The math SAT is not very hard for most people. But, if you’re struggling there, here’s what you do:

REVIEW all formulas!!!!!

Some common formulas, such as the Distance Formula, Pythagorean Theorem, and others are very important to remember on the SAT. Even though the test booklet has all the basic formulas, remembering these can save you lots of time working through the same problem–and time is of the essence on the SAT.

TAKE CARE and don’t make careless mistakes.

Careless mistakes can put you behind from a 700 to a 600, with only a few. Because of this, your score will go down, and you do not want to lose points because you accidentally did something wrong. You know what to do, and if you do it wrong, that’s just sad. So, work hard and concentrate on getting NO careless errors.

BE PREPARED.

If you are prepared, chances are that you’ll do better on the SAT than a lot of other people. Memorize the directions by heart, remember to bring a functioning calculator (that’s not too fancy, but has some basic functions on it), and several sharp pencils (mechanical pencil 0.9mm preferred, because mechanical pencils don’t need sharpening and thick lead lets you fill in bubbles faster) with GOOD erasers. Many students neglect to bring erasers, and end up having scratched out bubbles.

BUY a preparation booklet.

To get the most out of the SAT, you need one of those preparation books, Princeton Review or Barron’s is fine. These books have all the basic formulas and stuff you need in them to help you pass the SAT math section. Also, they have test-taking tips and usually some practice tests in the end. This book will be your friend throughout the several months or so you spend studying.

TAKE practice tests.

These practice tests can be found in any test-preparation book. The front cover of the book usually indicates if the book has some. Practice tests can also be found on the Internet, but the ones on the Internet are much less reliable.

MAKE flash cards of important formulas or information to remember.

Flash cards help you remember and memorize anything. Taking these cards with you doesn’t require much space and using them helps you conserve and spend your time wisely.

Finally, CALM down when taking the test.

Students tend to get nervous when taking the test, as they think that if they don’t pass, they’ll never get into the desired college, and their parents might be (very) angry with them. In truth, you can take the test multiple times, and usually, the college or university only looks at the best score you get. They know that students get nervous and fidgety during a test, so don’t freak out over something you don’t need to.