Use Your Calculator Strategically
Here are some tips for using your calculator strategically during the test.
DON’T USE YOUR CALCULATOR TOO OFTEN
You will not need your calculator for every question. Top scorers use their calculators for 40-50
percent of the questions on Level 1 and for 55-65 percent of the questions on Level 2. This is still a
math test, not a calculator test. Success depends more on your problem-solving skills than on your
calculator skills. The calculator is just one tool. Use it wisely and sparingly.
According to the test makers, your calculator will be of little or no use on about 35–45 percent of the
questions on the test. Here’s an example where the calculator is no help:
To answer this question, you need to be adept at algebraic manipulation. Your calculator won’t help
here. To subtract fractions, even algebraic fractions like these, you need a common denominator,
1. If x ≠ ±1, then