On the new SAT, numbers & operations items are one of four basic types:

Here’s a brief description of each type:

With these items, you have to demonstrate your ability to deal with numbers and apply your knowledge of the order of operations. Solving these items simply requires knowing the fundamentals of numbers & operations, which were provided in the previous section.

In this example, all the information is there in the stem, and all you need to do is solve for x. However, SAT writers try to make Math Head items more convoluted by misleading you through sets of parentheses, complicated numbers, and puzzling answer choices. Luckily, you’ve just learned all the key concepts that SAT numbers & operations tests, so you should have no problem with these items.

Think of these items as requiring several complex number operations. They’re like Math Head items on steroids. Supermath Head items do their darnedest to test your knowledge of formulas and concepts, especially some of the lesser known ones. But you’ll do just fine if you study and practice the essential concepts presented in this book. Here’s an example:

Numbers Game items test your understanding of pure numbers operations. These items cover the properties of positive, negative, even, odd, and prime numbers. Check this out:

These items create real-world scenarios to test your knowledge of numbers & operations. You have to find ratios, percents, and numbers of people in sets. To solve these items, you have to translate the real-life scenario into an equation or an expression, as in this sample item: