Prep for Math II and SAT Math at the same time?

alwaysawriter
Sat, 29 Dec 2012 21:02:01 +0000

What are your individual subject strengths? Do you excel in either English or math? What English class are you currently taking? Are you in AP Biology this year? And like mywhimsy pointed out, what math class are you currently taking?

Depending on how well you multitask and how much time you’ve got, it will probably be easier for you to concentrate on the SAT I for the next few months and then focus on the Subject Tests afterward. Three Subject Tests is a lot of material to cram in at the same time as SAT prep.

Some commentary about the Literature Subject Test and whether it is “really hard”: If you are currently enrolled in AP English Language/Literature and are doing well, or if you’ve already taken one of these AP exams and done well, then the Literature Subject Test should not be frightening to you. Being a naturally critical reader/writer also helps boost your chances a bit–do you like reading? However, the fact that this is a standardized test means that College Board goes out of its way to deliberately make the test difficult, so that underperformers are weeded out. I say this because I have always been an English person, and I love reading and writing, and I scored a pathetic 640 on my first crack at the Literature test. The best preparation for the Literature test, I would argue, is continuous, intense practice. And if you’re not typically an avid or critical reader, then this test will be much more difficult, too.

And some commentary on SAT I Math vs. the Math II Subject Test: SAT I Math tests ridiculously basic skills like fractions, geometry, and algebra. Honestly, by the time you’re in 9th or 10th grade, you’ve learned everything you need for the Math sections of the SAT. But once again, since the SAT is a standardized test, the questions are deliberately designed to trick you and throw you off. And once again, having a natural aptitude or liking for math will help you score a little higher than others might, because that natural ability means you’ll understand the questions a little faster (same for Lit). Practice is the key to scoring better and recognizing little mistakes like not reading the question correctly or rushing through your work.

On the other hand, the Math II Subject Test provides thorough coverage of a Precalculus course and it even throws in one or two questions about limits. So if you’re not in Precal right now, then Math II is a bad idea, because there will be a lot of material that you’ve never seen before. SAT Math is about skills you’ve already learned, while Math II makes sure that you have a thorough understanding of new material that you have to study in Precal. And natural ability will be a huge help for scoring higher on Math II. I know a student who took an accelerated math track (9th gr: Algebra II with Trig; 10th gr: Precal; 11th gr: AP Calculus) and she still struggled on the Math II test.

In general, for these kinds of standardized tests…Extensive practice and review of the subject matter will help you do well, while whatever natural talent you have in a particular subject or skill is what will propel your score into the highest ranges.

@mywhimsy: Even if you’ve taken Precal or higher, the fact that Math II is also a standardized test designed to weed out underperformers means that the test can still be quite difficult for those who are not mathematically inclined. (see above)