Math Study Guide

Unlike the vast majority of SAT study guides on the market, our program doesn’t waste your time on concepts you already understand. We employ a novel pre-test design that quickly measures a student’s level of expertise with each new concept. If you pass the pre-test, you’re free to skip the corresponding lesson. This focuses your efforts in the areas that are most important to you, fully optimizing your study time. As an added bonus, once you know where you need the most work, you can drill down into those concepts with our dynamic video tutorials and guided practice. In summary, our SAT math study guide offers a powerful combination of diagnosis and instruction that will completely prepare you for your SAT in the absolute minimum amount of time.

"We are huge fans of Math Help and have used it with success with all three of our kids. Our high school junior needed some extra help with SAT prep. The site has been invaluable. Keep up the good work!"

—  JOHANNA

Is the SAT math hard?

The SAT math can be challenging, but a recent update to the exam has made it difficult for an entirely different reason than before. Under the old system, students had to think about math concepts in new ways, which could present stumbling blocks. Thankfully, the new version of the SAT presents problems in the same way that students are used to seeing them in their high school math classes. However, the difficulty now stems from the complexity of the material. Students are compelled to synthesize their understanding of various formulas and concepts within each question, particularly in the Algebra problems.  Therefore, a strong foundation in a broad assortment of math topics is required to answer the questions on the test.

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What kind of math is on the SAT 2020?

You’ll see a wide variety of math concepts on the SAT, but everything will fall under the major categories of high school mathematics: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Statistics. Only an SAT math study guide that offers a thorough review of all five of these subject areas (including the major formulas used within each discipline) will truly prepare you for your exam.

What math do I need to study for the SAT?

The primary focus of the math on the SAT — about 35 to 40 percent — is in the “Algebra and Functions” area. These problems can extend all the way through the first semester of Algebra 2, but the bulk of the questions will come from Algebra 1, covering such concepts as quadratic equations, absolute values, and direct or inverse variation.

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How do I study for the SAT math?

The following is a list of tips that will maximize the effectiveness of your preparation.

1. Use a practice test to gauge your weaknesses and to track your progress. Until you’re able to ace your practice test, you won’t be ready for the real thing.
2. Focus your review on the primary math subject areas covered on the test, such as Algebra.
3. Memorize the important formulas so that you can quickly recall them when needed.
4. Practice until it’s second nature.
5. Stay vigilant to eliminate careless mistakes.
6. Work on improving your speed so that you have no issues finishing in the allotted time.

Good luck on your exam!

Growing up, I always felt like math wasn’t for me. I struggled with it all through school and honestly thought I'd never get the hang of it. After 13 years away from the classroom, going back and having to take the TSIA2 felt daunting—especially with no time to take extra math classes.
But then I found MathHelp, and everything changed. The short, to-the-point video tutorials were incredibly easy to follow, and they made complex concepts finally make sense. The practice tests were spot-on and helped me build the confidence I needed. Thanks to MathHelp, I not only prepared—I passed the TSIA2 and unlocked the next step in my educational journey.
If you're someone who’s convinced math isn’t your thing, give MathHelp a shot. It truly made the impossible feel possible for me.

Araz chakharian

The test went well and I placed into college math. It was very helpful - you are a great teacher. Thank you!

Brad Nelson

I passed the math part on the TExES core teacher certification test. Which is amazing since the first time I took it I did really bad before I used math help. I was told about y’all from one of my coworkers. She used y'all as well. Thanks so much! Great program.

Lauren Ottwell

My results on the NYSCTE Early Childhood test came in last night and I passed with a 528 ! This study guide was truly the best! Very detailed.

Brittany'Marie Rollins

The math placement prep course really helped me — I scored 96% on the test! The question bank was especially useful in helping me practice and build confidence. Thanks for such a helpful course!

Ana Carolina

The ALEKS went so well!! I placed exactly into the college math class I needed, skipping algebra 1-3 and into statistics!! Without this course through mathhelp.com I would have had to take 4 math classes before this class I needed for my bachelor’s degree! I loved the details in the instructions and mini practice quizes and the different types of problems. In high school I remember the teacher showing only one example then the test would have a different type of problem and I didn't know how to do that type of problem such as reciprocals and negative on the bottom instead of the top and so much more! The explanations of why the problem is wrong on your tests helped tremendously as well. Your course was amazing.

Kyla Blaze

This course was beyond helpful to me. I actually took my PERT test today and scored a 150/150! This is all thanks to Mathhelp.

Joy Mann

I honestly have only good things to say about the experience! I was aiming for anywhere above 61 on my ALEKS test and scored a 64. I found it really helpful to have practice questions and quiz questions so the user has a feedback loop on their progress and confidence in the topic. Also, the ability to toggle between the practice/quiz questions and the associated lecture if you get a question wrong was very helpful. Most importantly the clarity of your explanations and example questions were right on point! Thank you very much!

Tamara

I passed my math placement test because of MATHhelp.com. You guys are the best out there for sure! Every lesson is easy to understand because they walk you through what you need to do. I also just wanted to take the time to thank you & your team for helping me & others who struggle with math. I couldn’t have done it without your help & guidance. I highly recommend this math program!👍

Andrew Mentzer

The best course I had. I scored 86 on the ALEKS test thanks to this class. The most helpful content for me was the simplified videos and the quizzes.

Mohamed Abdalla

I passed the Mathematics MTEL test! The practice questions on MathHelp were very helpful to cement the concepts. And the website is easy to navigate.

Cyryline Reid

I did very well on my test, and I definitely couldn’t have done it without the courses. Everything that was included on the courses was very relevant with what was on the actual test! I will absolutely use Math help the next time I need it.

Rachael Turner

I really appreciated the math lessons on the website. I had been studying math before for the PERT math test and I just couldn't seem to pass it. I went from a 84 the first time I took to passing it with a 120. The videos were short and to the point. Thank you again!

Maggie Gibson

I took my TSIA2 Math test yesterday and scored a 971! Back in December, I scored a 938, so this improvement means a lot to me. The TSIA2 Math help was incredibly useful and strengthened my math skills. The most helpful lessons for me were Linear Equations in Two Variables and Rational expressions and equations. I truly appreciate the support. Thank you!

Omotolani Badru

I found the GMAT course extremely helpful especially for someone like me who was revisiting these subjects after almost 30 years from my high school graduation. The materials are organized in a very smooth way and are taught with clarity and ample practice tests. Thanks again for the course

Kati Asgari

It was great! The elements I felt that most helped me were all of the tests and practices that came after watching the various videos in each of the sections. Not only that, but each teacher/professor was very helpful in explaining how to work problems and telling me to keep some things in mind when doing a specific equation, graphing, etc. In all honesty, everything that had to do with MathHelp was extremely concise and simple to work.

Lincoln Vilchis

I passed the PRAXIS with the help of your program. I really liked the break out of each section and the grades it showed of my test while working through it. I really like the practice test questions with instant feedback if I got the answer correct or not. I like that I had the final exam as well and it helped give a snap shot of the areas I need to work on. I had used another program but did not pass my test...thank you for putting this together. I like the bonus buttons as well if I needed more work in a certain area. The blond teacher is the best and good to see other instructors as well.

Brandon Domnick

I loved your teaching throughout this program! Thank you for all the hard work you put into compiling and teaching such a stream-lined curriculum. I only needed to test into MAT142 at Arizona State University to continue my education but it’s been 15 years since my last math course and as a nurse, I use some basic math for drug dosage calculations or area under the curve for chemotherapy calculations but this program was a great refresher for everything in between. I had super limited time to view the program, so I had to skip some on the more advanced trig, calculus and statistics sections and go ahead and take the ALEKS test so I could enroll for spring semester but I was able to test in to the math class I needed, so I consider it a success. I wouldn’t have felt anywhere near as confident going in if I hadn’t completed the program first.

I definitely think every section was very well thought out. The practice questions and the test questions were a definite bonus. It gave me plenty of chances to try out problems without guidance and the ability to review the written out solution for each answer was phenomenal. I was also grateful for the ability to skip around, to see my progress and scores and to be able to speed up the audio for each section. The reminders and pointing out the common mistakes that students make was a great touch! It made me think about what could trip me up later on and those little tidbits will stick with me.

I sincerely appreciate your help and I may be back later on if my course doesn’t provide the caliber of teaching that this program did.

Jillian Barrette

The ALEKS test went as well as it could for somebody that’s been out of the classroom for 25 years. The MathHelp site actually helped me a ton to prep. I don't have to take remedial math thank goodness. The ALEKS prep broke out the subjects beautifully and allowed you to build on it if you needed to. I hopped around a bit myself, but overall super easy to navigate either way you do it. Thanks!

Sarah Poynter

The Accuplacer went great, I was studying to place a class higher and was able to accomplish that goal. What I appreciated about Math Help was its clean layout and structure to be able to move quickly between videos and practice tests for each skill. I really feel like using this tool was a crucial part of me being able to advance in classes so quickly.

Celesta Allen

The course and the format were very well thought out and it did help me to pass a university math placement enough to not have to take remedial college math classes. It was good refresher even though being away from university and college math for over 30 years. I would highly recommend this math help for anyone that needs to get back to the basics. Also, the way it is taught with explanations, practice problems and test questions for every concept covered.

SgtSurge

Thanks to Mathhelp I scored three levels above where I needed to be on my Aleks test. Fantastic course. I really liked how you could change the speed of playback - I would usually watch at 1.5x speed. If I could have done that when I was taking math in high school I wouldn't have been so bored. The tests and review units were all really well done and everything helped. Thanks so much for all the work you put into this, it's really great!

Byron Miller

This course was amazing!! I recently went back to school and had to take the Accuplacer test for math. I have not been in a math class for over 14 years. This course helped me pass and get placed in college level algebra. Definitely recommend this course.

Madeline Kennedy

My daughter did well on her math placement test to get into college/honors calculus for her high school. She improved her score by 40%. The program helped her "learn" how to study.

Moore Family

The ALEKS test went great. I hadn't taken a math class for over 5 years so I was a little nervous to take the test so I wanted to be as prepared as possible when taking the test. It was really helpful in refreshing my memory and teaching me things I never learned. What I found most helpful was the video lessons as they helped walk me through everything. The program was really helpful.

Macie Burkholder

Preparing for any test can be nerve-racking, especially when it’s a subject you struggle with or have not practiced in a while. When I needed to prepare for the Accuplacer Quantitative Reasoning and Statistics I found all the resources I needed on MathHelp. The lessons are concise, thorough, and easy to understand. When my test day rolled around I felt confident in my abilities. I ended up passing with flying colors and even exceeded my own expectations. I would recommend MathHelp to anyone who wants to improve their understanding and confidence before their test day!

Jessica Padgett

passed the TExES core subjects ec-6 math exam!!! The videos really broke down each skills for me. I liked how many practice questions there were after each lesson for practice for the test for the bonus. I really liked it. The videos with the blonde woman were the most helpful. I feel like she really broke down each problem and explained each element that helped me a lot.

Victoria Larkin

Thank you! I passed my NYSTCE Grades 1-6 exam and did surprisingly well. I haven’t taken a math course in 20 years so I was nervous. I liked that I could go through all of the lessons, test my current knowledge and then focus on the areas with the most need. I felt the lessons were taught at a level I could understand. I appreciate the course I took so much, it helped me out for sure. I got a 557 on a test that I thought would be near impossible for me to pass.

Kimberly Youngberg

I annihilated the TSIA2 test! The most helpful part of the course for me was it’s step-by-step format and practice questions and its slowly ramps up in difficulty - which kept me motivated. The way the course is formatted made it incredibly satisfying and easy to learn.

Raul Gamboa

The Accuplacer test went well and my daughter scored high enough to get into the college math class she needed to take. We really liked the program. It was great how there were the explanation videos which were really good and then the practice and then the quizzes. I liked how if she already knew something we could skip right to the quiz part and if she was struggling with something we could watch the explanations a couple times and then see the practice problems worked. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get her ready for that placement test before I found your program and it was just what we needed. I would definitely recommend it.

Clark Melinkovich

Passed the math placement test! I liked the course very much, simple to navigate, videos are very easy to follow; loved the practice part and small test after every lesson. I think you guys did an amazing job putting this together! Thank you!

Tatiana McKenzie