There are some rules that apply to all SAT II tests. These rules are so obvious that we hesitate to call them “strategies.” Some of these rules will seem more like common sense to you than anything else. We don’t disagree. However, given the cruel ways a timed test can warp and mangle common sense, we offer this list.

There are two types of carelessness, both of which will cost you points. The first type of carelessness results from moving too fast on the test, whether that speed is caused by overconfidence or frantic fear. In speeding through the test, you make yourself vulnerable to misinterpreting the question, overlooking one of the answer choices, or making a logical or mathematical mistake. As you take the test, make a conscious effort to approach the test calmly and not to move so quickly that you become prone to making mistakes.

Whereas the first type of carelessness can be caused by overconfidence, the second type of carelessness results from frustration or lack of confidence. Some students take a defeatist attitude toward tests, assuming they won’t be able to answer many of the questions. Such an attitude is a form of carelessness, because it causes the student to ignore reality. Just as the overconfident student assumes she can’t be tricked and therefore gets tricked, the student without confidence assumes he can’t answer questions and therefore at the first sign of difficulty gives up.

Both kinds of carelessness steal points from you. Avoid them.

The computer that scores SAT II tests is unmerciful. If you answered a question correctly, but somehow made a mistake in marking your answer grid, the computer will mark that question as wrong. If you skipped question 5, but put the answer to question 6 in row 5, and the answer to question 7 in row 6, etc., thereby throwing off your answers for an entire section . . . it gets ugly.

Some test prep books advise you to fill in your answer sheet five questions at a time rather than one at a time. Some suggest that you do one question and then fill in the corresponding bubble. We think you should fill out the answer sheet whatever way feels most natural to you; just make sure you’re careful while doing it. In our opinion, the best way to ensure that you’re being careful is to talk silently to yourself. As you figure out an answer in the test booklet and transfer it over to the answer sheet, say to yourself: “Number 23, B. Number 24, E. Number 25, A.”

At the beginning of the SAT II Math IIC there is a reference area that provides you with basic geometric formulas and information.

You should know all of these formulas without the reference; don’t neglect to memorize and understand the formulas just because you have the reference area as a crutch. Instead, view the reference area as a guide to the formulas that will likely be on the test. If you know those formulas without having to flip back to the reference area, you’ll save time, which puts you one step ahead.

Draw diagrams or write out equations to help you think. Mark up graphs or charts as necessary. Cross out answers that can’t be right. The test booklet is yours to write on, and writing can often help clarify your thoughts so that you can work more quickly with fewer mistakes.

Having told you to write in your test book, we’re going to qualify that advice. Doing math scratchwork can definitely help you avoid careless errors, but doing pristine work, or more work than necessary, can be more time consuming than it’s worth. You must find a balance between speed and accuracy. You need to be able to follow and understand your work, but others don’t. Nobody will see your work, so don’t write it out as if you’re being judged.