SAT · Question-type guide 8 · 4 min read
SAT Math: the four domains and student-produced responses
What the digital SAT Math section covers: Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, Geometry and Trigonometry, and how to enter typed answers.
What the section looks like
Math is the second section of the digital SAT. It has two modules of 22 questions each, with 35 minutes per module, so 44 questions in 70 minutes overall: a little over a minute and a half per question.
- About three-quarters of the questions are multiple choice with four options.
- About one-quarter are student-produced responses, where you type your own answer.
- The built-in Desmos graphing calculator is available for the whole section, and you may also bring an approved calculator of your own.
- A reference sheet with common area, volume and triangle formulas is available on screen.
Many questions are set in real-world contexts, such as science, social studies and everyday situations, but some are purely mathematical.
The four content domains
| Domain | Approximate share | Main topics |
|---|---|---|
| Algebra | about 35% | Linear equations and inequalities in one or two variables, linear functions, systems of linear equations |
| Advanced Math | about 35% | Equivalent expressions, nonlinear equations and functions, especially quadratic and exponential |
| Problem-Solving and Data Analysis | about 15% | Ratios, rates, proportions, percentages, units, one- and two-variable data, probability, inference from samples |
| Geometry and Trigonometry | about 15% | Area and volume, lines and angles, triangles, right-triangle trigonometry, circles |
Algebra and Advanced Math together make up around 70% of the section. Strength in those two areas is the foundation of a good Math score.
Algebra
Expect to write, solve and interpret linear equations, often from a word problem. You should be comfortable with:
- the slope and y-intercept of a line, and what each means in context;
- solving systems of two linear equations, including recognizing when there is no solution or infinitely many;
- linear inequalities and what their solutions represent.
An example of our own. A gym charges a joining fee plus a fixed amount per month. If the cost after 3 months is $95 and after 7 months is $175, the monthly charge is the slope: (175 − 95) ÷ (7 − 3) = $20.
Advanced Math
This domain focuses on nonlinear relationships:
- factoring and expanding expressions, and rewriting them in equivalent forms;
- quadratic equations, including vertex form and what the vertex and roots tell you;
- exponential growth and decay, and how to read the growth factor from a function;
- functions written as f(x), including composition and transformation.
Problem-Solving and Data Analysis
These questions test practical quantitative reasoning: percentages and percentage change, unit conversion, reading scatterplots and lines of best fit, mean and median, probability from two-way tables, and what a sample survey can and cannot tell you about a population.
Geometry and Trigonometry
The smallest domain covers angle relationships, similar triangles, the Pythagorean theorem, special right triangles, sine, cosine and tangent, radians, and the equation of a circle. Many formulas are on the reference sheet, but knowing them already saves time.
Student-produced responses
For these questions there are no choices; you type your answer in a box. Bluebook shows a preview of how your answer will be read. The main conventions:
- Positive answers can be up to five characters; negative answers up to six, including the minus sign.
- You may enter a fraction or a decimal. If a decimal does not fit, enter it rounded or truncated to fill the space, or use the fraction.
- Mixed numbers are not accepted. Enter 3½ as 7/2 or 3.5.
- Do not type symbols such as $, %, commas or units.
- If more than one answer is correct, enter just one.
Check the exact current rules in the directions on test day and on satsuite.collegeboard.org, as conventions can be refined.
Exam tip: always use the preview. A typing slip on a student-produced response cannot be rescued by a lucky guess, because there are no choices to fall back on.
Using Desmos well
Desmos can graph equations, find intersections, solve systems and calculate statistics. It is often faster than algebra for:
- finding where two graphs meet;
- locating the vertex or roots of a quadratic;
- checking whether two expressions are equivalent by graphing both.
Practice with it beforehand, so that typing an equation and reading a point is automatic. It is a tool, not a substitute for knowing the math.
Check yourself
- How many questions and minutes are in each Math module?
- Which two domains together make up about 70% of the section?
- How would you enter 2¾ as a student-produced response?
- Name two kinds of problem where Desmos can save time.
Find practice material and the rest of this series on the SAT hub.