SAT & ACT Math Prep: Focus on Functions

The math portion of the SAT and ACT tests a student's "test taking skills" as much (if not more) than it tests their knowledge of math. Good math students with all As in math still can do poorly on these tests. How does this happen? The answer is simple.

(1) When students take a math test for school, they study the specific topics on that test before taking the test. They do not have to distinguish between different types of problems. For example, on the Quadratics test in Algebra 2 students know that quadratic functions will be on the test, not linear or exponential functions. However, on the college entrance exams, students need to identify the structure of problem given. In other words, the problems are out of context. The SAT Study Guide 2020, located on the College Board's website states, "Recognizing structure allows you to understand mathematical relationships in a coherent manner and making use of it allows you both to apply these relationships more widely and to extend these relationships in useful ways. Many of the examples and sample questions in the following chapters are more simply and deeply understood (and more quickly solved!) if you observe structure in the mathematics of the problem."

(2) Students take the time to do the math problem as they would for their math homework or on a test in school. With only 75 to 87 seconds per question, students do not have time to write out the steps. Time is a critical component, and most students do not finish the math portion of the SAT. Knowing the shortcuts will save precious time allowing students to answer more questions thoughtfully.

I teach students how to quickly identify the structure of the problem and how to apply logic and reasoning to the problems. Students are often surprised to find out that some SAT math questions can be successfully answered without reading the question! I will show some examples of this trick on some official SAT tests.

I only use official College Board SAT test questions in my SAT Prep classes. Other SAT prep sources are not always set up the same as the official SAT questions are, and this includes Khan academy. 

In this SAT prep class, we will focus on an overview of the function families found on the SAT. This knowledge can also be used on the ACT test.

I will show students how to distinguish between the functions tested on the SAT, review the structure of these functions, and help them quickly answer function questions. After the first meeting I will assign some practice questions from official College Board SAT test. Then in our subsequent meetings, we will unpack and discuss the SAT practice test questions and discuss they methods students used. I will suggest additional shortcuts to look for.
   
If your learner's SAT or ACT math score isn't where they want it to be, or they want to really impress college admission boards, join me for this SAT/ACT math prep session.  We will work together to improve your learner's score so they feel more confident and prepared to take the math section of these tests.