<p>My average math mark on practice SATs is about 680, while I score 780-800 on the CR and Writing. Writing was a little challenging at first because of the grammar, but after a few practice tests, it's now a breeze. However, it's not the same thing with math. On any given test, there are usually 3 questions that I'm genuinely stumped on. The rest of the mistakes comes from me not reading the question properly, or spending a lot of time getting the right numbers only to plug them in in the wrong order. For example, the most recent test I took was like 800/800/670. I got 44/54 on the math, but I could have easily gotten 50/54 because even though I had the right answer in my head, something just got in the way. It's really frustrating because math should be the easiest section to study for, but I see no progress in myself. And even though a a potential score of 800/800/670 (2270) looks to be competitive, I know I can do better. Do you have any tips for minimizing errors in which you know the right method but seem to just plug in weird numbers, and other generally stupid mistakes that have nothing to do with you not knowing how to solve the question?</p>
<p>I am in the EXACT same situation as you, man! 800/670 on both my PSAT and old SAT. I know it's a pretty good score, but the disparity between the two scores just upsets me. I'm pretty good at math, and it makes me sad I can't "get the hang of" SAT math when I am in advanced math in school... I just want to break 700!</p>
<p>I used to make plenty of math mistakes...but I've just learned how to spot ETS' traps by reading the question SLOWLY and CAREFULLY. Just doing that (plus learning the Princeton Review math tricks) has raised my score from a 670 (PSAT) to a 790 (last practice test I took).</p>
<p>I only the other hand am stuck making silly errors in Critical Reading.</p>
<p>Holy crap, 670 to 790? So it is possible... Ha, if I get a 790 on my SAT I Math, I'll shave my head and wear a towel to school the next day.</p>
<p>Cannednish-
what are some helpful math tricks or tips?</p>
<p>Exact same situation over here. I'm usually 800 CR 800 W and somewhere between 650 and 700 for Math. Ick...</p>
<p>I think I'm going to cram some math concepts tonight and do a few practice sections, and maybe run through some writing drills or read up on some literature that I can use for examples.</p>
<p>SAME MY GAWD...</p>
<p>800 V, 800 W, 670-700 M....god I just want to break 740...I'm good in school Calc AB as a junior and all...will 5 it...but I just always run out of time in SAT math...</p>
<p>how to prepare for SAT math?!?!</p>
<p>i had the same situation. in sophomore year, i got 64 on my math section, and as a junior it only went up to 67. i was quite disappointed at my scores because ive always been good at math. 5ed my calc ab test and 780 on math iic. i was so frustrated because even on my first try on the SAT I after 2 PSATs, i still only got 690. and i didnt really prep for the math section either becuase i already know how to solve the problems but it's just a matter of carelessness....</p>
<p>so this was my solution...</p>
<p>luckily, i'm a fairly fast worker on math problems. the first time i took the test, however, i was scared and nervous, and barely finished on time. second time, i knew i gotta focus. so i breezed through all the easy problems. if i got to a problem i dont know, i'd skip right away. if i already started doing the problem even though it's tough, i'm not going to skip it, my theory is that, if i already spent time on trying to solve it, why am i gonna skip it and come back to it later and start the problem all over again? it's a waste of time. so on my second try, i finished early with about 2 blanks. i went back to it and finished those and still had time to double check. when i double checked, i found 2 mistakes, CARELESS CALCULATOR errors... i ended up with a 790! only 1 mistake. if i didnt' double check, or if i didnt have time to doulbe check, that would've been 3 errors, and that would probably have been a 700 at the most...</p>
<p>good luck to you all, and just FOCUS, go through the easy problems, skip the hard ones without trying to solve it, and once you start a problem, dont skip it because you already spend time on it!</p>
<p>Okay,
I am an international non-native speaker who took the SAT a month ago and I got 620 on the Math Section ( I actually didn’t study well for it , just a week) but I don’t see significant change now after practicing without actually studying . I was always good at Math but now I am so diffident because I can barely answer the questions on the allotted time and I maintain that my biggest problem is on the time managing ( If I allowed myself an extra 5 mins I can get almost all questions correctly ) !!! I dropped the difficult Algebra Problems getting 4 out of 9 correctly and I don’t know what to do now . I sometimes freeze at word problems because I have tiny difficulties of understanding the actual thing … I only want a 700 or 680, what do you advise me to do ???</p>
<p>I pretty much have the same problem. Especially on my PSAT math scores (both 67), I looked back over them afterwards and I was able to solve all of them except 1 in about 30 seconds. </p>
<p>I seem to know how to do most of them and just make some small mistake that really hurts my score.</p>
<p>I recently wrote something on this issue:</p>
<p>Here I list several strategies that can help you curb careless mistakes during the SAT test:</p>
<p>Read Carefully: Read the question very carefully and read it several times. On the difficult problems, you will not grasp the entire question on one reading. You may have to read it two or three times, or more. In general, harder questions require several readings. </p>
<p>Stay organized: Do all of your scratch work in a systematic manner. Write in the blank area in the test booklet.</p>
<p>Write legibly: Your work should be clear enough that you can read your own handwriting. This is helpful in situations when you end up with an answer that is not in one of the answer choices. This often happens when one makes a careless mistake. To spot your mistake it helps if your work is written in a clear and legible manner.</p>
<p>Don’t use the Calculator: I know a lot of students are completely reliant on the calculator, and many people would disagree with me when I suggest not using the calculator. All of the SAT math questions are written in a way that they can be solved without the use of calculator, and on many questions it might be to your advantage not to use the calculator. The problem with doing your work on the calculator is that you cannot go back to check your steps if you made a mistake. In contrast, it is a lot easier to spot a mistake if you have the steps written in your test booklet.</p>
<p>Redraw diagrams: On the SAT one does not need to redraw things, but I find redrawing helps me digest the problem and also help me see the solution.</p>
<p>Slow Down: Don’t rush off to attack the problem immediately and don’t change the problem to what you think it is asking, be careful about that temptation.</p>
<p>Recognize the Difficulty Level of a Question: Look at the Official SAT tests and recognize where the difficult questions are, generally at the end of each subsection. Keep an eye on the medium level questions where you are likely to trip on misreading the question. The easy/medium questions rely more on how the question is phrased, whereas the harder questions test advanced concepts and one is less likely to trip on verbiage.</p>
<p>Reread the question at the end: Once you have completed the problem, reread the question to make sure you are answering what the question is asking for. For example, if you defined a variable x to solve the problem, check to make sure the question is not asking for the value of x-2.</p>
<p>Bumppppppp</p>
<p>lol, same here, my math is a 690 thus far… thanks for the tips ^, and btw, not to crush anyones hopes or anything , but compared too math sections in the BB, I thought the pricneton review’s was easier and moe straightforward, like what is the area of a circle if the diameter is 4… so I ended up getting like a 770 even though my avg is a 690.</p>