What Math Is Actually on the SAT?
When we’ve started our SAT test prep courses in the past, students come in feeling like they should do well on the math section. They are in an advanced math course like pre-calc or an AP math course. They know math. They can do math. Math is their thing! We give them a practice test, and they don’t do as well as they thought they should. It turns out they forgot what an integer is. Or what the equation for the area of a circle is.
On the other hand, students who do okay with math and are on grade level get their practice test scores back and are surprised they did as well as they have. Turns out the hardest math on the test is what they have been studying in class recently.
The math section seems daunting, especially for those who struggle in math class. It helps to understand what math is actually on the test. There is ZERO calculus on the test. Let’s just get that out of the way. All of the math covered by the test is math a student on track with grade level should have learned by the end of their sophomore year. Advanced math students may have learned it all by the end of their 8th grade or freshman year. Of course, all of this depends on how your school does math and advanced math courses.
College Board says Algebra, Geometry & Trigonometry, Problem Solving & Data Analysis, and Advanced Math are all included in the math section. The “advanced math” tends to cause anxiety in students. Again, there is no calculus on the test.
Algebra
Thirteen to fifteen questions will focus on Algebra. This includes linear equations with one variable (solve for x kind of thing), linear equations with two variables (y=2x+6 kind of thing), linear functions (what does the 25 represent in y=-3x+25 kind of thing), systems of equations with 2 variables (that’s where they intersect), and linear inequalities in 1 or 2 variables (y<2x or 4<3x<72 kinds of things). That’s it. That’s the algebra they utilize.
Problem Solving & Data Analysis
Problem Solving & Data Analysis makes up about 5 to 7 questions on the test. This is math using rates, ratios, proportions, percentages, looking at models (fancy word for graphs of various kinds), probability (mean, median, mode kind of things or chances of picking a blue marble), margin of error (percent error if you remember that from chemistry, or also percent change), and looking at observations and data collected. Data Analysis is not my personal favorite, and this is what I would consider the hardest math on the test. More on that in a bit.
Geometry & Trig
The Geometry & Trig section covers area, volume, lines, angles, triangles, right triangles (SOHCAHTOA and Pythagorean Theorem mostly), and a few questions about circles. Now, if SOHCAHTOA is a foreign idea to you and you don’t know that it is an easy way to remember what sine, cosine, and tangent are, then realize that it is only a piece of what could be covered in the 5 to 7 questions for this area of math. Unless you’re trying for an absolute perfect score, your time studying might be better spent working with linear equations than teaching yourself trig. But, if you have a vague clue, it might be worth brushing up on. As for the area and volume questions, the SAT provides an equation sheet! That’s right, they give you the equations right there in the digital test as a cute little button you can click on and reference at any time! You just need to remember how to use the different equations and what volume, radius, diameter, height, base, etc. all refer to. Keep in mind though, the reference sheet only covers certain formulas. It won’t remind you what SOHCAHTOA stands for, or how to set up a ratio, so it’s a helpful tool, not a substitute for knowing the material.
Advanced Math
Now, the Advanced Math that worries so many. College Board says Advanced Math includes equivalent expressions, nonlinear equations in 1 variable (think parabolas), systems of equations in 2 variables (wait, didn’t we already have that?), and nonlinear functions. They do list systems of equations with 2 variables in both the Algebra and Advanced Math sections. Anyone who is in advanced math courses should scoff at this list. Those not in advanced math should take a great sigh at this list. Questions in this section utilize the quadratic equation, factoring, graphing, and a few other math concepts. Yes “advanced” to some, but not what typically comes to mind.
A Note on Difficulty
Now, about this difficulty piece. Difficulty is subjective. Test makers organize the test to be easiest to hardest. But this is the test maker’s opinion of what is easy and difficult. Again, a very subjective thing. For some, the first 5 questions may be the most difficult and the last 5 are the easiest. For others, it may be the other way around. And for more, it is a scrambled mess of easy vs. difficult. The best part about the test is the questions do not need to be completed in order! You can put them in YOUR order of difficulty to ensure you’re not rushed or run out of time on the questions you could easily answer correctly.
The math section isn’t really about being “good at math.”
It’s about knowing which math actually shows up, and getting comfortable with it before test day.
What This Means for Your Studying
So what does all this mean for your studying, or for your child’s studying? It means the math section isn’t really about being “good at math.” It’s about knowing which math actually shows up and getting comfortable with it before test day. A student in AP Calculus can still get tripped up by a question on linear inequalities they haven’t touched since freshman year. A student who feels shaky in math class can do just fine once they realize most of the test is built on concepts they already know, just dressed up in unfamiliar wording.
The best use of study time isn’t trying to master every topic equally. It’s figuring out which of these categories, Algebra, Problem Solving & Data Analysis, Geometry & Trig, or Advanced Math, needs the most attention, and focusing there first. And remember, you get to choose your own order on test day. Start with what feels easy, build some confidence, then tackle the rest.
If you’re not sure where your student’s gaps are, that’s exactly what a practice test is for. It’ll tell you a lot more than a gut feeling ever could.
Here are some more posts about the math you might be interested in:
