How To Get A 800 On the Math Section Help? (NOT A GUIDE)

<p>My math scores have been stuck in the 600 range, and I don’t know what to do to get it to at least a 700+. I have tried everything, but to no avail. If everyone could give me some advice and what worked for them, I would really really appreciate it.</p>

<ol>
<li>Learn the material</li>
<li>Go over your mistakes</li>
<li>Have your calculator do the work for you</li>
<li>Once you’re in the 700s, just don’t make silly mistakes such as putting 49 adults leaving instead of 50… Saturday PSAT test takers will know what I mean.
Step 5-800. Be extremely proud of yourself.</li>
</ol>

<p>If you are able to get your hands on a graphing calculator or have one already, use it to your advantage. When I take the Math SAT, my brain shuts down the ‘basic math’ portion of itself, and so I end up making my calculator do simple things like ‘180-70-20’, because in my opinion, it’s not worth the time to try to work through that when I could be thinking about relationships in the next question. Speaking from a TI-user standpoint, learn how to manipulate the table settings (specifically the tblset->ind variable->ask) setting to do work in tables. Draw lots of pictures, put things in graphing mode, and most importantly, don’t let a question freak you out. If there’s a section you tend to dislike and panic on (mine was geometry), do a lot of targeted review. There are also strategies that work when you just don’t know the math (plain plugging answer choices in, if possible, drawing pictures, making up numbers for variables (as long as you don’t use 1 and 2 and check against fractional cases)) to help you out there.</p>

<p>At this point, you also shouldn’t be skipping any questions, if your goal is to get into the 700s. SimplyBMW’s right in that once you get to about the 700+s, you are already going to know the material, and at that point, overcoming test anxiety and not panicking is key.</p>

<p>Well, If I don’s know the material what is the BEST way to learn it? Is it through some workbooks that you have personally used, or an alternative method that you think would be more effective?</p>

<p>The best way to learn SAT Math is to do SAT math problems! </p>

<p>The math only spans up to geometry and basic algebra, so it should not be difficult to recall the formulas. What IS tricky, however, is the way of thinking you must utilize in order to ace the SAT Math - and this is a skill that can only grow from practice!</p>

<p>and the best way to practice is to…</p>

<p>SimplyBMW: Your step 4 makes me feel ashamed of myself. =( Yep, I took the PSATs on Saturday… Failure on my part.</p>

<p>anyone else???</p>

<p>Keep on doing practice problems. You should also look over the BB’s math section. It provides a good refresher for all the material on the SAT.</p>

<p>okay…I guess I’m going to do Dr. Chung’s book…and see how that goes.</p>

<p>Yeah just practice like crazy…but Dr. Chung is a bit excessive. I thought that he was great for Math II, but his SAT I problems are a little too hard.</p>

<p>I would suggest doing all the math sections in CB and PR practice tests, and if you finish those maybe get some PSAT books and do the math in those (it’s very similar).</p>

<p>I learned how to program my calculator to do things like the distance formula, slopes, and a multitude of other common problems on the SAT. Things like that really help.</p>

<p>@simplyBMW, could you teach me how to do that? Did you just download programs off the internet for your calculator, or did you create the programs yourself?</p>

<p>just practicing. keep practicing your math. everytime you get a problem wrong, see why it’s wrong. i went from 660 to 740 with practice, and only practice (and maybe a little geometry class)</p>

<p>anyone have any tips on how to program the calculator??</p>