SAT Math: When to Plug-in Numbers (w/ example)
February 3, 2009 by Adam
Filed under All Posts, Examples & Exercises, Math, SAT Strategies, SAT Unlocked
Plugging in numbers is a simple and very effective strategy that can help you answer many SAT Math questions, including even some of the hardest ‘Numbers and Operations’ questions.
Any time a question mentions a ‘number’ or ‘integer’, make up your own value that fits the description in the question, and then plug that value into the answer choices to see which one works.
A couple of things to remember:
Use EASY numbers.
1 (sometimes), 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 100 are usually best, depending on the question.
Check ALL answers
Occasionally, the number you plug in may be correct for more than one answer choice (especially if you plug in ’1′). Be sure to check all answers to make sure only one is correct. If you get more than one correct answer, plug in a different number for the remaining choices.
Example:
Answer and explanation in the Comments.
From my SAT course book SAT Unlocked, which includes a complete list of questions in The Official SAT Study Guide for which this number plug-in strategy is effective.
Answer: