Introduction to the SAT II Math

The key to success on any test is simple: know your subject. But just knowing the material isn’t enough to guarantee a good score on SAT II Math IC—if you walked into an exam completely blind, with no preparation besides having read a textbook, and no knowledge of how you’d even be tested, you might spend so much energy trying to figure out how to take the test that you’d only get halfway through it.

That’s where this chapter comes in handy. We’ve broken down the Math IC by content and format, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how your exam is written, organized, and scored. You’ll know what to expect before you even enter the testing room.

• SAT II Mathematics Home
• Contents
• Format
• What is tested on the test
• Scoring

Unlike the SAT I, in which a calculator is permitted but not essential to the test, the Math IC test demands the use of a calculator. In fact, that’s what the “C” in IC stands for. Some questions on the test are specifically designed to test your calculator-using skills.

It is therefore wise to learn all the essentials about calculators before taking SAT II Math IC. First, make sure you have the right type of calculator. Virtually any calculator are may be used during the test, including programmable and graphing calculators. Laptops, minicomputers, or any machine that prints, makes noise, or needs to be plugged in are prohibited.

Whatever calculator you use for the test should have all the following functions:

• Exponential powers
• Base-10 logarithms
• Sine, cosine, tangent

Make sure you practice each of these functions on your calculator before taking the test. We tell you more about how to use calculators for the test in the next chapter.