Make Learning SAT Math That Bit Easier
American Students manage their Math anxiety but only just.
A recent PISA report released by the OECD revealed that US students fair better than their global counterparts when it comes to Math anxiety, but not by much. However, despite being above the OECD average, US students are more anxious than students in the UK, Germany, Finland, Switzerland and a handful more. In fact, in their 2013 report, PISA revealed that the US ranked 26th in mathematics out of a total of 34 other nations.
Now that we have that out of the way, lets move on to ways in which we can turn these statistics around.
1. Make Great Notes
As with any test, note taking and making is crucial to success. With ExamTime you can do both, take and make. There is already a large archive of Math material on the site for you to use. But why stop there, why not put the notes from your teacher/ tutor up onto ExamTime for your friends and classmates to access also.
2. Test Yourself Again & Again
On ExamTime we have a bunch of SAT Math sample questions for you to try. Using the questions we have is great to get you going but remember that consumption will only get you so far. When you have used the tool to answer some questions why not try and create some questions of your own and share them with friends.
3. Read Everything
This is a standard ‘test tip’ that can be attributed to any subject/ area. In the case of the SAT Math exam this should be done from the start of a question right to end and even include your possible answers. Also known as ‘plugging’, reading the answers presented may help you spot something you did not see in the question, so READ EVERYTHING and do not just race to get your answer down.
4. Understand that Math is a Language
As recent Media sensation Kwasi Enin stated in his leaked college application essay, he began to formulate roundabout methods to solve any mathematical problem through his love and passion for music. You can use similar means to understand Math problems too. For example, remember, of means to multiply. When broken down, complex Math questions can be understood if you can simply their questioning.
5. Replace Variables
This is something your teacher will have been encouraging you to do for some time but here is a reminder, replacing abstracts like x or y with easy-to-work-with integers like “2” and “3” keeps questions manageable. This ties in with point 4. Always try to simplify the question and bring it down to a level you can work with.
6. Never Cheat
We are not even going to go into the reasons why this is a bad idea. Don’t do it, don’t even consider it. But in the mean time, DO try this neat quiz below and then get signed up and begin creating your own, for free!
7. Collective Study
Study buddies or groups are a great idea when studying SAT Math and are becoming more and more common. Imagine your studying linear and quadratic equations and you hit a wall, wouldn’t it be great to be able to call up a friend or check you online study group to ask for help.
8. Ignore Cram Sessions
Anyone who tells you that a cram sesh will get you across the line is telling lies. While a cram session is OK when performed alongside months of exam preparation and practice, it is not something to be relied upon as a stand alone tactic.
9. Lay of the Land
Understand how the SAT Math exam is presented. In this case, unlike in school, you will be starting off slow and accurate on the easier questions and as they get more difficult toward the end, you will break into a mad dash. If you are unfamiliar with SAT Math layout, try our sample Math questions or sign up to an SAT Prep Group.
10. Box Clever
Train yourself to spot dead give-aways and completely wrong answers. This is a handy process of elimination. A good example of this is noticing a figure that is clearly either too big or too small to be a correct answer in the context of the question.
Now that you have these handy SAT Math tips, why not head on over to our SAT Test Page for even more great advice.
