SAT Math · Study & Practice
SAT Math Question Types
SAT Math asks questions in exactly two formats, and each rewards a slightly different approach. This guide takes apart both — standard multiple choice and student-produced response (grid-ins) — so you know precisely how to read them, how to attack them, and how to avoid losing points you have already earned to a careless slip or a formatting mistake.
Topics
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Formula Reference Sheet
This chapter
The two formats
| Multiple choice | four options A–D; one is correct |
|---|---|
| Grid-in | you compute and type the value |
Grid-in rules
| Allowed | fractions (3/4) and decimals (0.75) |
|---|---|
| Not allowed | percent signs, commas, negatives |
Digital SAT reference
Area & Circumference
| Circle area | A = πr² |
|---|---|
| Circle circumference | C = 2πr |
| Rectangle | A = ℓw |
| Triangle | A = ½ b h |
Volume
| Rectangular box | V = ℓwh |
|---|---|
| Cylinder | V = πr²h |
| Sphere | V = 4⁄3 πr³ |
| Cone | V = 1⁄3 πr²h |
| Pyramid | V = 1⁄3 ℓwh |
Right triangles
| Pythagorean theorem | a² + b² = c² |
|---|---|
| 30°–60°–90° | sides x : x√3 : 2x |
| 45°–45°–90° | sides s : s : s√2 |
Constants
| Degrees in a circle | 360° |
|---|---|
| Radians in a circle | 2π |
| Angles of a triangle | sum = 180° |
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