Best SAT Preparation Strategies to Complement Your Maths Section

 

Best SAT Preparation Strategies

The SAT maths section is generally considered a tough nut to crack. It requires rigorous practice and revision to master this section. Some universities like Harvard, MIT and Princeton specifically ask for your score in the maths section for some courses. So, it is of the utmost importance to get a high score on SAT if you want to make it to the top college. We have compiled some of the best SAT preparation strategies that have found success in students scoring a perfect 800. Masterclass Space offers a lucrative course for students needing help to ace their maths section. Learning from teachers who are ‘Mathemagicians’ might just be the edge you needed to get your score above 780.

Breakdown of the SAT maths section

The SAT maths section contains a total of 58 questions that have to be answered in 80 minutes. It is broken down into 2 sections. For the first 25 minutes, you will not be provided with a calculator. U will have to answer 15 multiple choice questions in this time frame. After you are done with this section, u will be provided with a calculator for the next 55 minutes for the rest of the questions.

The SAT maths section mainly covers 4 major topics. They are the heart of Algebra, Problem-solving and data analysis, advanced maths and additional topics given in the syllabus. Each topic is extremely important to score high marks in this section. Masterclass Space provides rigorous practice in these topics through interactive and doubts solving sessions. We make sure that each student is given equal attention and guidance.

Best SAT preparation strategies for scoring 800 in SAT math

  1. Identifying your weak spots – Before you start studying for maths, it’s important to take a sample test first. Try attempting all questions. This is done to know your strengths and weaknesses in the various areas of maths. This helps you to identify your weak spots and then work specifically on them. By doing this, you will be well aware of your strengths and weaknesses and thus can forge a plan accordingly. Masterclass Space provides tons of sample papers for this purpose. You can check out our free sample paper as well.
  2. Know your formulas and syllabus thoroughly – There are tons of formulas that you will need to memorize for the test. So, make sure you know each formula in and out. Write each formula you learn on the first page of your practice book so that you don’t forget them easily. Another tip that can help you is to know your questions. Knowing the number of questions that appear in the exam of each topic can help you in identifying the more important topics. Thus, you can devote your time to strengthen those topics which carry more importance. 
  3. Strengthen your mental maths – Mental maths or Vedic maths means to do calculations in your head. This will not help you save more time but will give you a boost in the no calculator section of the paper. Instead of writing down calculations, try doing each calculation in your head. Of course, you can use various shortcuts to speed up this process but you will rarely find these shortcuts given in books. Masterclass Space provides some of the best SAT coaching classes and has a special class scheduled specifically for mental maths in which we provide various shortcuts to solidify your mental maths.
  4. Backsolving and avoiding careless mistakes– Backsolving basically means to reverse engineer your answers. This works by putting in the value given in the question in the options available and seeing which one gives us the correct output. If the questions appear to have complex values/methods, this can save a lot of time.  In an exam where most of us are caught up for time, careless mistakes are as common as drinking tea every day. In fact, research shows that most students lose out on marks because of the countless careless mistakes they committed. Practising every day and correcting your mistakes will go a long way in helping you to avoid these careless mistakes.
  5. Using online resources to your advantage – If you google SAT preparation resources you will get a ton of results. Most of these results will be useless and will not provide you with anything concrete. One of the best resources out there for SAT preparation is the College board textbook. They provide tons of sample papers and test series to help you in your journey. Another resource that you can look into is Masterclass Space. Why us, you ask? We provide the best SAT classes online which includes a complete breakdown of each topic in the maths section followed by a doubt session each week. Our maths faculty consists of teachers that have graduated from the top IIT’s and IIM’s. Students from all over the world have commended us for our comprehensive study guide. From India, we have students from Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata etc. From the US, we have students from New Jersey, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco etc. Giving attention to each student from each background is something we pride ourselves in. You can check out our course from here.
  6. Without practice, there is no Glory– Finally; you have to practice everything that you learn. Without an ample amount of practice, you are going to get nowhere in the SAT maths section. These SAT preparation strategies will only work if you put in the required hard work and dedication. Revise every topic and section thoroughly. Take a lot of practice SATs in a real SAT environment. Time yourself when taking a test and try to reduce that time with each test you take.

We hope these strategies proved useful for you and we wish you all the best for your exams!