SAT Question of the Day

Remember not to NOT pick an answer choice just because you don’t know what it means! Be smart and reason your way through using the words you DO know. Through process of elimination, you have just as good a shot of getting the right answer, particularly if there’s only one answer choice you don’t know the meaning of.

Know your binomial theorems, because they will show up on the SAT! This question can be easily solved if you understand that the correct answer will have to be a perfect square.

Use your zeros wisely in this question to piece together your standard for of the equation. But know that if you were to multiply your equation by a constant, you would NOT affect the zeros! Be sure to fulfill all requirements of the question and not jump to your first answer too fast!

Remember the steps to creative problem solving! Figure out what your limitations are, and what the question wants you to do, then make your way there, step by step. Don’t worry about getting to the final answer right away. Just think about what is the next thing you can do to get a little closer to it.

Get four solutions to this question! Graphing will get you the answer here in two seconds, but using vertex form and the discriminant are also valid approaches! Experiment and find your fav 💖

Get your slopes and your negative signs straight and you’ll zoom through this question! Be sure to remember that perpendicular lines are going to be formed through lines that have negative reciprocal slopes 💪

Definitely learn to identify the parts of the circle equation that show you the center and radius, and sketch out its “bounds” so you know what can be in or on the circle. Alternatively, just dump the equation into the calculator!

Decode the “math language” on the SAT and you’ll be able to slice through some of these questions that seem convoluted but are really quite simple. Be sure to remember key facts such as that when any number is taken to the power of zero, you get one!

A tricky question that involves two levels of analysis! Putting "though" at the end of a sentence will actually cause the transition to occur between the sentence BEFORE it and the sentence itself. Ex., "He likes chocolate ice cream. I like vanilla, though. Sara likes strawberry ice cream." Notice in the above example that Sara's strawberry preference has nothing to do with the "though." As always, make sure to do your punctuation rules checks!

Be sure to use the “picking numbers” strategy to quickly cut through your algebra problems. Using “common sense” can help you eliminate some of the most egregious wrong answer choices. Keep in mind that the SAT may also HIDE important numbers in word form. Best of luck on the next one!

Be sure to base your answer choices on words you know! If there is a word you don’t know, just don’t consider it and work around it. As always, take into account your “neighbors” to check for context fit!

These types of reading questions will contain many more details than you need to absorb. It’s important to split your work up into two stages for maximum efficiency. Just get enough from the passage to do your “round 1 cross-outs,” or the two worst answers, and go back to the passage to get your tiebreaker. Remember, your job is NOT to become the expert of the passage, but to select the correct answer and move on.

Understand how to evaluate “legality” when it comes to using commas and periods! The more grammar you know, the less you will have to rely on “sounding it out,” which may get you in trouble when it comes to the harder questions!

Don’t be intimidated by the SAT’s tricks. This one is easy if you understand the idea of zeros, and what happens when you move, or “translate” a graph up or downward.

Watch how the calculator cuts through this “hard question” on the SAT in 3 seconds! I will also show you how to do this manually using a picking numbers solution if you are interested. Be sure to make full use of the calculator on this test. It’s your best friend 🐶

Hopefully this answer explanation gives you a deeper understanding of misplaced modifier questions! These guys are super fun after you get the hang of it. Simply pick the subject that is actually conducting the action described in the modifier 👍

Remember your similar triangle proportions and Pythagorean theorem calculations for this one. Set your “x” for whatever you are being asked for, and craft equations that you can solve using M31. Keep practicing those mathematical reasoning skills until they become second nature 😌😇

Sometimes graphing is the best policy! Be comfortable with completing the square to reveal the parabola’s vertex and graphing multiple functions along the same axes to find the best match!

Once you get the hang of these guys, it should be smooth sailing. ⛵️ Identify your modifier, identify what it’s modifying, then be sure to stick the subject directly after the comma.

Don’t get lost when they try to take you out of your comfort zone put using unfamiliar names and places. Just complete the task at hand. Do not select or cross out words you don’t understand, and stick close to the passage at all costs! Keep practicing! 💪

Be sure to take note of the techniques enumerated here to convert between units. Write out your conversion factors, then decide how to multiply them to get your route toward your intended unit! Never be afraid to use process of elimination and “common sense” to get the 5-second solution to a question! ⚡️

Be very careful when evaluating these answer choices to make sure ALL requirements given in the question are met! Half-right-half-wrong answers are wrong!

You can think about this question as a linear systems problem or just plug the numbers in! Remember you can always go backwards when you have a set of real numbers in the answer choices. Graphically, “solution” just means intersection in this context.

Two important strategies for word-in-context questions: (1) neighbors, and (2) synonym clue. The words most important for defining the blank will be the ones right next to it. Also, the College Board will actually stick the answer right in the passage in synonym form for you to find 🥰

Remember your 3 similar triangle theorems: SSS, SAS, and AAA. At minimum, we must know that two angles are equivalent in order for triangles to be similar. Label your sides and angles accurately to make sure you don’t make a minor error!

Don’t worry about the convoluted scientific terminology when you see it on the SAT, or not understanding the science behind it all. Focus on the question! Do your process of elimination and make sure your answer matches what is in the passage, literally, or through a small logical reasoning step 👍

One of the hardest digital SAT questions SOLVED showing some very important functions using the TI-Nspire CX II CAS calculator (aka the best kept secret weapon for the digital SAT - sorry if you’re still using Desmos!) Hope you all find this helpful 😇

Draw your own figure if one is not provided in the question! Remember the geometric rule that a tangent line to a circle creates a perpendicular angle w the radius! And that two perpendicular lines have negative reciprocal slopes! Whew 😉

Answer is actually, perhaps shockingly, no punctuation at all! Don’t fall for the common mistake that you always need some sort of comma following a title before a name. It all comes down to whether the name is “essential” or “nonessential” to the sentence.

Don’t forget the details in each SAT question like the word “additional”! Also, strategies like picking a real number to substitute for variables in the question can really bring the question into the “real world” and help you get connections in the question you might be missing. Stay tuned for a new question to tackle tomorrow! 💪

Answer to this 1800s-era Reading question! 🐴 Be discriminating in your round 2 cross-outs, and be sure to cover up keywords you like / clearly evidenced in the passage so that those wrong parts stick out and you can quickly rule out the answer! Remember, never settle for second-best, because second-best is WRONG! Stay turned for a new one tomorrow! 🥰

This question is a little harder than the ones lately so bear with me here! Not too bad, except you would have to be familiar with vertical translations and also the form of the graph y=a^x! Definitely a handy one to get chummy with. ❤️ Stay tuned for a brand new question tomorrow!

Answer to this tricky line of best fit question! Remember, unless you see a 0 at the start of the y-axis, don’t confuse the “y-intercept” of where it looks like the line is hitting for the real y-intercept! Of course, you can pick two points (as far as possible from one another) to actually calculate the slope and then the y-intercept, but for most questions on the SAT, you can have just as much success 🍀 (and save valuable time) with process of elimination. Stand by for a new question tomorrow! 🤓

A tricky one that tests your ability to model a nonlinear mathematical equation to a scientific experiment involving bacteria. Be sure to always keep in mind the requirements of the question, and whether your answer would meet those requirements! Stay tuned for a brand new SAT QOTD tomorrow!

A pretty straightforward one to start! Be careful with your assumptions whenever you look at a test question. Be sure not to confuse rise with run! Remember, with slope, it's RISE / RUN, not the other way around.

Here's a bonus video for you guys because I saw a bunch of people recommending heavy algebra solutions to this "hard" question on the most recent May administration of the SAT on the r/Sat reddit thread. Hope you all enjoy! And hope this video will encourage some new converts to alternative strategies to traditional algebra, at least for the purpose of SAT math. (And maybe life in general.)

A gnarly algebra word problem that can be solved in seconds using alternative strategies! How many ways to solve can you think of? Which ways are faster, and less error-prone? (Hint: be sure to think about PITA and picking numbers. because we are in the Math No Calculator section of the SAT!)

A special tutorial on FUNCTION NOTATION (if it made absolutely no sense in math class) in addition to some important lessons on quadratic equations, or parabolas, which will be a major feature on the SAT! Watch on and deepen your understanding and improve your skills for test day.

A nice and long video today about the MANY ways to solve this SAT math algebra question, which is a classic on the SAT: the system of equations question! Sit back, relax, and let the key lesson sink in here. There is MORE to this than substitution and elimination! Learn the 10-second method, then learn the 5-second method!

Learn how to solve an "impossible" algebra question, as designed by the SAT! This example is a great way to showcase the principle that you DON'T have to solve an equation to arrive at numerical answers. As always, common sense and backwards strategies will take you a long way and save valuable time under testing conditions!

Learn how to cut through this question easily using the powerful SAT strategies of (1) Answer Choice Analysis, (2) Simplification, and (3) Round 1 / Round 2 Decision Analysis. Find out what those techniques entail. Watch on!

A great example of the BIG difference in time and error potential between the FAST way to get to the answer on SAT math questions and the slow, traditional methods. A tricky question that provides unnecessary information, as well as a "PITA-block"! Learn what that means and much more by watching this video.

A great opportunity to test out what you've learned so far regarding the powerful and wonderful "picking numbers" strategy, in addition to "Answer Choice Analysis"! Learn how to cut through the algebra on this question, and get to the answer with less stress, and more accuracy.

The idea of linear equations (and slope and y-intercept) is perhaps one of the most commonly tested concepts on the SAT! Be sure to watch this video and brush up on your ability to APPLY those ideas of slope and y-intercept to REAL-WORLD contexts.

Introduction to SAT word problems! Learn all the techniques you need to zap through word problems on SAT math, including a very important tactic you can apply to ALL SAT multiple choice questions to get out of doing algebra. Yes, I said it, solving an "algebra" question by not doing any algebra! Watch on and prosper.

A very tricky question loaded with traps designed by the SAT specifically to target habits you learned in your school mathematics career, starting from elementary school onwards. Yes, elementary school.

Watch this video to learn about some key SAT principles such as Answer Choice Analysis, and the TWO ways on the SAT to be 100% of your answer choice. Watch on and prosper.

How to solve question #1 in the Math No Calculator section of SAT 1, in addition to info on the structure of the SAT in general, the structure of the Math No Calculator section, and a ton of innovative techniques!