This chapter on algebra is a behemoth. It is by far the longest chapter in this book full of lengthy chapters. There’s a reason for our extensive treatment: algebra is the most tested topic on the Math IC test. About 30 percent of the Math IC questions directly test your algebraic abilities, and some of the questions that focus on geometry or trigonometry still involve some sort of algebraic technique or concept.

Before this information all starts to sound overwhelming, there is some good news. First, the algebra tested on the math subject tests is not all that difficult. Second, the Math IC test-writers focus on a limited set of algebraic topics. Only the topics you do need to know are covered in this chapter.