Using SAT® Skills Insight™

Using SAT® Skills Insight™

close

SAT Skills Insight is only a general guide. Its goal is to help you determine and improve your current skill levels in the areas tested on the SAT.

Review Your Options: Begin by determining the level your skills are at right now. Look at each score band to see what types of skills it requires. Decide how comfortable you feel with the skills described. Don’t worry if you’re not an exact match for any one score band; it’s normal to have some of the skills in the next higher or lower band.

Make Your Selection: Start by looking at the scores you earned on the PSAT/NMSQT®, SAT, and any practice tests you have taken. Then choose a separate score band for each section of the SAT—for example, 300–390 for math, 400–490 for critical reading, and 500–590 for writing.

Once you’ve chosen your bands, you can look at the areas that need improvement to help you achieve more.

Mathematics Skill Groups: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1. Number and Operations

Academic Skills

A typical student in this score band can do the following:

  • SKILL 1: Determine values or properties of numbers in a sequence when given a description of the sequence
  • SKILL 2: Create and use ratios, fractions, or percents in solving problems
  • SKILL 3: Solve more-complex counting problems (e.g., permutations, combinations, and inclusion/exclusion)

Suggestions for Improvement

To prepare for the next score band, try the following:

  • Use Pi in algebraic and geometric contexts
  • Create and use ratios, fractions, or percents, including algebraic expressions, in solving problems

Skill Examples

The example questions below demonstrate the Academic Skills found in this score band. Without looking at the answers, try out the questions to see how comfortable you feel with the skills they test.

Skill 1—Example

Determine values or properties of numbers in a sequence when given a description of the sequence

In a certain sequence where the numbers are increasing, the difference between consecutive terms is always the same. If the 4th term in the sequence is 19 and the 11th term is 47, what is the 1st term in the sequence?

  • 1
  • 3
  • 7
  • 8
  • 11
Answer: C
Skill 2—Example

Create and use ratios, fractions, or percents in solving problems

Marbles are to be removed from a jar that contains 12 red marbles and 12 black marbles. What is the least number of marbles that could be removed so that the ratio of red marbles to black marbles left in the jar will be 4 to 3 ?

Answer: 3
Skill 3—Example

Solve more-complex counting problems (e.g., permutations, combinations, and inclusion/exclusion)

There are 6 different ways to arrange the 3 letters E, F, and G in a row from left to right. How many more ways are there to arrange the 4 letters D, E, F, and G in a row from left to right?

  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 12
  • 18
Answer: E