<p>So, I'm taking the retaking the SAT in March, mainly to get my CR score up from a 680 to at least 700. However, the more I think about it, the more I feel that my math score of 710 is just... lower than what I KNOW I can do. I'm currently a junior taking Calculus, I genuinely enjoy math, and I feel like the concepts which the SAT tests for I really do understand.</p>
<p>And yet, I've taken many, many practice tests and I always tend to get 3-4 wrong in math, and I as said 710 on my first real SAT (I'm guessing it's minus 3 raw). In the practice tests it was mostly due to stupid little mistakes.</p>
<p>So, for all those who did score an 800 on math section (congratulations!) and what would you suggest to be the best way to study? Specific books, specific strategies for test day, etc.?</p>
<p>Don’t be so down on yourself. Step back for a minute and ask yourself, why did I get these problems wrong. Did I misread the question? Did I miscalculate something? Is it one of the topics that I don’t know? The last case should be the rarest among the three, since the SAT only covers geometry and algebra I, and little splattering of Alg. 2.</p>
<p>If you tend to have time left over after finishing the Math sections, then go really slow on that section. It’s normally addition, subtraction, negative signs, messy work. Also, read each problem carefully–note what it’s asking for.</p>
<p>If one of the last problems seems WAY too esay you probably did it wrong.
Usually the hardest problems require you to just “see it”…maybe its just an equation you have to set up or something like that.
Check all the easy problems to ensure you made no stupid mistakes.
Use to study books to brush up on every single math topic, even simple alegbra and geometry…because these books give insight into how to do these problems even easier and also may help u with the intermediate math needed to get the hardest problems.</p>
<p>Finally, don’t listen to anyone that says you’re not doing well because you’re in Calculus, which is way above the math tested on the SAT. For me, the way Calculus requires you to think of functons and equations in a different light and manipulate numbers to ur advantage helped me see math in a different light on the SAT. I see this as the main reason i got an 800 in math.</p>
<p>i solved the questions very carefully to avoid making stupid mistakes. For example, I did simple operations like 23 + 14 on the calculator to double check. Also you must practice. If you are constantly getting questions wrong in the same topic, you have to master that topic.</p>
<p>Well, in my practice tests, the ones I missed were all over the place, not just on one specific type of problem. </p>
<p>I think my problem is time. I do seem to run out of time because the last few problems (and probability questions) take me a good amount longer than the rest, which then leaves me little to no time to go back and fix the careless mistakes I make.</p>
<p>Thank you all for all of your comments and help!</p>
<p>remember, all problems are worth the same amount of points, so it is no good to rush through the easy and medium problems (which will lead to careless errors) just to have a few more seconds on the hard problems (still probably not enough time).</p>
<p>make sure you nail EVERY SINGLE easy and medium problem and do the best you can with the difficult ones. I mean, you’re in Calc, so there should be only 1-2 problems on the test that you wouldn’t be so sure about.</p>
<p>If you get questions wrong because of silly mistakes, then just find different, clever ways to do the problems. When you study, look for innovative ways to approach the same problem. There are always a bunch of ways you can attack one, and then more you understand, the more focused and ready you’ll be. Good luck. </p>
<p>As words of inspiration - I was getting up to 5 wrong in the Blue Book but on the January 2010 test, I got a perfect score on Math. So you have to be really sharp and careful. </p>
<p>Get the easy questions done - and don’t go back to them. Then go through the harder questions. Circle any that you feel contain room for error - ones with lots of calculating, the “how many numbers between 1 and 1000 problems?”, etc. and redo those. Make sure you consider every single possibility, even if you’ve eliminated it. Rationalize your answer with yourself. </p>
<p>I would add… AS A LAST RESORT.
for the fill-in-the-blank answers…
I’ve noticed that the answers to many of the questions that are harder tend to be either: 1 or 0…
I used it on a few practice tests, when I run out of time or something. And it’s worked maybe once or twice…which is actually a very smart statistical guess.
But I’m in the same boat as you. My math score won’t go up. And It’s starting to make me panic.
Thanks for posting your question. I was just about to ask the same.
LOVE YOU…haha…</p>
<p>It is very easy to make careless mistakes on the Math section, just because you can’t readily tell if your answer is actually wrong or not. It is well worth the effort go back through as many problems as possible if you time left over.</p>
<p>To get 800 first of all remember god, because 800 is not in everyone’s hand, if u know everything then also u may get at least 1 wrong. Otherwise, when u do math section just get alert, think in ur mind that i will not do any question wrong. Don’t get speedy, concentrate on each question.</p>
But do remember that over 10000 people get an 800 in SAT Math in a single year.</p>
<p>I’ll tell you my approach: For me, speed is THE most important factor in getting an 800 in math. Yeah, you may make more mistakes, ON THAT RUN, but with enough speed, you can go over the whole section again. I go over two times and again, briefly to see if I didn’t miss anything. The reason behind doing this is because when you see the same problem the second time, you will unconsciously look at it from a different perspective. As you already know the major details and what the question is asking for, you will automatically look for information that you haven’t yet discovered.</p>
<p>So don’t spend too much time on one question. If you reach a reasonable conclusion, go on. I am sure you need more time because you hesitate between answers, not because you are too slow in solving. So don’t gain time by rushing. ALWAYS check the whole section if you can. If you do so and complete the section thinking that you were very focused, you will get the score you want.</p>
<p>I just took the SAT for my first time and I got an 800 in the math section. I think the best advice I can give is to review all of the concepts and “traps” that are on the math section in the review book and just be very careful during the actual test. If you know all the information well enough and are capable of solving all of the problems, it should not take you the entire allotted time (I finished one section with 10 minutes) so there is no need to rush, that’s how you make silly mistakes. Carefully read through the entire problem to make sure you dont miss any details like solving of 5x instead of just x because thats what I think would kill most people in the 700s. And of course if you have ten minutes, check every problem again and again and again until time runs out! Being that math has always been my strong subject, that’s the most important thing I learned from the review books and that’s what prevented me from making one or two stupid mistakes like I did on my PSAT.</p>
<p>Also, have confidence in yourself. It is a completely possible goal, practice really can make perfect!</p>
<p>Plug in answers to verify whenever possible. Use logic to see if your answer makes sense. There is no problem on the test beyond your capabilities. You are intelligent enough and you know enough mathematical concepts to answer every single question correctly.</p>
<p>This is the mindset I used and I got a 790 (1 wrong)… I’m quite positive I could’ve gotten an 800 if I took the math section again, but I only took the SAT once.</p>