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SAT PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND TIPS

 

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SAT question of the day

A, B, C, and D are points on a line, with D the midpoint of the segment BC. The lengths of segments AB, AC, and BC are 10, 2, and 12, respectively. What is the length of segment AD?

  1. 2
  2. 4
  3. 6
  4. 10
  5. 12

 

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Know the test directions.
 For every five minutes you spend reading directions, you'll have five fewer minutes available to answer questions. Learn the directions now.
 
Know what to expect.
 Questions of the same type are grouped together. Except for the critical reading questions, the easier questions are at the beginning of the section and the harder questions are at the end.

Do the easy questions first.
 You earn just as many points for easy questions as you do for hard questions.

  Know how the test is scored. You get one point for each correct answer. You lose a fraction of a point for a wrong answer, except on the student-produced response questions in the math section. On those questions, no points are deducted for wrong answers.
 

 

Guess smart.
 If you can rule out one or more answer choices for a multiple-choice question as definitely wrong, your chances of guessing the right answer improve.
 

Don't panic if you can't answer every question.
You don't have to answer every question correctly to get a good score. On the practice test in Taking the SAT I: Reasoning Test, you can get an average score by just answering about half of the questions correctly (and omitting the remaining questions).
 

 

Omit questions that you really have no idea how to answer.
 No points are lost for omitting a question. But don't forget tip number 5. If you can rule out any choices, you probably should guess.
 

Be careful when filling in the grids
 on the answer sheet for the math questions that are not multiple-choice questions. (There are some important rules for this, so be sure to refer to Taking the SAT I: Reasoning Test for an example.)
 

 

Use your test book to do scratchwork to cross off answers you know are wrong and to mark questions you did not answer so you can go back if there's time. Be sure to mark your answers on the separate answer sheet, because you won't receive credit for any answers you marked in the test book.

 


Hand Picked Sample Questions with Tips

1.X IS A FACTOR OF 35, AND

Y IS A FACCTOR OF 16

Which answer could NOT be a value for xy?

a)10 

b) 24

c)40 

d)56 

e)70

TIP:The question implies all answers are correct except for one.  Test each answer. (For this problem, that means listing all the factors of 35 and 16)

2.A line segment has endpoints

(9, 8) and (-2, -14).  At what point does the segment cross the

 y-axis??
a) (0,-6)

b) (0,-7)

c) (0,-9)

d) (0,-10)

e) (0,-11)

TIP:When no figure is given, draw a rough sketch to help visualize the problem.  Do NOT use it to reason from.  Review SLOPE.

3.If 2 > 1/x > 1  then x could equal….

a)3

b)2

c)½

d)3/2

e)  2/3

TIP:  Look at all choices to eliminate impossibles.  Test remaining choices.


Quantitative Questions Tell which column contains the larger value:
a means column A is greater, b means column B is greater, c means they are equal, d means that there is not enough information to tell for sure

4.Column A            Column B

      (1/4)2                        (.25)3

TIP:When fractions/decimals occur in the same problem, change to the same form.  Usually exponents make a number larger, NOT TRUE when working with numbers between 0 and 1 (fractions).

6.    Define operation Ä

       as  x  Ä y  =  3y/x

  Column A                   Column B

6  Ä  2                        2  Ä  6

 

TIP:  Ä stands for an operation created for this problem only.  Use this as the “rule” for performing the operation and substitute the numbers.

ADDITIONAL TIPS

 

TIP 1:  Plug in numbers for variables to test answers.

 

1.  If p is an odd integer, which of the following must also be an odd integer?

a)  p + 1             b)  p/2      c)  p + 2  d)  2p  e)  p –1

Plug in any ODD integer.

 

2.  If y/3 = 6x, then in terms of y x =

a)  3y   b)  2y   c)  y                 d)  y/2  e)  y/18

 

Choose numbers for x and y – choose smart numbers like those divisible by 3 for easier arithmetic.

 

3.  Mary spilled 2/5 of her peanuts, and Jessica ate 1/3 of what was left.  Jessica then gave the peanuts to Max and Sam, who each ate half of what remained.  What fractional part of Mary’s peanuts did Sam eat?

a)  1/15           b)  1/10           c)  1/5 d)  1/3 e)  4/5

 

TIP 2:  Plug in all choices to see which one works.  Try “C” answer first since answers are in numerical order – you will have fewer to test and save some time. Use this when the question is very straightforward and the choices are actual values.

If    3(x – 1)    =    9

            2             (x – 2)      what is the value of x?

 

a)  -4   b)  -2   c)  1                 d)  4                e)  9

 

TIP 3:Estimate answers to save time.  When figures are given, most are drawn to scale unless otherwise noted.  Use your eyes.

MISCELLANEOUS TIPS

Translate  P  to a little more than 3.

Make a chart if you have a lot of stuff to track.

Solve proportions (equation with both sides being fractions) by cross multiplying.

If      3x/5     =    (x +  2)/3

 

Review:Factoring, Solving Systems of Equations, Exponents

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