Hi,
So the Math Level 2 SAT Subject Test is October 1st, I missed the one in June and so I have to take it in October. I have gotten a lot of advice not to take in October because studying for it will be a challenge especially with the start of high school.
Either way, I don’t have a choice. I freak out about exams a lot, its just how I react, and so anyone else taking the October exam, do you guys have any study guide you are using? Also, if you are taking the exam, how would you memorize the formulas for the exam well?
For those who have taken the SAT test, what are tips to keep your time management. I have done a couple of practice tests (scoring 700-740 range, wanting 800) and I always miss a few problems that I know I can do but take me a long time. Like plugging it into the calculator etc. Would love for any advice on how to time myself and score as many points as I can in the given time.
@mrtadashi1 Are you in 9th grade? If so, any reason why you’re taking it so early?
What formulas are you having trouble memorizing? I typically remember then better by deriving/proving them, or by solving lots of problems involving those formulas.
I got 800 on Math II, however this was ~5 years ago, and my knowledge of what is and isn’t covered on the test isn’t that great.
@MITer94 I am in sophomore year, and I have taken all the required courses for the exam, and I want to take it now because the topics are still familiar to me.
Also, the formulas deal with trigonometry, like double angle formula and such. Also like the conversion from degrees to radians and arc lengths.
Also, other formulas include ideas related to complex numbers as well. It is more of the topics matter than the formulas in that area.
@MITer94 I take it you go to my dream school MIT?
If you are having time trouble you might just not be familiar with question wording, or you might want to brush up on your knowledge. I recommend Barron’s for both review and practice tests. (Also depending on what type of tests you are using right now, the official test could be easier or harder and thus you’d score differently.)
I don’t recall memorizing any formulas at all (beyond common sense everyday things), and I am pretty sure they actually have a list of equations at the front.
You might want to wait to take tests from now on. IMO there is no reason to take it until you’re at least a junior (but since you’re sgned up makes sense to go). I got all my testing done spring junior year and that worked out fine. (Also I assume you just finished precalculus and are going into Calc, if you’ve got all the reqs? If so then you will have a continual review of material because Calc refers back a lot to trig and other precalculus topics. You might do better by just getting more used to tests.)
PS on CC you’ll learn not to get too attached to dream schools-- just remember any school with sub 10% acceptance rates is a reach for everyone.
PPS there’s also another forum specifically regarding ACT and SAT prep that this thread would better fit in. 
The site is really big, so I just wanted to point that out, no snark intended.
@mrtadashi1 you have plenty of time – I took precalculus my freshman year but didn’t take Math II until senior year. If you are taking calculus, I am sure you will be using plenty of trig. Complex numbers not so much, unless you take more advanced courses.
Went there, recently graduated with a B.S. in math.
@PeregrineFlute I have finished PreCalc and will be taking AP Calc BC this year, which is why I want to take it now because in the future like in junior year, I will have to restudy a lot of the material, whereas right now I don’t have to as much…
Also, I haven’t used CC much, and all the questions I usually have pertain to high school which is why all my discussions are in high school life XD.
Also, is it wrong to have a dream school, or just that its probably everyone’s dream school, in one way or another?
Pretty much in your exact situation, so take my advice with a grain of salt.
Here’s a handy resource on complex numbers. They’re so cool…! DeMoivre’s theorem sticks in my mind just for how pretty complex roots are. :7
http://www-thphys.physics.ox.ac.uk/people/JamesBinney/complex.pdf
Trig formulas can be derived pretty neatly. Conics are tougher, rotating conics is intriguing but a pain, and conics in the polar plane are hella weird.
On dream schools: Feel free to dream, friend. We all get dreams! :v
Wow. You don’t “have to take it in October”. You absolutely do have a choice. You have 2 more years to take it! Where are you getting all these wrong ideas from? If you don’t feel prepared yet, don’t take it yet. And stop freaking out about the SAT–you also have 2 more years to get that done. Why oh why are you doing this to yourself? What do your parents say, I hope it’s not coming from them?
You will be soooo much happier if you just stop putting all this unnecessary stress and pressure into your life.
But, I know you aren’t going to listen to me or believe me, so here is what my kids did. One of them took the test, I think in Jan of her sophomore year. Wanted to get it done before she had to start studying for her AP exams. But she was already taking BC calculus at that time. Second kid took the test in June of her sophomore year, after completing calc AB and after her AP exams were done and she had a lot of time as school was ending. So, really, no need to stress and rush, you don’t have to take the test the moment you finish the material. Sometimes it’s better to practice and let things sink in for a while, provided you take some time to review. My kids used the official released tests to practice and they also did some work in the Barrons book. They did their prep over a month or two. Both scored 800.
It’s not a bad idea to get it done as a sophomore but if that doesn’t suit your schedule, or you don’t feel prepared, there’s no reason you have to take it this year. You can review a bit this summer and take it next fall. Silly to rush into it and then not score up to your potential.
I don’t recall either of my kids worrying about memorizing formulas but it’s been a while. Don’t they give a page of formulas? Check what is available to you on the test booklet.