dSAT OVERVIEW

By NguyenDam 2023
WHAT IS SAT?

 The SAT is a standardized test widely used for

college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and
scoring have changed several times.
 For much of its history, it was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test and had two
components, Verbal and Mathematical, each of which was scored on a range
from 200 to 800.
 Later it was called the Scholastic Assessment Test, then the SAT I:
Reasoning Test, then the SAT Reasoning Test, then simply the SAT.
WHY SAT?

 Most colleges and universities will accept scores from either the SAT. That
said, college-bound students are increasingly taking SAT
 Most high school students take the SAT, the ACT, or both during the spring of
their junior year or fall of their senior year. It's important to leave time to re-
take the test if you need to raise your score before you apply to college.
 The SAT exam is offered nationally every year in August, October, November,
December, March, May, and June
INTRODUCTION

 Now that you have made the important decision to head to college/university,
there is one last thing you need to do to achieve your goal-taking the SAT.
Most universities or colleges, including the IVY league schools such as Yale,
Harvard, and others expect you to have a good SAT score to secure admission
in any course of your choice.
 But, there is a major change in how students will give the SAT. The College
Board has decided to transition the famous pencil-and-paper test into a fully
digital one. The College Board's decision to go digital is based on giving a fair
testing experience to students. The digital test will be easier to take, easier
to administer, will be more secure, and more relevant.
 For giving the new test, you need to be aware of the format of the test, the
time that will be given to you to answer each question, the possible
complexity of the questions, and the scoring method employed to assess your
performance in the test. In this chapter, you will discover important
information all that including the SAT policy of inclusive accessibility, the
newly introduced Multistage Adaptive Testing feature, the modular format of
the test, and much more.
 The College Board has also streamlined the method of delivery of the digital
SAT. With the latest test delivery platform for the digital SAT Suite
assessments, students can have access to all their tests and their content, as
wellas enjoy the chance of practicing with the full-length, adaptive practice
test offered for free on the platform so that students can be aware of their
knowledge levels before taking the real tests. More so, every question on the
digital SAT Suite is in a discrete (standalone) format. This indicates that test
takers can answer each question independently. They don't necessarily need
to refer to a common stimulus such as an extended passage.
Customized Test Delivery Platform

 The College Board sets up a customized test delivery platform for the Digital
SAT Suite assessments.
 This platform is designed according to the principles of UDA (Universal Design
for Assessment) and the main goal of it is to make the testing experience
accessible to maximum number of students.
 The most useful features of this platform are that:
 (i) all test takers can have complete access to the tests and their content;
 (ii) students will be able to take full-length, adaptive practice tests for free
on the platform so that they can assess their knowledge levels or have an
understanding of similar test materials before attempting the real tests
Multistage Adaptive Testing

 The College Board is changing from a linear testing mode, which has been the
primary mode of SAT administration to an adaptive mode.
 The main difference between the linear and adaptive testing modes is that
for the linear testing mode, students are given a test form that contains some
questions that have already been set before the test day and do not change
during testing, irrespective of the student's performance.
 On the other hand, the adaptive testing model makes it possible for the test
delivery platform to adjust the questions' difficulty level based on the
performance of the individual test takers. Therefore, each student will be
giventest questions that match their level of understanding
 This adaptive test mode used for the Digital SAT Suite is known as Multistage
Adaptive Testing (MST). The MST is administered in 2 stages, and each stage
comprises a module or set of questions. The first module consists of test
questions with different ranges of difficulty levels (easy, medium, and hard).
The performance of the test takers in the first module is appropriately
assessed, and the results are used to determine the level of difficulty of
questions to be administered to them in the second module.
 The set of an administered first-stage module and its second-stage module
are referred to as a panel.
Overview of SAT Math

The format of this part of the exam

 Both sections will begin with multiple-choice questions, each of which will
feature four answer choices.
 Then, you’ll be asked for some student-produced responses, more
commonly known as "grid-ins." You won’t have answer choices for these
and will need to fill in the correct answer yourself. On the calculator section,
some of these grid-ins will relate to one another as part of an Extended
Thinking question.
 #1: Know What Math You’ll Be Tested On
• Problem Solving and Data Analysis
• Basic Algebra
• Ratios and proportions
• Linear functions
• Scatterplots and graphs
• Single variable equations
• Categorical data and probabilities
• Systems of linear equations • Experimental interpretation
• Absolute value • Medan, median, mode, standard deviation
• Advanced Algebra • Additional Topics
• Manipulating polynomials • Coordinate geometry - lines and slopes
• Quadratic equations • Coordinate geometry - nonlinear functions
• Dividing polynomials • Geometry - circles
• Exponential functions • Geometry - lines and angles
• Function notation • Geometry - solid geometry
• Solving exponential equations • Geometry - triangles and polygons

• Systems of equations with nonlinear equations • Trigonometry

• Complex numbers
#2: Memorize Common Formulas and Math Facts

On SAT Math, 12 important formulas with be included at the

beginning of both math sections.

You can refer to these formulas throughout SAT Math, but if

you're flipping to the front of the section every time you need to
look up a formula, you’ll be wasting valuable time. It's best to have
all the formulas memorized before exam day.
You are only given geometry formulas
 Slopes and Graphs

Slope formula
The equation of a line is written as:
Given two
y=mx+b
points, A(x1,y1),B(x2,y2),
find the slope of the line that
connects them: • m is the slope of the line.
Gradient/slope • b is the y-intercept (the point where
m= = the line hits the y-axis).
• If the line passes through the
Equation:
origin (0,0), the line is written
y – y1 = m (x-x1) as y=mx.
 Circles

Length of an arc Radian

π radians =180°
So 1 radian =180°/π =57.2958...°

(approximately)
 To go from radians to degrees: multiply by
Area of an arc sector 180, divide by π
 To go from degrees to radians: multiply by π,
divide by 180
Circles
radians to degrees: multiply by 180, divide by π

Radians Radians
Degrees
(exact) (approx)

30° π/6 0.524

degrees to radians: multiply by π, divide by 180 45° π/4 0.785

60° π/3 1.047

90° π/2 1.571

180° π 3.142

270° 3π/2 4.712

360° 2π 6.283
…..so prioritize memorizing your algebra and
trigonometry formulas before test day
 The "General" Quadratic
Before graphing
we rearrange the equation, from
this:
f(x) = ax2 + bx + c

To this:
f(x) = a(x-h)2 + k

Where:
•h = −b/2a
•k = f( h )

Symmetry line:
x= -b/2a
Averages Probabilities
#3: Take High-Quality Practice Tests

 The absolute best source for SAT Math questions is the

official SAT Tests

 A Quick Intro to SAT Practice Tests

I've divided the sources of SAT practice tests into a few categories based on
what version of the SAT the tests follow. There are three basic versions:
• SAT (2016 to present, out of 1600)
• Old SAT (pre-2016, out of 2400)
• Very old SAT (pre-2005, out of 1600)
 #4: Learn From Your Mistakes
 It’s not enough to work your way through dozens, or even hundreds of practice
problems. Afterward, you need to analyze each of the questions you
answered. Every mistake you made on a test happens for a reason. If you don't
understand exactly why you missed that question, you'll make that mistake over and
over again.

 For each practice test or question set that you take, mark every question that
you're unsure about. When you correct your answers, review every question you got
wrong and every question you marked you were unsure of. This way even if you
guessed on a question correctly, you'll make sure to review it.
#5: Retry Questions You Got Wrong Before Looking at the
Answer Explanation

 When you get a question wrong, the first thing you probably do is look to see what the correct
answer is and then read through the answer explanation. However, this isn’t the best way to study
for SAT Math! This is passive learning; you’re not actively engaging with the mistake you made.

 We recommend a different approach. Find the correct answer choice (A-D) as you normally
would, but don't look at the explanation. Instead, try to re-solve the question to see if knowing
what the correct answer is can help you figure out the correct way to solve the question.

 When this happens, and you do end up correctly solving the problem, what you learned will
stick in your mind much longer than if you had just read the answer explanation. Because
you've actively worked to solve the problem and reached a breakthrough, you retain that
information much better than if you just passively absorbed the information. It’s one of the best
ways to learn from your mistakes and really shore up your weak areas.
#6: Focus Your Studying on Areas You Struggle the
Most In

The most effective way to study is not to just review all the
material you can; it’s to target your studying so you’re
spending the most time on the areas where you need the
most improvement.

This is where knowing what subjects SAT Math tests and taking
practice tests comes into play. If you know you’re solid on, say,
algebra, but consistently get geometry questions wrong, you should
be devoting much more time to studying geometry concepts and
answering geometry practice problems than you spend studying
algebra
 #7: Underline Key Parts of the Question

 This is one of the best SAT Math tricks to use if you’ve been making careless mistakes and
getting questions wrong even though you know how to solve them. For every question,
underline what you need to find in the question so you don’t get confused during the
calculation process.

For this question, I’d underline “$300 plus 20 percent of his sales,” “$sales and the same
compensation,” and “compensation” at the end to remind me that was what I was looking
for. That’s the key information you need to know, and seeing it in small chunks can make it
easier to understand and remember compared to looking at a block of text. (The correct answer
is 700,200 plus 25 percent of her sales,” “same amount of by the way.
 #8: Be Aware of Your Time
 First, know how much time you have. For the No Calculator section, you’ll have 25
minutes to answer 20 questions. That gives you about 75 seconds per question. For the
Calculator section, you’ll have 55 minutes to answer 38 questions. Also remember that the
final questions in each section are grid-in, and they often take longer to answer.

 The best way to get faster on SAT Math is to do a lot of practice. As you answer more
practice questions, you’ll become familiar with the style of questions asked on SAT Math and
the types of tricks the test writers try to use.

 If you’ve been working on a problem for over a minute and still have no idea how to
solve it, mark it in your test booklet as one to come back to and move on
 #9: Make Sure You Solve for the Correct Value

 The writers of the SAT love using this trick: have students solve a math problem
(typically a long one so the question’s instructions aren’t as fresh in their mind), then,
once they’ve solved for the variable, they confidently mark their answer, but get it
wrong! What happened? They didn’t solve for the variable the question asked for.
#10: Show Your Work

 You won’t get partial credit on SAT Math the way you can in school, but showing
your work on the SAT can help you keep your thought process straight and
reduce the chance of careless errors.

 Write out any calculations you do, as well as the steps to solve other
problems, whether you’re solving for x or simplifying a multi-variable
expression. Many of the No Calculator problems require multiple steps, so
writing out your work will help you keep track of your thinking and avoid errors.
 #11: Know When to Put the Calculator Down
or use the calculator in suitable mode
 You’re allowed a calculator for the majority of SAT Math questions, but that doesn’t always
mean you should use it

 In fact, every SAT Math question can be solved without a calculator, as the makers of the
exam didn’t want to give students without access to a calculator an unfair disadvantage. A
calculator just makes solving some of the questions faster and easier.

 Also, keep in mind that if your answer isn’t a whole number, your calculator will give you the
answer as a decimal, while some questions require answers in fraction form. This means
you’ll waste time converting from decimals to fractions, and you always want to use your
time wisely on the SAT.
 Mode shift (degree --- radian; decimal---fraction)
 Find solutions before factorization
SAT Math Tricks for Multiple-Choice Questions
#12: Eliminate 3 Wrong Answers

 The most important rule to remember for SAT Math (as well as all other SAT multiple-choice
questions) is that there is only one correct answer for each question; the other three answer
choices are irrefutably wrong

 This means that your number one strategy on the test is to use the process of
elimination. If you're struggling with finding the correct solution to a question, try to find reasons
to rule out most of the answers rather than reasons why certain options could work. All incorrect
choices are incorrect for good reasons, and it’s your job to find those reasons until you narrow
your answers down to one possibility.
 #13: Plug-In Answers to Solve Problems
 Sometimes you may find yourself confronted with a problem that you have no idea how to
approach or that you think it will take too long to solve algebraically. Other times, you may
just want to be absolutely you have the right answer to a question and didn’t make a
careless mistake along the way. When this happens, plugging in the answers is one of
the best SAT Math tricks to use to make sure you get the right answer.
 Now, which answer choice should you plug in first? Notice that the SAT always presents you
with answer choices in order from least to greatest (or, on rare occasions, greatest to
least). We always recommend you start with answer choice C.
Plug in C: C is not correct.
y+z must be positive

Try D - not correct

Try E  Correct
#14: Choose a Single Letter for All the Questions You Can’t
Solve

 It’s not uncommon for there to be several SAT Math questions that you just can’t solve. Don’t get
discouraged by this! What you can do however, is maximize the potential of gaining extra points by
guessing correctly on problems you couldn’t solve.

 The best way to up your odds of randomly choosing the right answer is to pick a letter and
use it to answer all the questions you’re guessing on. It can be any letter A-D (despite what you
may have heard, C isn’t the most common correct answer), just make sure you use it for all
questions you guess on (after you eliminate any obviously wrong answers).
#15: Know How to Fill in Answers for plug-in questions
Here are the rules for answering multiple choice questions:
• Fill in no more than one option per question
• You’ll never include pi in your answer; you’ll use a decimal. For example, 3π would
be written as 9.425.
• Some questions will have more than one answer (they’ll typically tell you that in
the question). Only options in one answer. For example, if you’re asked for one
value of x, which makes (x−1)(x−3)=0, then the answers are x=3 or x=1, and you’d
have to choose to grid in either 1 or 3.
 #16: Plug-In Numbers to Solve Problems
 With grid-in problems, you won’t have a set of potential answers to plug-in the way you do
with multiple-choice questions. However, you can plug in values you choose to make
solving some of these questions easier.

 v shows up in the middle equation. We can also see that v=4t, so let's give v a number that is
divisible by 4 take v=8  plug in  t=2, x=24 p=12
 Test with different v: v=12
 p=12
Final answer: 12
Summary: SAT Tips and Tricks for Math
 #1: Know What Math You’ll Be Tested On
 #2: Memorize Common Formulas and Math Facts
 #3: Take High-Quality Practice Tests
 #4: Learn From Your Mistakes
 #5: Retry Questions You Got Wrong Before Looking at the Answer Explanation
 #6: Focus Your Studying on Areas You Struggle the Most In
 #7: Underline Key Parts of the Question
 #8: Be Aware of Your Time
 #9: Make Sure You Solve for the Correct Value
 #10: Show Your Work
 #11: Know When to Put the Calculator Down or use calculator to support your work
 #12: Eliminate 3 Wrong Answers
 #13: Plug-In Answers to Solve Problems
 #14: Choose a Single Letter for All the Questions You Can’t Solve
 #15: Know How to Fill in Answers for Questions
 #16: Plug-In Numbers to Solve Problems
PRACTICE
PRACTICE
AND PRACTICE!
Thank you for your attention!