualities in students while helping them achieve their dream.