<p>I am making a lot of careless math mistakes on relatively easy questions. Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions on how to avoid careless math mistakes?</p>
<p>Practice makes perfect</p>
<p>being careful and concentrating (this is the hardest part because the test is so boring!) makes perfect.</p>
<p>leaving time to go over it (if you can)</p>
<p>@jcll2002, I disagree. The main cause of these types of errors is rushing and going too fast. If you have ample time left then you are rushing. The only way is to go slowly and write down every single step. Make sure to also read the question carefully. RocketReview has some great strategies for this.</p>
<p>I have two ways of avoiding the mistakes. First, I do the problem without looking at the answers if I can help it and i think I can do it. Then if i have time, I go through and try to see where the other answers could have came from, that way, I can see what other mistakes would be so I can avoid making them for my final answer.</p>
<p>This three-step process is foolproof:</p>
<ol>
<li>Write all your out all your work. Even if you think it's unnecessary. I have missed elementary questions on the SAT because I made arithmetic mistakes in my head. Our brains aren't always perfect when it comes to computation.</li>
<li>Try to always use your calculator. I know this is discouraged by some practice books, but calculators are always 100% right when it comes to math they are capable of doing. Be sure to understand the limitations of your calculator though: i.e., its order of operations. </li>
<li>Read the question again after you select an answer! This is the most important part! The SAT is tricky. Indeed, it'll sometimes ask a question similar to one you've experienced before, but it often wants a different type of answer: maybe a step before or a step after what you're used to doing. Reading the question again and making sure you've found the exact answer it wants is an excellent way of preventing yourself from missing a problem you shouldn't have missed.</li>
</ol>
<p>This all, of course, assumes that you know how to do the math. In other circumstances, I guess you're on your own! Good luck!</p>
<p>
[quote]
@jcll2002, I disagree. The main cause of these types of errors is rushing and going too fast. If you have ample time left then you are rushing. The only way is to go slowly and write down every single step. Make sure to also read the question carefully. RocketReview has some great strategies for this.
[/quote]
well, I didn't mean at the expense of rushing. Reading the question carefully is key. I can't believe i forgot to mention that.</p>
<p>I think you should check 1 by 1, not do all the questions quickly then come back to check ALL of them</p>