New SAT MATH as your WORKBOOK
Let's EXCEL Together: Latest Official SAT Tests 1, 3, 5, and 6
Description
In this course, I solve and discuss four Official New SAT Math Tests. As I discuss them, I do not just solve one question after another. Instead, I use the official SAT questions to teach a New SAT math topic, either extensively or an aspect of it, including where we may fail to reach the correct result, if not enough care is shown. If there is an alternative solution method, I provide that also, as needed.
With this overall strategy, I work through the Official Tests 1, 3, 5 and 6, in Sections 1 through 8.
While Sections 1, 3, 5, and 7 are “no calculator” questions; Sections 2, 4, 6 and 8 are “calculator permitted” ones.
In addition, I include a pdf file, Lecture Descriptions, of what is covered in each lecture. You can find them in the resources for the first lecture of each of the eight sections.
A basic math appendix is also included for your ease that covers:
(1) Basic math facts
(2) Laws of exponents/roots, with a short set of “rule clarifying” questions.
My Goal
I designed this video course to help you get prepared for your SAT test. Here, I solve each question as a Teacher solves a math question on the class board, white board on a video course.
I discuss each SAT question as a video lecture with the goal to teach you both: the type of the question and the necessary SAT math topic knowledge to solve the question.
Types of SAT questions:
So what are the standard types of questions that the SAT uses?
Consider a major SAT topic: Linear Equations. The SAT tests knowledge on linear equations mostly through the following question types:
Interpretation of the slope-intercept form: both slope and intercept
Drawing the graph of a linear equation
Solving word problems that use linear functions/equations
SAT uses each of these three ways in testing the Student’s knowledge on linear equations around 75-80% of the time.
Another important knowledge based SAT topic is Quadratic Equations (Q.E). SAT uses mostly the following standard question types in testing student’s knowledge on Q.E:
Finding the solution of a Q.E
Finding the unknown coefficients of a Q.E
Drawing and interpreting the parabola (graph of the Q.E), and its equivalent forms
Solving word problems that use Q.E.
Strategy and the organization:
1. Lecture Labels
The question types covered in this course are identified and labeled per question. The labels themselves are written in bold letters as key words at the start of each lecture description.
For instance, in a Lecture Description (LD) labeled as:
“Linear Equation-Solution”: the focus is on how to solve a linear equation;
“Linear Equation-Interpretation”: the focus is on how to interpret the slope and/or the intercept term;
“Quadratic/matching coefficients”, the focus is on solving for the unknown coefficients of the “Q.E”: using the method of matching coefficients.
2. Lecture Descriptions
A Lecture Description (LD) is a short paragraph per question given in Lecture Descriptions files. Note, while on a PC/laptop, it is possible to see LD’s per question on the Udemy platform; it is not possible to do so on the mobile phones.
However, I believe that Lecture Descriptions are critical in the learning process. Hence, I prepared eight Lecture Description files for each Section, and placed them under the resources tab of the first lecture/question of the Section, for each of the eight Sections.
What use do the lecture descriptions (LD’s) have?
They have two different important roles:
They give an overview of what is taught in that lecture: Seeing what is discussed prior to watching the video lecture is important for concentrated attention.
In addition, they provide us with a tool to target a specific set of SAT questions type of interest, over the entire course.
How? Say you need extra support in “word problems that use quadratic equations”:
With LD’s, you can easily find ALL such SAT word problems covered in the entire course carefully browsing the Lecture Descriptions for the “quadratic equations” and “word problems” labels in bold.
This search would take you to the targeted set of “word problems that use quadratic equations”.
Then, by specifically focusing on studying this set of targeted SAT questions diagnosed efficiently, you would strengthen your skills on this specific SAT math topic, observe all the ways SAT formulated the question on this topic, instead of getting lost in a maze of tons of questions looking for help.
3. Video Lectures
In this course, each SAT math topic discussion is initiated by an SAT question: Sometimes, I complete an SAT math topic over a single question; sometimes it takes several different questions to discuss different aspects of one topic.
However my general rule is that, once I discuss a topic extensively, I discuss it in less detail, when a similar question comes up down the road. Instead, I give a reference to where it was discussed in detail, previously.
For instance, the first question on “solving a systems of linear equations” comes up for the first time in Section 1: Q 9. Here, I treat this question as a discussion setting to learn about how to “solve a system of linear equations”:
Hence, I discuss the topic extensively: what a “system” is; what a “solution” is; how we find the solution; all the available solution methods; which method to use when, along with background information on how lines are related to each other.
The focus of the lecture is not solving that question itself; instead, I treat that SAT question, as one the many examples we keep seeing over on the SAT test, and use it to learn a concept, or a method, or the key points where we may fail (or be tricked by the SAT) in reaching the final correct result!
In the process, I may also link the question studied to other questions on the same topic in the whole course. For instance, for Q9, I link it to Q18 in Section 1. In Q18, the problem is the same, but I use a different solution method, which I now discuss in detail, this time around.
Through this strategy, I show you both how the SAT keeps on asking the same question types again and again over a handful of key topics, and not spend time discussing material covered earlier, unnecessarily.
My Target:
Through systematic practice, we all can all identify the standard (and hence expected (!), question types and learn how to solve them through the detailed video based explanations I provide here, working at our own schedules.
Being able to solve the standard questions means attaining a solid math foundation, and paving the way for a good SAT math base score.
Here, I discuss each question type with the aim to help you, so that you can solve the question unsurprised, when you see a similar question on your own test(s)!
I give time-saving short cuts as I discuss/solve the question as well. But the purpose of this 4 official test solution discussion set is NOT to prepare the Students, so that they solve the questions in the fastest way.
I believe, the primary step for a good performance in the SAT is to have a solid knowledge of the key math topics in the way SAT expects from Students, and tests them on. Time saving strategies are secondary to learning the material.
If you can diagnose the topic that you are is being tested on once you see the question, you will be able to attack the problem in the right way, without getting lost, and loose time. Close familiarity with the SAT questions, and not getting lost while solving is time saving in itself! And that’s the purpose of this course!
Additionally, you can use this course, not only as a way to prep for the SAT; but as a way to diagnose the topics you are weaker at, focus on them early on, and upgrade your SAT math skills, wisely with the help of lecture descriptions as discussed above.
Future
This SAT Workbook is work in progress: I will be updating it along your feedback, which I look forward to receiving!
Importantly, note that this course does not cover all the Official SAT Tests available at the time I publish it.
Yet, I strongly believe that the best way to get ready for the New SAT Math is learning through the official SAT math questions, instead of other sources.
Thus, I currently work on another book that focuses on the remaining tests. But before I finalize it, I need your help to guide me!
As my primary goal is to create a book that would be of help to you on your New SAT Math journey, I look forward to receiving your help.
What You Will Learn!
- learn how to solve the latest New SAT Math Official questions working through four official tests step by step.
- learn to recognize the same question types SAT uses over and over again in a limited number of key math topics-identified for each question covered here.
- learn the key math skills to excel at Digital SAT: no matter the format, the Student needs to know how to solve most of the questions SAT expects him/her to.
- learn time saving tips and to be able to solve questions correctly with minimum reliance on the calculator.
- learn to use the questions as a guide to diagnose the math topics you need to learn better or from scratch.
Who Should Attend!
- All students who want to take the SAT & who have been exposed to at least Grade 8 &9 Math as defined in USA. This is NOT a Beginner's course: the course assumes the student have been exposed to concepts like Cartesian space, equations, and lines. Nevertheless no specific knowledge level is assumed and all will be explained at a slow pace step by step at every stage.
- All students who want to learn how to solve the Digital SAT Math Questions: I can guarantee you that if you learn how to solve the SAT Math question types covered in this course; you will be able to solve ALL the questions SAT covers in its Blue Book for the Digital exam.
- All students who want to use the SAT questions as a guide to diagnose the math topics they either need to learn better or from scratch.
- Early Starters with strong Grade 8/9 math background and who want to see what the New SAT Math is all about early on.