As we said earlier, the questions on the
SAT II Math IC Test areorganized from least to most difficult, with the basic material coverednear the beginning and the advanced topics at the end. Make sure youdon't spend too much time on the easiest questions, putting yourself inthe position of having to leave blank those questions near the end ofthe test that you could have answered
if only you had more time.
Answering 50 math questions in 60 minutes isnot the easiest of tasks, but if you learn how to pace yourself, youshould be able to at least look at every single question on the test.Note that we said “look at” every question, we didn't say “answer.”
It is unlikely that you will be able toanswer every question on the test. Some questions will stump youcompletely. Others might demand so much of your time that answeringthem becomes more trouble than it’s worth. While taking five minutes tosolve a particularly difficult question might strike you as a moralvictory when you're taking the test, you could have used that same timeto answer six other questions that would have vastly increased yourscore. Instead of getting bogged down on individual questions, you willdo better if you learn to skip, and leave for later, the very difficultquestions either that you can't answer or that will take an extremelylong time to solve.
By perfecting your pacing on practice tests,you can make sure that you will see every question on the test, lettingyou choose which questions you will and will not answer, rather thanrunning out of time before reaching the end of the test.
There are a few simple rules that will make pacing yourself much easier.
- Don’t get bogged down on one single question. If you find yourselfwasting time on a question, circle it, move on, and come back to itlater.
- Answer every question for which you know the answer, andmake an educated guess on every question for which you can quicklyeliminate at least one answer choice.
- Skip questions in which the question and answers refer toconcepts completely foreign to you. If you look at the question andanswers and have no idea what topics they cover, you have little chanceof making an educated guess. Mark the question in some way to indicateit is very difficult. Return to this type of question only if you haveanswered everything else. Remember to skip that line on your answersheet!
Setting a Target Score
You can make the job of pacing yourself mucheasier if you go into the test knowing how many questions you have toanswer correctly in order to earn the score you want. So, what score doyou want? Obviously, you should strive for the best score possible, butbe realistic: consider how much you know about math and how well youusually do on SAT-type tests. You should also consider what exactlydefines a good score at the colleges you're applying to: is it a 620? A680? Talk to their admissions offices, do a little research in collegeguidebooks, or talk to your guidance counselor. You should also findout the average scores of students already at the schools you want toattend. Take that number and set your target score above it (you wantto be
above average, right?). Then take a look at the chart we showed you earlier.
You’ll get:
- 780 if you answered 49 right, 0 wrong, and left 1 blank
- 740 if you answered 46 right, 0 wrong, and left 4 blank
- 700 if you answered 43 right, 4 wrong, and left 3 blank
- 650 if you answered 39 right, 8 wrong, and left 3 blank
- 600 if you answered 35 right, 8 wrong, and left 7 blank
So let's say the average score for SAT IIMath IC for the school you want to attend is a 600, and you set yourtarget at about 650. According to the chart, you can get 39 questionsright, get 8 wrong, leave 3 questions blank, and still achieve yourtarget score.
If you know all these numbers going into thetest, you can pace yourself accordingly. You should use practice teststo teach yourself the proper pace, increasing your speed if you findthat you aren't getting to answer all the questions you need to, ordecreasing your pace if you find that you're rushing and makingcareless mistakes. If you reach your target score during preparation,give yourself a cookie and take a break for the day. But just becauseyou hit your target score doesn't mean you should stop workingaltogether. In fact, you should view reaching your target score as aclue that you can do
better than that score: set a new target50-100 points above your original, and work to pick up your pace alittle bit and skip fewer questions.
By improving your score in manageableincrements, you can slowly work up to your top speed, integrating yournew knowledge of the test and how to take it without overwhelmingyourself. If you can handle working just a little faster withoutbecoming careless and losing points, your score will certainly go up.If you meet your new target score again, repeat the process.
