SAT Harder or Easier Today Than In Your Day?

ucbalumnus
Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:00:23 +0000

The “normal sequence” for math in US schools is:

9th grade: algebra 1
10th grade: geometry
11th grade: algebra 2
12th grade: precalculus/trigonometry
college: calculus, if needed for major

The actual math on the SAT comes from algebra 1 and geometry, with maybe a little from algebra 2.

Remember that the students on this forum are not representative of the typical students in US high schools, since a lot of them report being two years ahead (i.e. calculus in 11th grade) or feeling that they are “behind” if they only reach calculus in 12th grade. Such advanced students obviously did take the “SAT math” courses in middle school, but if they are that advanced, they should have no trouble remembering those topics, which they use regularly in more advanced math courses that they are taking anyway.