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Alexis Avila Founder/CEO of Prepped and Polished talks about SAT math strategies students taking the SAT with Extra time accommodation can use on the SAT Math section.
Now, for the second half of the test, the math side, our approach is going to defer quite a bit from the first half. When we get into the math no calculator section and the math calculator section, we are going to be dealing with more flexible timing for questions, as well as trying to work out what question types and what topics make the most sense for the student to focus on.
Time breakdown
How students should focus on their time is based on those two sections, the multiple choice and the fill-in questions. So, if we look at 37 and a half minutes, you’ll have roughly about 25 minutes for the multiple choice questions and then 13 minutes for the fill-in questions. Some students might need less time for the multiple choice questions and require more time for the fill-ins or vice versa. So what we want to try and do is for the fill-in questions, guarantee yourself at least one minute, if not two minutes, for each question on the test.
Understand phrasing of the questions
When looking at certain questions, we want to make sure that as we’re reading the math questions, we’re able to break down what the question is. Identify what we need to know so that way we can answer these questions. Now, a lot of times with the SAT math section, the phrasing of the questions ends up being the most challenging part, and it’s not always the math. The math can always be challenging. Calculation errors can occur, but a lot of times, it comes down to the student understanding what he or she is being asked to do. So, I always tell students to underline what the question is asking. If you have this extra time, make a note of what the question is asking.
Write down your work
Another thing to do is write down your work. You have extra time; show your work. You don’t want to make simple errors in your mind because you’re trying to do it all in your head.
What is your biggest takeaway from this vlog about SAT Math Strategies for Students with Extra Time? Do you have any questions for Alexis?
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