Convert All Units of Measurement to the Same Units Used in the Answer Choices before Solving the Problem If a question involves units of measurement, be sure to
convert all units in the question to the units used in the
answer choices before you solve the problem. If you
wait to convert units later, you may forget to do it and
will choose an incorrect answer. If you make the con-
versions at the start of the problem, you won’t have to
worry about them later. You can then focus on finding
an answer instead of worrying about what units the
answer should be in. For example, if the answer choices
of a word problem are in
feet but the problem includes
measurements in
inches, convert all measurements to
feet before making any calculations.
Draw Pictures When Solving Word Problems if Needed Pictures are usually helpful when a word problem
doesn’t have one, especially when the problem is deal-
ing with geometry. Also, many students are better at
solving problems when they see a visual representation.
But don’t waste time making any drawings too elabo-
rate. A simple drawing, labeled correctly, is usually all
you need.
Avoid Lengthy Calculations It is seldom, if ever, necessary to spend a great deal of
time doing calculations. The SAT is a test of mathe-
matical concepts, not calculations. If you find yourself
doing a very complex, lengthy calculation—stop! Either
you are not solving the problem correctly or you are
missing an easier method.
Don’t Overuse Your Calculator Because not every student will have a calculator, the
SAT does not include questions that require you to use
one. As a result, calculations are generally not complex.
So don’t make your solutions too complicated simply
because you have a calculator handy. Use your calcula-
tor sparingly. It will not help you much on the SAT.
