It is SAT and ACT season for college and many will go into these evaluations with a calculator in-hand. Make sure you know how — and when — to use it.
Free Download Programs
There are many downloadable programs on www.ticalc.org that could quickly enable factoring, foiling, use information to create slope-intercept or point slope form equations, determine values of unknown factors in systems of equations, and even roots of quadratics. Such quick calculation short-cuts can save time and makes your life simpler by adding precision.
At the day’s end, keep in mind that the calculator is there to help you when necessary. Your test prep program should include test-taking strategies that help you identify when you need a calculator and when you do not. Because it will eat into the time, do not try to use a calculator to get an issue that could be done in your head or on paper you will need to think through and examine the problem.
Calculators can be helpful tools when taking the SAT or ACT, but know when they are not and when they are needed!
While the College Board’s official calculator coverage states that you do not need a calculator for the SAT, the truth is that a calculator is an absolute requirement for the exam. Especially, calculators are permitted on the Math Section 4 of the SAT (not on the Math Section 3) and not using them properly can be a disadvantage over other savvy test takers.
Hitting the Math button (as seen below) unveils the Frac and Dec functions, which turns decimals to fractions or fractions to decimals.
Graphing
System of complicated equations and quadratics are easily graphed on calculators as well as absolute value, inequalities, parabolas, ellipses, trig functions and a whole slew of other more complex equations that are hard to draw by hand and do the required calculation.
Published at Thu, 07 Sep 2017 19:49:13 +0000
To be able to get the most from your calculator, you have used ideally for 20 hours or more and have to be familiar with it. This helps ensure that you get a vague muscle memory of where the keys are, so forth, and what preferences you will find. You use the calculator you use for homework and school work.
However, you need to have the SAT calculator strategy and you can’t expect the calculator to do magic for you.
Doing basic calculations (adding, subtraction, multiplying, dividing, exponent, radical, logarithm) that are otherwise time consuming is an invaluable use of your calculator. Make time to understand where they’re, if you’re unfamiliar with where these keys are on the calculator. There are attributes and quite a few other in-built functions on your graphing calculator that are also incredibly helpful.
MATH Button
In order to get these programs, simply visit www.ticalc.org and pick and choose which programs to download into your calculator. Pick on the calculator you’ve got from the list, connect and simply download the programs. There are hundreds of applications, games and programs to choose from but for the purposes of the SAT — select the programs that you’ll have the ability to use.
For example, let us say you’re doing the following calculation which yields: 1/2 + 2/5 + 4/7 = 1.4714285. But if the response choices are all in fractions, this could mean extra work. The Frac function helps convert decimal to fraction form and the Dec function converts fractions to decimals.
Other more advanced calculators (i.e. TI-89) offer symbolic math functions, calculus tools, and the ability to graph in 3D. The SAT does not define whether calculator programs are enabled so the interpretation is that you can use calculators or which graphing calculators to use. However, rules can change.
In IvyWise, we recommend investing in a TI-83 (discontinued) or TI-84, which are the most popular graphing calculator used for standardized tests. It offers calculation, graphing, data, and functions that will be more than sufficient for the SAT.
By Priyam, IvyWise Master Tutor
Calculator Features
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Source: TPD College Admissions Feed
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