SAT MANUAL

MATH INTRODUCTION

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READING

GOALS
At the conclusion of this chapter, you will be able to accomplish the following:

• Describe the structure of the Math section and the math content it
tests
• Use POOD, Pacing, and Guessing to maximize your score
• Methodically work through word problems using the Word Problem
WRITING

Basic Approach
• Know the basics of using the built-in calculator
• Know how to enter answers for fill-in questions
MATH

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 MATH INTRODUCTION

READING
STRUCTURE

First Module Second Module

(35 minutes) (35 minutes)

WRITING
Easier Harder

1 1 1
2 2 2
Easy 3 3 3
4 4 4

MATH
5 5 5
6 6 6
7 7 7
8 8 8
One of two second modules based
9 9 9
on the results of the first module.
10 10 10
11 11 11
12 12 12
Medium
13 13 13
14 14 14
15 15 15
16 16 16
17 17 17
18 18 18
19 19 19
20 20 20
Hard
21 21 21
22 22 22

Two questions on each module are experimental and do not

impact your score. They are not marked and do not necessarily
follow the order of difficulty, so don’t be concerned about a
question that’s easier or harder than you expect.

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MATH CONTENT
Which of the following math topics did you notice on your first practice test?

_____ Elementary school math _____ Trigonometry

_____ Algebra I _____ Pre-Calculus

WRITING

_____ Algebra II _____ Statistics

_____ Geometry _____ Calculus

MATH

Here’s the official breakdown:

By Content
_____ Algebra _____ questions per module

_____ Advanced Math _____ questions per module

_____ Problem-Solving & Data Analysis _____ questions per module

_____ Geometry and Trigonometry _____ questions per module

By Question Type
_____ Problem-Solving _____ questions per module

_____ Word Problems _____ questions per module

By Question Format
_____ Multiple-Choice _____ questions per module

_____ Fill-in _____ questions per module

Knowing the structure and content helps you take the easy test first. The official
order of difficulty can guide you, but what really matters is your Personal Order of
Difficulty.

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 MATH INTRODUCTION

READING
POOD
So how do you know which questions to do and which ones to skip? Make sure to
follow your POOD and focus on these two ideas.

WRITING
Do questions that can be answered quickly and accurately.
Do questions that can be made easier using TPR strategies.

MATH
GUESSING AND PACING
For each question, quickly decide whether you want to Answer and Advance, skip
it for now, or Guess and Go based on your POOD. If you get stuck on a question,
Mark and Move. If you have time for a second pass, go back to the questions you
marked for review, and then try some of the questions you skipped the first time.
Make sure to leave 1–2 minutes at the end to fill in an answer for any questions
you haven’t done yet. Use the review page to see what’s left.

As you practice, you’ll get a better sense of your own POOD (it is personal, after
all), and you might decide to return to a question you skipped or marked before
you reach the end of the module, or you might sense that the difficulty is increas-
ing rapidly and Guess and Go more often towards the end of a module. No matter
what, the goal is to make quick decisions and keep moving.

Multiple-Choice vs. Fill-in

If you have two questions left, one multiple-choice and one fill-in, that seem of
equal difficulty to you, which one should you do? What is the smart choice to im-
prove your chances of getting one more question right?

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READING

WRITE STUFF DOWN

Whether using the calculator or doing the work by hand, never do math in your
head. Use the scratch paper to stay organized and perform calculations. Here’s
what your scratch paper might look like:
WRITING

10. Target = 2

A) g(–3) = 2(–(–3) – 1) – 2 =
2(3 – 1) – 2 =
2(2) – 2 =
4 – 2 = 2 4
MATH

B)

Start C) g (1) = 2(–1 – 1) – 2 =

2(–2) – 2 =
–4 – 2 = –6

D) g (3) = 2(–3 – 1) – 2 =
2(–4) – 2 =
–8 – 2 = –10

11.
similar triangles



12 13 5
A = =
24 AC BC

AC = 26 and BC = 10


12 13 Perimeter ABC = 24 + 10 + 26 = 60

5


24 D E 26


12

B 10 C

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RTFQ
To avoid doing unnecessary work or falling for a trap answer, read the final
question. Write down key words from the question on the scratch paper to stay
organized and focused.

What would you expect to be asked if you saw these questions in math class?

WRITING
If 5a – 4 = 2a + 11, _____________________?

3
If a = 35 and a = b , _____________________?
7

Now look at these Digital SAT questions.

MATH
1 Mark for Review
If 5a – 4 = 2a + 11, what is the value of a – 5?

A –2

B 0

C 3

D 5

Always make sure to

2 Mark for Review

3 b +1 R___________________
If a = 35 and a = b , what is the value of ?
7 4
T___________________
A 4
F___________________

B 5 Q___________________

C 9

D 15

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READING

BITE-SIZED PIECES
Deal with one small piece of information at a time, eliminating answers as you go.

When there is something to figure out, STOP!

Figure it out and try to use POE before you move on.
WRITING

3 Mark for Review Scratch Paper

2(4n3 – 2n2 + n + 8) – 3(–7n3 + 2n2 – 5n + 9)
MATH

Which of the following is equivalent to the expression

given?

A –13n3 + 10n2 – 17n + 11

B –13n3 – 10n2 + 17n – 11

C 29n3 + 10n2 – 17n + 11

D 29n3 – 10n2 + 17n – 11

What’s 8n3 + 21n 3? How does knowing

the answer help with POE?

4 Mark for Review

Which of the following ordered pairs (x, y) satisfies
the inequality 2x + 7y > –1?

I. (1, –2)
II. (–3, 1)
III. (4, –1)

A I only

B III only

C I and II only

D II and III only

What should you do after testing one

of the points?

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READING
WORD PROBLEMS
Approximately 30% of the math questions on the Digital SAT are word problems. Use a consistent approach on
these questions. Start with RTFQ to avoid getting lost in the text.

5 Mark for Review Scratch Paper

WRITING
At a fruit stand, Anatavia bought apples, oranges,
pears, and strawberries for her restaurant. Of the
1 1
pieces of fruit she purchased, were apples and
5 3
were oranges. If a quarter of her remaining pieces
of fruit were pears, and she purchased 360 pieces of
fruit from the fruit stand, how many strawberries did

MATH
she purchase?

A 90

B 126

C 168

D 225

WORD PROBLEM BASIC APPROACH

1. Read the Final Question (RTFQ)—Understand the actual
question being asked. Write down key words.
2. Let the Answers Point the Way—Use the answer type to
help determine how to start working on the question.
3. Work in Bite-Sized Pieces—Find one piece to start with,
then work piece-by-piece until the final question has been
answered.
4. Use POE—Check to see whether any answers can be
eliminated after each bite-sized piece.

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6 Mark for Review Scratch Paper

READING

A distance runner is partway through a 10-kilometer

(km) race. After 32.5 minutes (min), the runner is
3.5 km from the finish line. What is the runner’s
average rate at this point in the race, in km/min?

A 0.11
WRITING

B 0.2

C 3.25

D 6.5
MATH

What calculations lead to each wrong answer in the previous question?

A) __________________________________________________

B) __________________________________________________

C) __________________________________________________

D)__________________________________________________

7 Mark for Review

Natalia is joining an online music service that
charges a monthly membership fee of $5.95. A tax of
9% is applied to the monthly membership fee, and an
additional one-time initiation fee of $15 is charged
at the beginning of the membership. Which of the
following represents Natalia’s total charge, in dollars,
for a membership lasting m months?

A 1.09(5.95m + 15)

B 1.09(5.95m) + 15

C 1.09m (5.95 + 15)

D 0.09m (5.95) + 15

On the Digital SAT, there are more wrong answers

than right ones. When you find a wrong answer,
cross it off with the Answer Eliminator tool!

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READING
POE POINT—When attacking the problem in Bite-Sized Pieces,
don’t forget to pause after each piece to see which answers can
be eliminated.

WRITING
BALLPARKING AND ESTIMATING

MATH
Try to eliminate answer choices that can’t possibly be correct
before calculating anything.

8 Mark for Review Scratch Paper

On a certain standardized test, 75% of students go
too fast and make mistakes. If 120,000 students took
the test, how many of them went too fast and made
mistakes?

A 30,000

B 45,000

C 60,000

D 90,000

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Remember to let the answers point the way. Sometimes it’s clear that ballparking is the best place to start. If the
READING

numbers in the answers are spaced far apart, for example, rounding or estimating often gets you close enough to the
correct answer.

9 Mark for Review Scratch Paper

A volume of 8,000 milliliters is equivalent to a volume
of how many liters?
WRITING

(1 liter = 1,000 milliliters)

A 0.08

B 8
MATH

C 800

D 8,000,000

FILL-INS
Approximately 25% of the Math questions are called Student-Produced Response questions, or fill-ins. Questions
with this format will be scattered throughout each Math module. Instead of clicking on an answer letter, you will
click in a box and enter the numerical answer. The box looks like this:

Fill-in questions are in a different format from multiple-choice

questions, but they test the same math topics in the same ways.

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The Fill-in Instructions
Instructions appear on the left side of the screen for every fill-in question. Save
time by knowing the rules and practicing with them before test day.

The Math Vocabulary 101 chapter includes the full instructions and examples as
they appear in the testing app. Here are some of the key things to know:

WRITING
Follow these rules when entering an answer in the fill-in box:
• Enter up to 5 characters for a positive answer.
• Enter up to 6 characters for a negative answer.

MATH
• Don’t enter extra zeros if the answer is short.
• Do enter as much of a long decimal as will fit.
• Don’t enter a fraction that doesn’t fit.
• Do enter reduced or unreduced fractions that fit.

CALCULATOR USE
The Digital SAT has a built-in calculator. You can also bring your own if it’s from
the approved list. Before you use the calculator, do two things:

1. Read the Final Question.

2. Set up the math on the scratch paper.

Using the Built-in Calculator

To open the calculator that’s built into the testing app, click the Calculator icon in
the upper right corner of the testing screen.

 2

Calculator Reference More

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Calculator Expand
Move the calculator by
clicking and dragging the 5

dots in the black bar.

Expand it by clicking the
Expand button. Close it by
clicking the × in the black -10 -5 0 5 10

bar.
WRITING

Look in the graphing area

for the graphs of equations 5

or expressions.
1
Use the entry fields to enter y = 2x + 3
-10
equations or calculations.
MATH

2
When you see the The calculator adds more
calculator image in this fields as you fill them. x y a2 ab 7 8 9 ¸ funcs
book, look for a hint
about how to use the Enter equations or ( ) < > 4 5 6 ´
calculator. The Digital calculations using the
SAT Calculator Guide has on-screen keypad or your |a| , £ ³ 1 2 3 -
even more information. computer keyboard. π 0 . = +
ABC Ö`

Calculator Collapse

10

-10 -5 0 5 10

-5 If the keypad
disappears, click
the icon in the
-10 lower left.

As you prep for the Digital SAT, practice using the built-in calculator. To do so
without having to take a full practice test, open the testing app, select the “Test
Preview” option, navigate to a math question, and open the calculator. You can
also practice with a very similar calculator at [Link].

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READING
REFERENCE SHEET
The testing app has another button next to the Calculator in the upper right
corner.

 2

WRITING
Calculator Reference More

This opens a Reference Sheet with information that will help with geometry
questions.

MATH
…AND MORE
Finally, there is the More button, which appears in the upper right corner of both
sections of the test. Clicking on it opens the following menu:

? Help Access information on how to use the testing app.

Shortcuts Find a complete list of keyboard shortcuts

you can use.

Unscheduled Break If you take a break, the test timer will keep
running.

! Exit the Exam This will end your test, so only use it if you are
completely finished or if there is an emergency of
some sort.

You are unlikely to need the More menu options unless you need an unscheduled
break. You will know the information in the help menu before you take the official
test, and you should learn any keyboard shortcuts you plan to use before then. You
will also likely not want to end your test early if you are using your time wisely.

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• By slowing down, I can ________________________________________.

• Which questions should you focus on in the Math section?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

• What should you do when you want to come back to a question later?

_________________________________________________

• When should you guess on a Math question?

___________________________________________________________________________

• What does RTFQ stand for?

_________________________________________________

 What does that mean?

_______________________________________________________________________

• What does it mean to solve a question in Bite-Sized Pieces?

___________________________________________________________________________

• When do you use Bite-Sized Pieces?

___________________________________________________________________________

• What is the Word Problem Basic Approach?

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

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• What are two reasons to use POE?

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

• What is Ballparking?

___________________________________________________________________________

• Fill-ins are located at the beginning of / throughout / at the end of the Math modules. Compared to

multiple-choice questions, the format of fill-ins is the same / different but the content they test is

the same / different.

• What is important to keep in mind about calculator use?

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

• I should use the scratch paper as much as possible / sometimes / never.

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