Cracking The SAT Premium

However, don’t worry too much if you don’t always see the faster way to solve a problem like this one.
The math class way will certainly get you the right answer.

Here’s another example:

9.If        =   x   −   2,  what    is  the value   of  (x  −   2)^2    ?

A)

B)

C) 5

D) 25

Learn   Them,   Love    Them

Don’t   get bogged  down

looking for a   direct

solution.   Always  ask

yourself    if  there   is  a

simple  way to  find    the

answer. If  you train

yourself    to  think   in  terms

of  shortcuts,  you won’t

waste   a   lot of  time.

However,    if  you don’t   see

a   quick   solution,   get to

work.   Something

may come    to  you as  you

labor   away.

Here’s How to Crack It

If you were to attempt the math class way, you’d find that x = + 2 and then you’d have to substitute that

into the provided expression. There’s got to be an easier way!

The problem is much easier if you look for a direct solution. Then, you notice that all the problem wants

you to do is to square the expression on the right of the equal sign. Well, if you square the expression on

the right, then you’d better square the expression on the left, too. So, ( )^2 = 5 = (x − 2)^2 and the answer

is (C). That was pretty painless by comparison.

Solving Simultaneous Equations

Some SAT problems will give you two or more equations involving two or more variables and ask for the
value of an expression or one of the variables. These problems are very similar to the problems
containing one variable. ETS would like you to spend extra time trying to solve for the value of each
variable, but that is not always necessary.