Daughter is supposed to be taking the SAT 2 Math test this weekend. She has the Barron’s book and is feeling like she isn’t doing well on the practice tests. She said there are many questions she isn’t getting right and some she is leaving completely blank because she has NO idea what to do. Little back story…her school does classes in Semesters and she had math last Fall. Because it’s far removed, she feels like she’s forgotten lots of the pre-calc that she learned and some of the topics in the Barrons book are things she learned in Fall and some topics she has never learned.
So, I am thinking that maybe signing up for this test was biting off more than she can chew. She told me that she doesn’t think she will do well. I asked her if she wants to take the Math 1 this weekend instead. She did very well on Math on the regular SAT, but she had been in math mode when she took it, and right now, though she has been practicing and doing books, she feels she might not even do as well on the Math 1.
Is SAT success any indication of SAT Math 1 success? She can get almost all questions right on the regular SAT practice, but feels the Math subject test might have more material on it.
Question is…push the test to a later date or just drop to the lower math and take the test this weekend. Rising Junior, so there is time.
Well then, we will just need to agree to disagree on what is considered urgent.
To answer your question, IMO, if your D has taken pre-calc, then she should not take M1. If she feels unprepared to take M2 on the next test date, then she should take it when she feels more prepared. If she’s not doing well on the practice tests, then it’s unlikely that she will do well on the actual test. Good luck to her.
In general, if she ll be applying to STEM majors she will need to take the math 2 anyway. That would make the math 1 kind of obsolete, even if she does well, as colleges will be looking for a second test other then math. If she is not a STEM kid maybe is ok to try for the math 1. There is also the thing about applying to schools that want the whole SAT subject test history. If not then she can take official tests just for practice and not care about the score and she does not have to submit them.
Thank you. So prob best to push off the date and come back to SAT 2 in a few months. I wonder why does the college board even offer math 1 if it’s redundant with the regular SAT. Ds math teacher didn’t go over quite a few topics. Is it common to have never covered some of the material in Pre Calc that is on the test? thinking it might be better to take after Calc?
It is very common for ALL subject tests for the teacher not to have covered all the material in the test. Some times there is a good overlap, other times the teacher adds a few afternoons to teach the material and most times the students themselves self study the few areas not covered in.
It’s not redundant. SAT math basically covers through geometry, while M1 contains more advanced Algebra 2 topics. As to why the College Board offers both M1 and M2 - not all students will have had completed pre-calc by the end of their junior year.
Decided to push it back. The strategy will be to prep for the ACT for the December date. She will also take the Math Subject test in December. She emailed some of the coaches she has been talking with and they said they just want to see test results before July, so no big rush. She’ll have Calc this semester, so I am sure the topics not covered in pre-calc last year will be learned between now and December. And if not, she knows she can meet with teachers at lunch to go over any topics she is unsure of.
and she does not have to submit them.