# SAT Math: Format, Topics and Calculator Tips | topin SAT guidesSAT Math ![](/mountains/quant.webp) Digital SAT # SAT Math: format, topics and strategy Math is the second section of the digital SAT: 44 questions in two 35-minute modules, with a calculator allowed on every question. About three quarters are multiple choice and a quarter ask you to type your own answer, and module 2 adapts to how you did in module 1. [Take a free SAT mock ](/sat/login) Updated 2 October 2026 · 4 min read ## At a glance Questions 44 in two modules of 22 (2 per module are unscored pretest items) Time 70 minutes: 35 per module, about 95 seconds a question Adaptive Module-level: module 2 is easier or harder depending on your module 1 result Formats About 75% four-choice multiple choice, 25% student-produced response Calculator Allowed throughout: a built-in Desmos graphing calculator or your own approved one Score 200–800 in 10-point steps; no penalty for wrong answers ## SAT Math question types ### Algebra About 35% of the section: linear equations in one and two variables, linear functions, systems of two linear equations and linear inequalities, often in a short real-world context. Tip: Know slope-intercept form cold and what slope and intercept mean in a context. For systems with no or infinitely many solutions, compare the coefficients rather than solving. ### Advanced Math About 35%: equivalent expressions, quadratics, exponential, polynomial, rational, radical and absolute value functions, and nonlinear equations and systems. Tip: Learn to move between forms: factored, standard and vertex form for quadratics, and growth factors for exponentials. Many hard questions are just asking which form shows a feature directly. ### Problem-Solving and Data Analysis About 15%: ratios, rates, units, percentages, data distributions, scatterplots and models, probability, and what samples and studies can and cannot show. Tip: Write units next to every number, and work out what a percentage is a percentage of before calculating. Read every table and axis label first. ### Geometry and Trigonometry About 15%: area and volume, lines and angles, triangles, right-triangle trigonometry and circles, including circle equations in the xy-plane. Tip: The reference sheet gives area and volume formulas and special right triangles, but not the circle equation or SOH-CAH-TOA, so learn those. Similar triangles turn up often. ### Student-produced response About a quarter of Math questions have no choices: you type the answer. Negative answers are allowed, and the entry box takes up to five characters, or six for a negative. Tip: Enter fractions as improper fractions or decimals, never mixed numbers, and if a decimal is too long, fill every available character. If more than one answer works, enter any one. ## How SAT Math is scored Your Math score runs from 200 to 800 in 10-point steps. College Board scores it with item response theory, taking into account which questions you answered correctly, their difficulty and which module 2 you were given, and two unscored pretest questions sit in each module. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, and the easier module 2 caps the score well below 800, so module 1 accuracy is what opens the top of the scale. [SAT score calculatorEstimate your 400–1600 score from correct answers and the module 2 you reached, with percentiles.](/sat/score-calculator) ## How to prepare for SAT Math 1. 1 ### Fix content gaps before working on speed Algebra and Advanced Math make up about 70% of the section, so start there: linear equations and systems, quadratics in every form, exponential growth and decay, and function notation. Then cover percentages, statistics, triangles and circles. 2. 2 ### Know when the graphing calculator is faster Graphing both sides of an equation and reading the intersection, or graphing a quadratic to read its vertex, often beats algebra. But some questions are built with parameters that graphing alone cannot solve, so practise both ways and choose quickly. 3. 3 ### Answer the question that was asked Hard questions often ask for an expression such as 2x + 1 or a value in different units after you have solved for x. Before you choose or type an answer, reread the last line of the question. 4. 4 ### Pace by module, not by question Questions run roughly easy to hard across each module, so the early ones should take well under a minute. Bank that time for the last few, which are the hardest. If one is stuck after two minutes, guess, mark it and come back. 5. 5 ### Practise typed answers under the real rules Mixed numbers and decimals cut too short are marked wrong even when your working is right. Practise entering fractions and long decimals until it is automatic, and use topin's SAT Math practice by domain to drill your weakest area. ## Common SAT Math mistakes * Answering an intermediate value such as x when the question asks for 2x or x + 3. * Typing a mixed number such as 3 1/2, or a decimal cut short such as 0.66 for 2/3, into a typed-answer box. * Calculating a percentage change from the wrong starting amount. * Forgetting to flip an inequality when multiplying or dividing by a negative number. * Losing a negative solution of a quadratic, or using degrees when a question works in radians. ## SAT Math questions, answered How many questions are on SAT Math? 44, in two modules of 22\. Each module includes two unscored pretest questions, so 40 count towards your score. Can you use a calculator on the whole SAT Math section? Yes. A calculator is allowed on every Math question. The test app has a built-in Desmos graphing calculator, and you can bring your own approved calculator as well. Is there a formula sheet on the SAT? Yes. A reference sheet with area and volume formulas, the Pythagorean theorem and the two special right triangles is available throughout Math. It does not include the quadratic formula, the circle equation, slope or SOH-CAH-TOA. What maths is on the SAT? Algebra and Advanced Math make up about 70% of the section, and Problem-Solving and Data Analysis and Geometry and Trigonometry about 15% each. It is high-school maths up to quadratics, exponentials and basic trigonometry; there is no calculus. What is a good SAT Math score? College Board's college-readiness benchmark for Math is 530\. On its percentile tables, 600 is around the 75th percentile of test takers and 700 around the 91st, but your target should come from the colleges you are applying to. ## See where you stand in SAT Math Your first full-length SAT mock is free, with every section included. [Take the free mock ](/sat/login)