If your student took the SAT and got a below-average score in math, you may be wondering how they can improve. Peach State Tutoring & Test Prep offers high-quality academic help to students taking standardized tests in Roswell, Johns Creek, Milton, Cumming, Duluth, Norcross, Suwanee, and Alpharetta, GA. They’ll provide your child with a greater understanding of the SAT math section, as well as strategies for completing those questions to boost their score.

5 Strategies to Improve SAT Math Scores

1. Guess Anyway

It helps to understand how the SAT math sections are presented. The hardest questions are toward the end, so it’s best for students to focus on grasping the concepts in the easier questions. This doesn’t mean they should skip the hard ones, though! Even if they’re struggling, they should still guess. There is no longer a penalty for wrong answers, so guessing only increases their chances of getting a higher score.

2. Know Your Weaknesses

Rather than giving equal study time to all math subjects, students should focus on their weakest skills. Those who excel at algebra but struggle in geometry should spend more time doing geometry drills. It’s also important for kids to identify and understand their mistakes. In doing so, they can develop strategies to answer those questions correctly in the future.

3. Focus on the Most Important Concepts & Skills

While the SAT covers a broad range of math concepts and skills, some are emphasized more than others. For instance, ratios, proportions, and linear equations appear more often than trigonometry and nonlinear equations. It’s better to study those concepts that appear more frequently and skip the less frequent (and often more difficult) ones.

4. Try Different Strategies for Solving Problems

There are several multiple-choice questions in the SAT math section. One strategy students can use is plugging the answer choices into the equation. This is an easy and relatively quick way to find the correct answer. Another option is to plug in numbers where needed. The key is to think outside the box to find other ways to answer these questions.

5. Use Time-Saving Strategies

Students should monitor their time during practice tests so they get a realistic idea of how many problems they can solve in the allotted time. It’s also helpful to employ time-saving strategies. Leaving hard questions, which take the most time to complete, to the end is one. Another option is answering all the questions first and filling in the answer sheet at the end. This keeps students focused on the test and gives them a few minutes to ensure all the answers are filled in.

SAT testing is stressful for students, but the tutors at Peach State Tutoring & Test Prep specialize in developing custom tutoring programs to help kids succeed. If your student wants to improve their SAT math scores, they can help. Not sure if they should take the SAT or ACT? The center offers a useful evaluation test to help them figure out which one they’ll score higher on. Visit them online, or call them at (678) 824-6890 to learn more.