considering taking the math level 2 sat subject test? here’s what you need to know.
should you take it?
if math is your best class and you’re considering majoring in something math-related in college, then you should definitely take the math level 2 subject test. but even if not, you should still consider taking this test. i’m definitely not a math person, but i still took this subject test because i thought it would show colleges that i was willing to challenge myself.
however, the college board recommends this test to students who have taken more than three years of high school level math, including two years of algebra, one year of geometry and some trigonometry or precalculus. make sure you fit these requirements.
what topics should you study?
the following topics will be included on the math level 2 subject test:
number and operations
• operations, ratio and proportion, complex numbers, counting, elementary number theory, matrices, sequences, series, vectors
algebra and functions
• expressions, equations, inequalities, representation and modeling, properties of functions (linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, inverse trigonometric, periodic, piecewise, recursive, parametric)
geometry and measurement
• coordinate: lines, parabolas, circles, ellipses, hyperbolas, symmetry, transformations, polar coordinates
• three-dimensional: solids, surface area and volume (cylinders, cones, pyramids, spheres, prisms), coordinates in three dimensions
• trigonometry: right triangles, identities, radian measure, law of cosines, law of sines, equations, double angle formulas
data analysis, statistics, and probability
• mean, median, mode, range, interquartile range, standard deviation, graphs and plots, least squares regression (linear, quadratic, exponential), probability
how should you study?
the first thing you should do is ask your math teacher for help. they will probably know a thing or two about the sat subject test and will be able to offer you some great tips. they may be able to help you work through problems or go over concepts you don’t understand.
you can also go over your class notes and old test questions on the topics you need to review. you probably have binders and notebooks full of important information you can use to study for the test. definitely make sure of these great resources!
in order to prepare for the types of questions you’ll see on the sat subject test, you can get free practice on the college board website. for even more practice, you can buy either the official sat subject tests in mathematics levels 1 & 2 study guide or the official study guide for all sat subject tests from the college board. both of these books will provide a lot of helpful information about the topics on the test, as well as practice tests that were previously administered. there are a lot of other brands of books you can purchase, but they won’t include real tests that were previously administered, so the practice tests may not be as realistic.
looking for more information about the sat subject tests in general? check this post out.
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