SAT Math Tips to Keep Your Cool Under Pressure

As you begin your journey in the college application process as a high school student, standardized tests can feel like one of the most stressful obstacles ahead.

The math section of the SAT notoriously creates pressure with its time limits, the difficult second module, and the range of topics, spanning from algebra to advanced geometry.

However, the math exam does not just test your knowledge of formulas and theorems; it also relies on your ability to stay calm under pressure and the application of testing strategies.

By learning to manage your time, spot key phrases, and keep a clear head during the exam, you can ace this portion of the SAT. Check out our SAT Math tips to ensure success on test day!

The SAT is a standardized, digital exam that many U.S. colleges and universities use as an admissions tool. The exam takes 2 hours and 14 minutes to complete, along with a 10-minute break, and is scored out of 1600 points. It contains a mix of multiple-choice and student-produced-response questions.

Students can move around questions within a module, flag questions for revisiting, and track their time with an online stopwatch. The testing platform also allows for the use of a built-in graphing calculator, reference sheets for math formulas, and annotation and line-readers for reading passages.

The exam moved online in recent years and is divided into two sections:

1. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

2. Math

Each section of the exam has two modules, and it uses an adaptive format; thus, the difficulty of the second module is determined by a student’s performance on the first. Thus, answering early questions carefully is especially important in this digital format.

Today, we will focus on the Math section. You can read our tips for the English section in this related article.

The SAT math section has two, 35-minute modules, totaling 70 minutes. Each module has 22 questions. Thus, divided equally, each question should take around 95 seconds to answer. However, some questions may take longer to answer, while others may take less time. The math section is worth 800 points of a student’s total SAT score.

Questions on the math section cover a range of topics typically covered in a high school math curriculum, including advanced algebra, geometry, and some trigonometry. Most questions are multiple-choice, but a few require students to write their own answers.

Since the test is adaptive, a strong performance on the earlier questions is essential to making it to the harder version of the second module; accuracy and pacing remain especially important!

Calculators are allowed for the entire math section, and the digital testing platform includes a built-in Desmos graphing calculator.

Here are our tips to help you improve your math score on the SAT:

Stuck on a question? Do you keep working at it or move on?

If you do not know how to answer a question, flag it. Come back later! The SAT digital testing platform, Bluebook, allows testers to mark questions for review with a red flag. At the end of the module, you will be presented with a review page that lets you revisit the questions you flagged.

Do not waste time getting stuck on a question. Move on to make efficient use of your testing time and return to it later. Sometimes working through the other questions can help give you an idea of how to solve problems you skipped initially.

Did you read the question? Is it not making sense? Even after a re-read? What do you do next? How do you understand the problem?

Although with the online format, you cannot mark up the question on the computer, write down your thoughts on a piece of scratch paper. This method can help you get started in the right direction to solving the problem. Sometimes writing down key words and phrases from the problem can spark a move in the right direction. Try drawing a sketch, constructing a table, or making a quick graph.

You don’t need to understand every detail of the problem the first time you read it, so don’t let that stress you out. Just start writing down keywords from the problem to help guide your problem-solving process.

Do you not know the answer? Stumped on whether to put A, B, C, or D?

On the SAT, you are not penalized for wrong answers. You only earn points for correct answers. Always put down an answer for each question, even if you are unsure of it. Take a guess!

Once you have completed the module and are looking over the review page, make sure you have marked an answer for every question. Don’t lose points because you forgot to put down an answer!

Trying to solve a problem, but your answer isn’t represented in the answer choices? Not sure where to start with the problem?

The benefit of multiple-choice questions on the math section of the SAT is that they allow you to solve questions by plugging in the answer choices. This strategy often works for questions that use an equation or involve a word problem represented by an equation.

Plugging in the answer choices into the given equation for the proper variables can help determine which answer choice is correct. By beginning with the answer choices, you can work backwards to choose the right answer!

Nervous about your timing on the math section? Are you worried you will not have time to answer all the questions?

The best way to improve your test pacing is through practice! Utilize the official versions of the digital SAT released by College Board to determine what kind of test-taker you are.

Are you slow? Are you fast? Then time yourself completing practice problems, giving yourself 95 seconds for each math question. This will help you get familiar with the fast pace necessary to complete the math section with ease and comfort.

By practicing pacing yourself on the math section, you will not be caught off guard by the fast pace of the exam on test day. You will be even better prepared!

Wondering if there are any last-minute steps you can take the night before the exam?

The most productive thing you can do the night before the exam is go to bed early! Do not stress yourself out with last-minute cramming. Set aside 30 minutes for review to ease your mind, then eat a filling dinner and get a good night's sleep.

The best preparation you can do for the exam is to study consistently and dedicatedly the weeks leading up to the SAT. No last-minute studying the night before can make up for that!

Many questions surround standardized testing in the college process these days: Should I take the SAT? How many times should I take the exam to try to get the best possible score?

Each student’s college journey is different, so the answers to these questions will vary depending on the student and the colleges you are considering.

Need some help developing a custom plan for your SAT exam prep? Set up a meeting with your college counselor today to discuss our SAT Math tips and find your path forward!