5.1 SAT Math - Advanced Algebra

So far, we've covered the basics of the algebra concepts you'll need to know for the SAT exam.  There will, of course, be questions that are a lot more difficult than that, so now we're going to put together everything we've covered so far to go through some more difficult examples.

Algebra Strategy

Keep in mind throughout this section: For the most part, these are the harder problems on the test!  If you have a starting SAT score above 600 or 650, you should be attempting most of these types of questions on test day.  If you have a starting score BELOW 600 or 650, there will many of these types that it would be wise of you to skip on test day.  Keep track of what kinds you understand well and think you can handle, and what kinds are too advanced, and on test day, remember which types you'd rather work on.  This is NOT about you being smart or stupid or anyone trying to insult you.  This is about being a smart SAT test-taker.  Remember: this test is simply testing how you test, not your brains.  Don't let your ego get in the way of good strategy.

But if you're a stubborn mule, there's a way to still get these types right.  Actually, it's a really good strategy for anyone, regardless of starting score.

-SAT Strategy: Use the Answer Choices.  The good news about the SAT is that it's multiple choice.  How does that help us?  Because we know that at least one of the five answer choices given must be right.  Sometimes the simplest way to solve a question is to forget about the algebra and just see which answer choice fits.

The important thing to remember with this strategy is that, like ITOS, you're not really doing the math.  Oh, you're punching stuff into your calculator all right, but there's not always a long algebraic equation to guide you.  This can be a very good thing, especially if you're not great at setting up long algebraic equations, but it also means that you have no insurance.  If you make a mistake when typing those numbers into your calculator, you won't know you made a mistake, you'll just get it wrong.

The Strategy sounds pretty basic, but there are rules that it's smart to follow.  First of all, you have to know when you can use it.
You can use the answer choices when the question is asking for a single, specific thing and there are only numbers, no variables, in the answer choices.  Why these two criteria?  Well, if the question is asking for a range of values or an equation as your answer, obviously it's not going to be very helpful to try the answer choices.  It would be just as much work as doing the algebra.  There must be numbers only in the answer choices, because, again, if there are equations the algebra will probably be easier, and if there are variables you could use ITOS.