<p>I studied for 2 weeks straight for the Dec SAT (in addition to studying in the past), math only, and my score still went down 10 points! I only got a 650. The practice tests I took indicated I would do a lot better than that. My CR went up a lot and my writing is also better. But when I see people’s scores on here their math scores are always higher than writing and CR. Why?</p>
<p>I don’t think I’m horrible at math, I got a 5 on AP Calc so that should mean I’m decent shouldn’t it? :l</p>
<p>I think that’s only true on CC… in real life, everyone seems to do worst on the math section. My boyfriend got a 600 on SAT math (first try no studying) but wins all sorts of math awards, A+ in every honors/AP math class at the school. It’s just a certain type of math that tries to trick you. Try ACT, the math is both more advanced and straightforward!</p>
<p>Math was also my weakest. I got a 610 on math, which is laughably bad in comparison to some of the people on here, whereas I got a 730 on CR and a 750 on Writing. </p>
<p>I agree with trying the ACT. SAT Math doesn’t really test pure math skills, it’s more about not getting tripped up with the tricks they throw at you, time management, and applying logic to break down questions. </p>
<p>In addition, take the SAT II’s Math I and Math II. My friend got a 670 on the SAT math portion, but a 760 on his Math 1’s and an 800 on Math 2’s. While these unfortunately don’t substitute your regular Math score, it will prove to colleges your aptitude in math (as well as your 5 on AP Calc, which is very, very impressive).</p>
<p>Honestly, the SAT screws with you. I’m an A+ student in English and a B student in Math, but on my last SAT, I did better in math (770) than in reading.
It’s strange how things work out.
I didn’t study for the math section per se, but I did a few practice math sections per week. (Even then, my average score was a 700… no idea how I managed a 770). Point is: don’t stress out. Just practice some more and retake the SAT.</p>
<p>YES THIS THREAD IS MY LIFE. </p>
<p>I have 770 on both reading and writing, but 690 on math… I literally studied forever, got 750s on practice tests, but 690 is what came out. Whatever. It was my third time so I’m done. </p>
<p>Also, when my AP calc teacher found out, he told me I had been raised improperly. Super.</p>
<p>I think it’s because the Math section tests you on the exact same rules every time, except that the numbers are different. I’ve found that almost all the concepts in the blue book that I’ve done show up on the real SAT. Conversely, the critical reading section always tests theme, tone, main idea, etc., but the passages are always different, and many answers are subjective. So if you suck at comprehension, there’s really no way to get better at it since every piece of literature is different. Writing is in the middle, the way I see it. The grammar rules are all there, like in math, but each sentence is different, like in CR, and some can be worded to trick you. </p>
<p>Example: I got 76 in math on the october PSAT, but I got 59 in CR and 65 in Writing.</p>
<p>800 CR, 660 M, 760 W with 12 E.</p>
<p>Wish I knew.</p>
<p>Ap calc is pretty straight forward. Sat math is just simple amc and mathcounts stuff.
@yayitsme what kinds of awards does he win, cause if then he shouldn’t have gotten a 600 on the math section regardless of studying or not.</p>
<p>Eh, sometimes you just have your bad days. </p>
<p>Ultimately, the SAT contains, to some degree, the element of luck. Studying does not directly increase your ability to do well on the SAT, it just increases the chances of you getting questions that you’ll know the answer to. Sometimes you’ll get mostly questions on topics that you know inside and out, other times you’ll get a lot of questions on topics you aren’t really comfortable with. It’s the luck of the draw: you get questions you know or you get questions you don’t know. Don’t fret over one bad test score because it’s probably one of those unlucky days.</p>
<p>It’s because of variations in English.</p>
<p>People have different dialects and that kind of stuff, when speaking English, but on math there is little to no variation.</p>
<p>Just so you’re aware, a 650 on math means that only 15% of all test takers did better than you.</p>
<p>^ 15% of 1/4 million is alot of people.</p>
<p>The OP said s/he should score decently on the SAT math. I’d say a score in the 85th percentile is at least decent.</p>
<p>@wcao9311 He just doesn’t test very well in math on the SAT it’s so weird! He does better than me on a lot of our AP Calc tests and I have a 770. He got the highest marks possible in math on our state standardized exam. I just don’t think he likes being tricked… the type of straightforward math they ask you in school is much different than the tricky-but-easy math they ask on the SAT. I think he should try the ACT personally ;)</p>
<p>In addition, before I studied I was getting high 600s on math (going off of practice tests and the PSAT). Try RadicalPrep’s youtube videos if you’re still taking the SAT, I credit watching them all with my near-perfect score (I took the SAT twice and only missed one each time)</p>
<p>I scored lowest on the math section of the SAT.</p>
<p>Then I scored 800 on SAT Math level 2.</p>
<p>I got a 640 on my SAT math and a 33 on my ACT Math. ACT Math is generally a lot easier for people who did well in more advanced math classes (precalculus especially).</p>
<p>I was wondering the same thing. My writing and cr are near perfect but my math is <700 right now. I think it’s just about gaming the math section…not really a test of your normal math skills.</p>
<p>Yeah I’ve heard that about the ACT…do you think it’s worth trying? I’m not sure if I would want to spend a lot of time adjusting my other scores (+learning the science section) in order to get a more straightforward math section.</p>
<p>As other people have mentioned, I don’t find that to be true at all. I personally have 800/650/800 right now, and that’s after studying math. It works differently for everyone.
I do find that different people’s minds work in different ways- I’m creative and, well, abstractly analytical, if that makes any sense (it doesn’t even to me, so I don’t know), which I think helped me on reading, and not really very mathematically minded. And I have a very good memory, which helped me in grammar. Everyone’s individual skills help them do better or worse on different sections.
That’s not even to say, obviously, that if you’re good at a subject you’ll be good at its SAT counterpart- my math grades are also good not great, but my English grades are actually worse than my SAT equivalent. It’s really just a guess how you’'ll do within the SAT framework.
I wish I’d taken the ACT…</p>
<p>Guys just found out I got a 32 ACT Math yay 
I feel like I redeemed myself</p>