Cracking The SAT Premium

SAT ALGEBRA: CRACKING THE SYSTEM

The SAT generally tests algebra concepts that you likely learned in eighth or ninth grade. So, you are
probably pretty familiar with the level of algebra on the test. However, the test writers are fairly adept at
wording algebra questions in a way that is confusing or distracting in order to make the questions harder
than the mathematical concepts that are being tested.

In that fashion, the SAT Math sections are testing not only your math skills, but also, and possibly even
more important to your score improvement, your reading skills. It is imperative that you read the questions
carefully and translate the words in the problem into mathematical symbols.

ENGLISH MATH    EQUIVALENTS

is, are,    were,   did,    does,   costs =

what    (or any unknown value) any  variable    (x, y,  k,  b)

more,   sum +

less,   difference –

of, times,  product ×   (multiply)

ratio,  quotient,   out of, per ÷

BASIC PRINCIPLES: FUNDAMENTALS OF SAT ALGEBRA

Many problems on the SAT require you to work with variables and equations. In algebra class you
learned to solve equations by “solving for x” or “solving for y.” To do this, you isolate x or y on one side
of the equal sign and put everything else on the other side. The good thing about equations is that to isolate
the variable you can do anything you want to them—add, subtract, multiply, divide, square—provided you
perform the same operation to all the numbers in the equation.

Thus, the golden rule of equations:

Whatever    you do  to  the items   on  one side    of  the equal   sign,   you must    do  to  the items   on  the other   side

of  it  as  well.

Let’s look at a simple example of this rule, without the distraction of answer choices.

If  2x  −   15  =   35, what    is  the value   of  x   ?

Here’s How to Crack It

You want to isolate the variable. First, add 15 to each side of the equation. Now you have the following: