By the time you’re done, your figure should look like this:
THE CALCULATOR
As you already know, the Math Test is divided into a shorter section in which calculator use is not
permitted and a longer section in which it is permitted. This affects the way you do the questions in each
of these sections. The No Calculator section will lean more toward “fluency” and “understanding” of
mathematical concepts, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to calculate anything. On the Calculator
section, using the calculator is not always helpful. In this book, if you see a calculator symbol next to a
question, it means you may use your calculator as needed to arrive at the answer. If there is no calculator
symbol by a question, leave that calculator alone! The rest of this chapter will give you general
information about how to use your calculator when you can and what to do when you can’t. Other Math
chapters will give you specific information about using your calculator in particular situations.
Gee, ETS Must Not Like Me
Why else would it say you can’t use your calculator on one section? They say they want to test
“fluency” and “conceptual understanding” by taking away your calculator. You may have to
rearrange some things and do some manipulation to get the answer. They won’t expect you to do
anything too crazy, like calculate to three decimal places, so have no fear!You’ll need to take your own calculator when you take the SAT. Even if you now use a calculator
regularly in your math class at school, you should still read this chapter and the other Math chapters
carefully and practice the techniques we describe. Make sure that your calculator is either a scientific or a
graphing calculator. It must perform the order of operations correctly. To test your calculator, try this
problem. Type it in to your calculator exactly as written without hitting the ENTER or “=” key until the
end: 3 + 4 × 6 =. The calculator should give you 27. If it gives you 42, it’s not a good calculator to use.