44† questions in 70 minutes† — about 95 seconds each. built in, all of Math†, which means the old no-calculator section is gone: there is one Math section and you may use a calculator throughout it.
The built-in calculator is Desmos, and it is a graphing calculator. That is a bigger deal than it sounds. A question asking where two functions meet, or how many solutions a system has, or what a parabola’s vertex is, can often be answered by typing both expressions in and looking. Practise in Bluebook so the tool is familiar — fumbling it under the clock costs more than it saves. You may still bring your own approved calculator.
4 domains†. Two of them carry 70% of the section between them, which is the whole argument for where to spend your study time.
≈35%
Linear equations in one and two variables, linear functions, systems of two linear equations, and linear inequalities.
Nothing exotic — but it is a third of the section, and speed here buys time for the hard end. Know slope-intercept cold, know what makes a system have no solution (same slope, different intercept) or infinitely many (the same line twice), and read word problems by naming the variables on paper before writing anything else.
≈35%
Equivalent expressions, non-linear equations in one variable, systems with a non-linear equation, and non-linear functions — quadratics, exponentials, polynomials, radicals.
The other third, and where the hardest items live. Quadratics repay knowing three forms and what each one hands you free: standard gives the y-intercept, factored gives the roots, vertex form gives the vertex. Exponential growth-and-decay word problems reduce to identifying the starting value and the multiplier per period.
≈15%
Ratios, rates, proportions, units, percentages, probability from two-way tables, scatterplots and lines of best fit, and inference from sample statistics.
The most “real-world” questions on the test, and the ones where careless unit handling costs the most. Write the units into your working. For scatterplots, the question is nearly always about the line of best fit rather than an individual point.
≈15%
Area and volume, lines and angles, triangles including similarity and the Pythagorean theorem, right- triangle trigonometry, and circles including arc length, sector area and equations of circles.
Smallest domain, most formulas. Reference formulas are provided in the app, so do not burn memory on the ones you can look up — burn it on the relationships that are not given, like similar-triangle ratios and the special right triangles.
about 25%† of Math questions are student-produced response — you type the answer, with nothing to pick from and nothing to work backwards from. Two consequences worth internalising:
These are written for this site. They are not College Board questions. For real items, use the free official practice — free, official†.
Algebra — systems
For which value of k does the system y = 3x − 5 and y = kx + 2 have no solution?
A) −3 B) 0 C) 3 D) 5
C. Two lines fail to meet only when they are parallel and distinct: equal slopes, different intercepts. k = 3 gives slope 3 in both, with intercepts −5 and 2. The instinct to solve the system is the time sink; the question is really asking about slope.
Advanced Math — quadratics
The function f(x) = (x − 4)(x + 6) is graphed in the xy-plane. What is the x-coordinate of its vertex?
A) −6 B) −1 C) 1 D) 4
B. Factored form hands you the roots, 4 and −6. A parabola is symmetric, so the vertex sits midway between them: (4 + (−6))/2 = −1. No expansion needed. On the real thing you could also type it into Desmos and read the vertex off.
Student-produced response
A solution is 40% salt by mass. How many grams of salt are in 250 g of the solution?
100. 0.40 × 250. Worth noticing what this item is really testing: not the arithmetic, but whether you enter it cleanly. There are no options to sanity-check you, so “100” must be typed, not “100 g” and not “100.0 grams”.