Stronger at Math Than Your SAT/ACT Scores Show? Here’s How to Close the Gap

Sometimes students who are confident with math still find themselves struggling to get standardized test scores that reflect what they know they are capable of. While this can be frustrating, it shouldn’t be cause for despair – and it also shouldn’t be taken as a sign to just keep drilling with every practice test you can find without making any adjustments.

There are multiple possible underlying causes for not meeting your potential on SAT or ACT Math, and taking a smart approach to studying is more effective than drilling as hard as possible.

It’s Time to Ask Yourself Some Questions

Taking one mock test is a great way to start identifying what isn’t working. After taking it, go through the questions you missed and identify why you missed them. Here are a few common possible whys that strong students face and a starting place for how to address them:

I thought I knew how to solve this question, but I got it wrong. 

Often this comes down to small arithmetic errors or misreading the question. If you can easily solve it correctly when you take the time to work carefully, this is a reminder to slow down and take those easy questions seriously. On the SAT in particular, missing an easy question because you rushed through it can hurt your score more than missing a hard question!

Occasionally, digging into why you missed a question can reveal a fundamental misunderstanding about material you thought you understood. Catching and correcting any misunderstandings is important.

I froze up on this question on the test, but looking back at it now, it’s fine. 

Sometimes the stress of test day can make things harder, but, with practice, you can learn to channel that stress productively! This is a sign it is time to work on your mental game.

I didn’t know how to solve this problem.

Even if you have a solid background in math, there are topics, especially in geometry, that you might be very rusty on. The more advanced a class you are currently in, the longer it has been since you learned the foundations. It is also sometimes possible to just miss a topic entirely. The ACT in particular tests a handful of topics (like matrices and some of the more advanced questions about complex numbers) that don’t have a definite class they belong in. This means some students learn them multiple times and others miss them entirely.
This is, usually, the easiest issue to fix. Once you identify what topics you need to review (or learn for the first time), you know what to work on!

Some of the hardest questions on the SAT and ACT might ask you to apply concepts you are familiar with in entirely new contexts. If you get tripped up by twists that keep the standard processes you are confident with from working, there are two things to work on: understanding why those processes work so that you can modify them when needed and general problem solving skills that will let you tease a complicated problem apart into manageable steps.

Get the Support You Need to Conquer SAT/ACT Math Now

If you struggle to identify why you missed something or could use some guidance in working through your particular challenges, our tutors are here to help. 

Schedule a call with a Program Director or give us a call at 866-789-PREP (7737) to meet your right-fit tutor and get personalized feedback on your SAT/ACT Math strategy!

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