ETS is a pretty big company, but it can also be a tricky little sucker. In the math sections, the test writers attempt to separate the elite math students from the average ones by using enticing wrong answers to lure the unwary.

Difficult SAT math questions are made more difficult by the inclusion of possible answer choices that seem like the right answers because they are answers you would get if you were to make a mistake while working on the problem. For example, let’s say you’re flying through the test and have to multiply So you quickly multiply 6 and 8 to get 42 and then multiply 42 by 3 to get 126. You look down at the answers and there’s 126! That’s the answer you came to, and there it is among the answer choices like a little stamp of approval, so you mark it down as your answer. Of course, you’d be wrong ( not 42, making the correct answer 144).

Just because the answer you got is among the answer choices does not mean you definitely have it right. The SAT is designed to punish those who make careless errors. Don’t be one of them. After you get an answer, quickly plug the answer back into the question.