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SAT Math
3. Other Algebra Strategies
Written by: Pranav I
Formatted by: Rithanya S
Avoiding Algebra in the Digital SAT
- Protects you from the trap answers set by the test-writers
- Allows you to make use of a calculator even in algebra questions
Plugging In The Answers (PITA)
- Can be used for solving word problems in which the answer choices are all numbers
- Helps you skip the step of forming equations from the question
🔥 The PITA Basic Approach
- Understand and write down what the answer choices represent
- Start with one of the middle answer choices, work the steps of the problem
- Look for something in the question that tells you what must happen for the answer to be correct
- When you find the correct answer, STOP
- Also works for non-word problems that ask for a specific value and have numbers in their answer choices
- Spend your time trying answers rather than worrying about going in the wrong direction
🔥 3 ways to know that it’s time for PITA
- There are numbers in the answer choices
- The question asks for a specific amount: “the number of”; “what was” or “how many”
- You have the urge to write an algebraic equation to solve the problem
- The PITA approach will also avoid the issue of extraneous solutions
Plugging In Your Own Numbers
- Pick numbers for the variables in the question
- Use your numbers to find an answer to the questions, and circle your answer
- Plug your number(s) for the variable(s) into the answer choices and eliminate choices that don’t equal the answer you found in Step 2
Which Numbers?
- Plug in “100” for percentages
- Plug in “30” or “120” for minutes (do not choose conversion factors like 60)
- In most cases, plugging in small numbers makes finding the answer easier
- NOTE: Do not plug in 0, 1 or any other number in the question or answer choices- this will result in a mistake
- These numbers make a problem less confusing by simplifying the arithmetic
Meaning in context
- Task: Recognize what a part of the equation stands for
- Label each part of the equation and use POE
- If you find the equation confusing, try plugging in numbers
The MEANING IN CONTEXT Basic Approach
- Read the question carefully. Make sure you know which part of the equation you are being asked to identify.
- Use your scratch paper to rewrite the equation, replacing the parts of the equation you can identify with labels.
- Eliminate any answer choices that clearly describe the wrong part of the equation, or go against what you have labelled.
- Plug in! Use your own numbers to start seeing what is happening in the equation.
- Use POE again, using the information you learned from plugging in real numbers, until you get it down to one answer choice.
🔥 Tip
Graphing equations can aid you in visualization
