THE 22 SAT MATH TOPICS

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WHAT IS THE SAT?
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The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge. It tests your knowledge of reading, writing and math — subjects that are taught every day in high school classrooms. Most students take the SAT during their junior or senior year of high school, and almost all colleges and universities use the SAT to make admission decisions.

Taking the SAT is the the first step in finding the right college for you — the place where you can further develop your skills and pursue your passions. But SAT scores are just one of many factors that colleges consider when making their admission decisions. High school grades are also very important. In fact, the combination of high school grades and SAT scores is the best predictor of your academic success in college.

The SAT is made up of three parts: Reading, Writing and Mathematics. The mathematics portion is made of 4 general catagories of mathematics which are:

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THE MATH SAT SUBJECT LEVEL TESTS
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The SAT Subject Tests are tests that exceed the standard SAT test. The SAT Subject Tests are tests over various high school courses such as mathematics, history, a language, chemistry, etc. There are 2 levels of testing in the SAT Subject Test in Mathematics.

The SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1 is the name of a one-hour multiple choice test given on algebra, geometry, basic trigonometry, algebraic functions, elementary statistics and a few miscellaneous topics by The College Board. A student chooses whether to take the test depending upon college entrance requirements for the schools in which the student is planning to apply.

The SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 2 covers more advanced content. Generally you need to have completed a pre-calculus class with a solid “B” or better to feel comfortable on the Math 2. The following topics are covered:

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FORMAT & SCORING
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The questions cover a broad range of topics. Approximately 10-14% of questions focus on Numbers and Operations, 38-42% focus on Algebra and functions, 38-42% focus on Geometry (including Euclidean, coordinate, three-dimensional, and trigonometry), and 6-10% focus on Data Analysis, Statistics, and probability.

The test has 50 multiple choice questions that are to be answered in one hour. All questions have five answer choices. Students receive 1 point for every correct answer, lose ¼ of a point for each incorrect answer, and receive 0 points for questions left blank.

The above grading system creates a raw score, which is then converted into a scaled score. The conversion between these numbers varies depending on the difficulty of a particular test administration. The scaled score is the only score reported to either students or colleges, and ranges from 200 to 800, with 800 being the best possible score. The standard deviation between test scores in 2006 was 102. Less than one percent of the 2006 College-Bound Seniors taking the test received a perfect score of 800. None got a score lower than 260. The mean score was 593.

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CALCULATOR USE
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The College Board states that a calculator "may be useful or necessary" for about 40-50% of the questions on the test. The College Board also encourages the use of a graphing calculator over a scientific calculator. It also says that this test was "developed with the expectation that most students are using graphing calculators."

Students are not permitted to use calculators on the Mathematics Level One test that have a QWERTY format keyboard, that require an electrical outlet, that make noise, use paper tape, that have non-traditional methods of input (such as a stylus), or those that are part of a communication device (such as PDA's, laptops, or cell phones). Calculators that have a slanted screens or large display (numbers 1 in. or more) are seated at the discretion of the test supervisor.

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PREPARATION
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The College Board suggests as preparation for the test three years of mathematics, including two years of algebra, and one year of geometry.