Tips To Improve Mental Math For The SAT

Improving one’s ability to do mental math has always been a good idea, but now with the no-calculator math section, it’s lately been a popular  topic. While youre not expected to know how to add or subtract 3-digit numbers or do 2-digit multiplications mentally, but for medium sums, this skill can go a long way on test day. So do a Snoop Dogg and drop that calculator like it’s hot and practice the following tips to improve your mental math agility. I dont know about you, but this is how I dance after I successfully solve a problem mentally. Review and/or expand your times tables If you’re a little hazy on the times tables you learned oh-so long ago, it might just be a good idea to review them. Write them all out and see how much you can remember. You can even make flash cards. If you’re stuck, don’t reach for the calculator; instead, mentally add the number you are multiplying to the previous number so that you’re practicing mental math as much as possible. If you’re still sharp with the multiplication tables you learned as a kid, learn some more! Push yourself as far as you like, but it’s probably not necessary to go past 20. Its also important to practice mentally figuring out equations like 170 x 2 or 1.2). The point of front-end addition is so that you wouldn’t have to rely on any sort of â€Å"mental marking,† like carrying over the one, which makes visualizing the summing process so much easier. This strategy also works for subtraction too. Take 82 28. Do 80 20 (60), then 2 8 (-6), and add them together (54). On paper, it looks like it long process, but its simple and fast once you get the hang of it. Practice during your down time (see  tip #10) If you feel silly doing mental math exercises when you should be doing practice problems, work on mental math during your downtime, like when you’re waiting in line or on the bus. You can even incorporate it into your wake up ritual! There are many alarm clock apps that only shut off after you’ve answered a math question (I suggest the hardest mode). What a great way to practice mental math AND wake up 😉 Start early and don’t get discouraged!! Since perfecting these techniques can take a bit of time, it’s important to remember that studying for the SAT is not just about learning the topics and doing practice problems; it’s also about perfecting strategies that will help you save time and do well on these practice problems. These techniques may be slow at first, but with practice and patience, you’ll be a mental math whiz before you know it!