You can always solve linear equations on the SAT by isolating the variable whose value you are trying to determine on one side of the equation. However, if you stay alert, you can often find shortcuts that will save you time without affecting your accuracy. Let’s look at an easy example:

This is an easy problem to solve through the normal algebraic method. First solve for p:

and then we plug 3 into the second equation:

But it’s possible to answer this question much more quickly. The secret to this question is that you don’t have to solve for p at all. Instead, you have to notice that both equations contain 6p and that the value of 6p will not change. Therefore, all you have to do in the first equation is solve for 6p. And as you can see above, that simply means subtracting 2 from 20 to get 18. Once you know 6p is 18, you can plug 18 in for 6p in the second equation and get your answer of 15.

When you come upon an algebra question asking you to solve an equation, you should always take a moment to look for shortcuts. Look for equations that not only have the same variables, but the same coefficients attached to that variable (such as 6p and 6p). ETS puts these shortcuts into their questions on purpose. They believe that if you’re knowledgeable enough about math to see shortcuts, then you deserve the extra time those shortcuts will give you on the test. Since you now know that the shortcuts are there, you might as well take advantage of them.