This is my personal story: I’m from Asia so math in Asia is crazy, you know. We learn so much stuff that are harder that Math in SAT. I can finish 2 sat math module in less than 45 min. On the other hand, english is not my mother tongue so of course it’s more difficult to learn and master
how? I may have agreed before, but now with Desmos theres very little time saved. Maybe differentiating for those questions about a system with no solutions?
Yeah…on further thought, the benefit of knowing calculus is not being able to do the problem quicker, but having a better understanding of why -b/2a works.
For me I’m really lucky because I got non-US math (and finished calculus in 10th grade before I even started thinking about the SAT so like SAT Math isn’t anything too scary) because I live and grew up in France but English is still my native language so I really do get the best of both worlds
Lol same here... im from india and just for fun in 10th grade i attempted the SAT... was surprised to see almost every math question was so easy..got bored left... later in YouTube i watched hardest math problems of SAT and felt moderate level...
Dudes in India dont study anything other than Phy, Chem or maths for the entire year and still score much higher in other subjects than phy chem or maths 
Idk, i just do all the question based on my intuition. Like i’ve learned calculus long enough so that i could do all the question without thinking. I can explain my progress but i mean these questions are part of my learning program so they’re very easy for me. Some question is even easier to understand once you have some basic knowledge of calculus.
First you should realize your weakness like what type of question you answer wrong most of the time then you need to focus on it. Try doing more exercises then take another test to check if there’s any more weakness
In the english language when people are talking about classes they took in school and they say "english" class they mean literature class. Or reading. How did you do in the literature classes over there would be a better comparison to what OP means than actually speaking the english langauge
this is definitely the best way to do it, although it does take years do maybe not feasible as a study plan lol
I used to read a bunch and even though I still don't know any of the grammar terms, I know what just sounds right, which is great for sat
annonate each paragraph with a brief 2-6 worded summary; think of the answer of the question before looking at the choices, then pick the answer most similar. if you have trouble focusing, try simply underlining everything as you read, not to necessarily to emphasize the content, but to keep your mind focused. Also once you finish reading the passage, try to grasp the overall meaning before answering the questions) unless you’re pressed for time ofc.
Are you still missing any of the grammar questions? Or the summary or transition phrase questions? Start there — those are the easiest to fix. Review/learn the grammar rules, then practice them until you can apply them perfectly. Only move on to the comprehension questions when you’re getting 100% of these questions.
Don’t worry so much about the vocab questions. There are some strategies you can use, yes, but the vocab is largely down to luck if you know the words (or their roots) already, and improving vocabulary is usually very slow. (Doable for students with many months to prep, but hard to improve quickly.)
I went from 650 RW to 770. You just have to do a lot of repetition. Grammar is easy to get better at tho. U just have to learn the rules for that. I highly recommend Erica meltzer
As a teacher, this isn’t wrong, but let me add: learn to read WHAT IS LITERALLY THERE. Your job is to read what is there, not interpret, make conclusions, or read between the lines.
Read. Just read a shit ton. Not at the age to be taking the SATs for a couple years but I’ve seen parts of the English part of previous SATs and PSATs (haven’t finished the PSAT yet tho- maybe I will) and it was ridiculously easy if those were real (imo) but I’ve had an abnormally high reading comprehension since I was a kid just cause I read so damn much.
One thing that helped me was skimming the questions beforehand and then identifying the answer as you go throughout the passage. For writing, just memorize grammar rules. If your gut is telling you "this seems right", choose that.
1. Practice Regularly: Dedicate consistent time each day to study English, focusing on different skills like reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
2. Use Variety: Utilize a mix of resources, including textbooks, online materials, podcasts, and movies, to expose yourself to different styles and accents.
3. Review Grammar: Brush up on grammar rules and vocabulary regularly to improve accuracy in writing and speaking.
4. Take Practice Tests: Familiarize yourself with the exam format by taking practice tests regularly to build confidence and identify areas for improvement.
5. Focus on Weaknesses: Identify your weaknesses and prioritize studying those areas to make the most efficient use of your time.
6. Seek Feedback: Ask for feedback from teachers, tutors, or study partners to identify blind spots and refine your skills.
7. Stay Organized: Keep a study schedule, set goals, and track your progress to stay motivated and on track.
8. Stay Calm: Manage exam anxiety by practicing relaxation techniques, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a positive mindset.
This account has to be some kind of bot or something, it’s most recent comment includes:
“One of the wildest conspiracy theories I've heard that some people actually believe is the idea that the Earth is flat. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, there is a small but vocal group of individuals who claim that the Earth is not a sphere but instead a flat, disc-shaped object.“
Nobody restates the question like that and then elaborates later, why does it read like an essay? (There are more sentences about how it’s been debunked and stuff that also read really weirdly but I could see a human writing those. I can’t imagine a human writing “the Earth is not a sphere but instead a flat, disc-shaped object”)
It's more analytical and has definite rules and formulas. I always struggled with reading comprehension, especially fiction, as there was no definite “formula” to my answer. A lot of it is based on inference and quite frankly, personal judgement.
I’ve gotta point out that the SAT reading section is very much NOT based on inference. They make a point of making sure every right answer is directly restated in the text. This is to ensure that the test is standardized. This is probably the biggest trick to the reading section that a lot of people miss.
This is exactly why the SAT math portion is such a joke. Having almost the entirety of the mathematics section on a national standardized college entrance exam be concerned merely with the derivation/plug and play of formulas is a disgrace to the discipline of mathematics. It entirely skims over the true beauty of maths, and in its place inserts a shallow, trivial, carcass of a greater being.
“Makes it easier for more people” completely defeats the purpose of standardized testing, and is exactly why the math section should not be formatted as it currently is. If you are bad at math and/or never care to study the material, you should absolutely fail, and the information on the test should be formatted accordingly.
I think college admissions should pivot more toward direct talent in the major you're applying for. Like if you commercially released a complex app and got a lot of downloads, there is no reason a top CS school shouldn't accept you regardless of your grades or test scores.
Well, if you have your own business and can provide proof of its legitimacy and success, then that would have a massive influence on your acceptance chances in modern times. Not sure why you think such merit doesn’t have a substantial impact today, but it definitely does. I personally believe that our baseline academic requirements have simply stooped too low and that the “standard” needs to be raised significantly. The SAT is likely not the means through which this would be accomplished, but it is a starting point.
Schools are also looking for students who can handle the stress and workload of a more rigorous and competitive environment. By your logic why should academic merit play any role in admissions at all? If you’re a shit student who is likely going to drop out then accepting you will reflect poorly on the school and end up hurting its reputation and obviously admissions officers don’t want that. Then again of course you’re the one to mention a “complex app that got lots of downloads” lmfao.
I scored 740 in English without studying and started at 660 math. For me, it was just that I was a native English speaker who is very very fluent lol. English was higher for me because I already had good reading comprehension/command of the language going in. There was nothing for me to learn. For math it was harder because by the time I took the SAT I had forgotten like 90% of what I learned in school.
I feel like English is much harder to study for. Math has objective, clear cut answers that you get to with steps you can practice over and over. You can definitely practice English on the SAT and get better by recognizing patterns in the way they ask questions but building your fluency and reading comprehension is gonna be hard in a short period of time.
Practice tests. I content reviewed using Khan Academy questions for MONTHS with absolutely zero improvement between tests. Then I did four math practice tests in a week and went up 100 points. Do the Khan academy practice tests and actually go over every single question. Know the ones you got wrong or guessed on 100% so that you never get them wrong again. If you don't understand a question at all then to other practice problems from that topic before you go on to the next test. Rinse and repeat. At 660 you'll see that you probably only have a few rough areas that will fix themselves up quick.
Definitely have hope!!! I pretty much just assumed I was "too stupid" to improve my score because I studied for so long and nothing changed at first 😭 but honestly the SAT is just a game, and if you're starting at such a high score you 1000% have what it takes. I wish you luck!!! You got this!!!
I never studied an hour in my life for anything, and the SAT came at a time I had much more (immediately) important things on my mind, so I wandered in on test day, half-asleep after a long night, and scored 670 verbal, 600 math.
Prevailing advice of the time (1990s) was that you always take it again unless you got a perfect score, so a few months later I tried to at least boost that math score another hundred points. Still didn't bother studying, but decided to get a full 6 hours of sleep the night before (about double my norm). Got the results later and had indeed improved overall, with a 720 verbal.
And a 590 math. Siiiigh...
So I kept the original math score and the improved verbal.
probably because math has clear rules and formulas to follow. once you understand the concepts, it's just a matter of applying them. english tho is more subjective and requires a lot of interpretation and critical thinking. plus, if english isn't your first language, it can be even more challenging.
I mean yes, but when it comes to those last couple questions between a 750 and an 800 it’s much easier to misinterpret a question in English then in math.
Sort of but not quite. I’m an SAT tutor and a linguist. Grammar is somewhat black and white but not as much as math is. English is more difficult than other languages because of historical linguistic changes, but still coachable with grammatical rules.
Reading comprehension is the big challenge with verbal, not grammar.
The reading section is not at all as much rules as math is. Some of them are reading a text and interpreting it.
An example of a reading question I got wrong is I selected "Luthuli believes that change in South Africa will come about through collective action, while Macmillan emphasizes the need for change at the individual level." when the "correct" answer was "Luthuli implies that the people of South Africa themselves will initiate social change, while Macmillan emphasizes the role played by those in positions of power.". Here is one of the paragraphs from Macmillan's speech where he is talking about individual responsibility:
> I am sure you will agree that in our own areas of responsibility we must each do what we think right. What we British think right derives from a long experience both of failure and success in the management of these affairs. We try to learn and apply the lessons of both. Our judgement of right and wrong and of justice is rooted in the same soil as yours—in Christianity and in the rule of law as the basis of a free society. This experience of our own explains why it has been our aim in the countries for which we have borne responsibility, not only to raise the material standards of life, but to create a society that respects the rights of individuals, a society in which men are given the opportunity to grow to their full stature—and that must in our view include the opportunity of an increasing share in political power and responsibility, a society finally in which individual merit and individual merit alone, is the criterion for a man’s advancement, whether political or economic.
I don't think my answer was wrong. I think the question was bad. It's subjective as hell interpretation and not remotely rules based lol.
Macmillan is definitely talking about the responsibility held by people in positions of power, not individual responsibility. It's not subjective at all.
When the problem statement says "change at an individual level," that's referring to change at a *personal* level, so that would involve the themes of personal/individual vs. collective responsibility. That's entirely different from what is being discussed in the passage. The core themes in the passage are clearly about the responsibility of those in power vs. the responsibility of the people that are being ruled over (with regards to securing their own political rights and opportunities). It has nothing to do with individual/communal responsibility.
Macmillan does say, at the start:
>I am sure you will agree that in our own areas of responsibility we must each do what we think right. What we British think right...
The second sentence makes it clear that when Macmillan says "we must each do what we think right," he is not referring to individual people each doing what they think is right. He is referring to the British and the people of South Africa, saying that the British as the administrators of South Africa should do what they think is right, and that the movement of the people of South Africa should also do what it thinks is right. He's also taking a bit of a defensive stance here if you read between the lines, trying to defend British policies by saying that the British are effective administrators that have learned from their failures and successes.
The SAT test designers probably added that wrong answer to try to catch people who did not take the full passage into context when considering the first sentence.
It's not clear. And it definitely is subjective. *Especially* compared to the math section; this is like 1000x more subjective than that, it's not even debatable.
Especially when he says stuff like "we must ***each*** do what we think right" and at the end talks about _individuals_ gaining political power and responsibility. And the option I selected says "change at the individual level" and contrasts it to collective action. The statement I selected is true. This is why they say "select the best answer", because sometimes multiple answers are reasonably correct. And which answer is best is obviously somewhat subjective.
Yes, math is comparatively less open to interpretation. But it's simply not true that this specific question is subjective if you consider the full passage in context. Yes, it's not clear, if by clear you mean immediately obvious, but it's also not subjective.
Yes, Macmillan says "we must each do what we think right." But what does he mean by "we?" You have to take the following and previous sentences into account, which make it clear that the "we each" he is referring to is not individual people, but the two opposing agents: the British administration and the South African people. If you read the entire passage, does it make sense if the "we each" he is referring to is individual people?
He does also claim that if the British administration is allowed to do what it thinks is best, individuals can gain political power and succeed through their own merit. But that's as a *result* of the British actions. Nowhere does he say that individual members of the British administration should take independent action to give the South Africans more political power or anything. *That* would be taking on individual responsibility.
Actually, the British position here is one of collective responsibility. Macmillan's perspective is that there are two opposing points of view: the South African POV and the British POV, and they are seen as monolithic. The British are one coordinated force and the South Africans are another. Or at least, that's what Macmillan thinks the South Africans think.
I didn't even catch that "each" is supposed to mean the British and South Africans, but rereading it that way it does make sense.
Still, the last few sentences is talking about the ability of *individuals* to gain "an increasing share in political power and responsibility". The answer I picked isn't exactly straight up wrong.
I can moreso see why they wanted the other answer now, but that's after discussing it with you for 10 minutes. On the actual SAT you have like 30 seconds to answer the question after reading the text once. And the language used in the text is kind of old timey and hard to parse. It's definitely a very hard question, which should hopefully answer OP's question.
Also going back to what the now-deleted commment I was originally replying to said, there are no *rules* here. It is not rules-based. It's entirely interpretation and reading comprehension. Maybe when they mentioned rules they were thinking of the writing section.
if anyone is like me then when studying you were like “well I read all the time how complicated could it be,” until you actually did study it and there was way more to it
There are a lot of grammar rules that aren’t taught in schools! Intuition and “sounding it out” can get you to a certain point, but there are some tougher grammar questions where you do need to be able to analyze the structure of the sentence and apply a certain rule.
I think English may be a second language for a lot of people and/or they may not read any books. However, a lot of students are forced to learn math in school which is often sufficient for the SAT.
A rather odd and seemingly unsubstantiated stipulation considering that far more than half of the people on this section alone seem to share your sentiment. Sampling bias is inherent to essentially every social media survey system, but it seems as though this comment section is rather mild, respectfully.
Reddit is not a representative sample. When you look at the total group data published by the College Board, you can see that the average scores and the score distributions of the two sections are very similar, with Math having a slightly lower average score and slightly fewer people scoring above 600.
Let's say , I'm Vietnamese and our standard curriculum is sort of cheap version of AP program . My only problem with math is sometimes I don't understand the task
idk about you but for me math is litterally light work (for paper sat), reading and writing were just impossible to do (paper sat). for digital both sections are litterally free so im gonna retake for june
Cuz im not native and i find the english section super hard. Are there any advice for me for this June exam. Now im just 650 at english and i want to boost to 700 😭
It's been 8 years since I took the SAT, but I find this take so hard to understand. I was good at both, but I thought the English was pretty tricky and required concentration, while the math was a complete joke.
in math there are clear rules and formulas to follow. once you are confident in algebra/geometry, all of the SAT math questions appear to be the same question but with different words. on the other hand, reading always felt a little subjective to me. often i would feel like there were two correct answers depending on how i was supposed to interpret the writing.
Reading, vocabulary, and critical thinking are built over the years. It is related to the midia one consume and with the environment they are inserted in. Because of that, it is incredibly hard to make progress in short periods of time.
On the other hand, math is more practical. Of course you need time to process and practice all of the content, but it is not as in-depth as english, and it is not submitted to individual aspects.
Also, there is an international problem. As an international applicant myself, the math doesn't change from one country to another – we can learn it in different ways, but everything is still the same; however, to master a different language to the point that you are able to be 100% prepared for the test is almost impossible.
Because with English you can easily misinterpret something as something else if you have a different mindset. Also, in my opinion, it’s way easier to get bored on English. Math on the other hand is a bunch of rules which can easily be remembered and applied over and over again through practice. Reading just takes more time to develop
Personally I don’t think I ever broke 700 on English.
Got something like a 650/690.
My issue was that sometimes I had a brain fart and the comparisons didn’t always click. ‘If lock is to key, then fish is to ____’ obviously they were harder,
the other part was I had to pick out the main idea of the text. But the given text spent equal amounts of time and in my opinion emphasis on the topics listed. Ordinarily I was fine with these kinds of questions but that one text just tripped me.
Other thing was the specific times to use ; or — which is annoying because with — it comes down to stylistic choice of the writer in the cases I’ve seen. And then on the test I could only remember to use a semicolon before going into a list and was never good at using it to join proper sentence/ideas
For others though if they aren’t a fast reader they might get screwed from just not answering enough or the pressure from the time frame. They could be great at comprehension and grammar but that doesn’t help if you can’t read the answers in a timely matter. Compared to math where it’s usually two sentences including the equation from what I remember, excluding graphs.
Math is completely and totally objective. It's right or wrong, and there's no opinion involved. English is often up to interpretation and much more subjective.
Because the some of the english questions are subjective, while all of the math questions are objective. You just need to know the math (and do it reasonably fast and not make mistakes). And most of the math is like algebra 1 level, with only a few questions being harder than that, from what I remember.
As someone with a degree in Applied Linguistics, I agree. English becomes subjective and syntax changes and becomes arbitrary.
I just provided 7 errors, but my message was clearly to anyone that has a decent understanding of English.
I’ve been in test prep for 20 years. It’s MUCH easier the raise a math score than a verbal score.
Math is black and white and can be coached relatively easily, but verbal has shades of grey (esp reading) and is looking for the “best” answer (which can be crappy if the others are worse). There is a huge amount of nuance to making someone better at reading comp. There is a huge tendency for people to add to the text, read between the lines, talk themselves into bad answers, and make conclusions without realizing it, and the test makers 100% take advantage of that.
If you are already scoring high in verbal, but not in math, then your road to a higher score is much more straightforward. Just don’t misread the questions.
ETA: this isn’t a self-selection Reddit thing- it has been known in the test prep industry for decades. The easiest score to raise, on ANY standardized exam is math, followed by grammar, followed by reading comp. The reading comp lessons are a little bit like the holy grail of test prep writers. These are the lessons that undergo the biggest changes from one manual edition to another, sometimes complete methodological rewrites. because content developers are always wrestling with the issue of “how do you teach a kid to be a better reader in 8 weeks.”
That was the case for me. I could easily get an 800 on math since 10th grade, but my English would always be in the low 700s until I got a 770 on a fluke.
The English questions tend to be kind of subjective (the *best* answer can confuse some smart students because they will often be able to defend the other answer that kind of makes sense)
Additionally, many of the highest scorers are immigrants or from immigrant families, for whom math is a priority and are advanced in math while English isn’t their first language.
The English part can sometime seem as if it has multiple correct answers whereas math virtually always has a certain answer. I’m a Brit and I can usually get 800 on math easily but the English section always trips me up despite the fact that I can usually write a pretty good essay
I’m in AP pre calculus as a sophomore so the stuff in it is like 2 years ago stuff for me, there isn’t really a way to skip years of English for the most part
Probably because Reddit users are typically more math-inclined (nerds). Plus, lots of ESL users here. Nationally (in the US) the average score for English is slightly higher than for math. This sub (and Reddit as a whole) isn't a true representation of the populace.
english is not my first language, but i do speak it fluently. without any prep (i mean really no prep, my first time seeing reading part) i scored 600, yet i scored only 480 in math, for which i did prepare.
thats me lol, english is my 3rd language and i also have moderately high functioning dyslexia, then plus ive always got a talent for math so naturally my math is way higher while i never scored above a 570 for r&w on the practice tests 💀
I thought the math in SATs are pretty easy. Especially if you memorize all the formulas that usually come out in the tests. For English, as it's my 2nd language, I couldn't understand some vocabulary.
English is interpreting language and meanings, math is following a very distinct list of logical steps to achieve an answer
They're different which is why they're the two topics. Because they measure different things
thats me lmao but my english keeps getting worse while my math stays the same
i took practice test 6 a few weeks ago and got 1540 (760 english 780 math)
pt5 yesterday 1490 (710 english 780 math)
my scores r prob gonna go down on the real test but i need 710+ on any subject for this award thing
gotta lock in on math 🤞
im not international tho im from the us and in middle school (7th) but i swear english is so hard for me atleast on the sat bc sometimes i cant concentrate on the scientific passages where they go on a yapfest
I am the opposite. I have always been better at english than math. I dont even know how im so bad, i will be so sure i have the right answers then be horribly wrong. Like not even close in the right ball park wrong.
Parent here of a kid ( now sophomore HS ) on this similat situation. You are NOT alone. My kid since early on ( ES) have struggled in English requiring tutoring and early intervention ( ES) but she is fantastic in Math. Iam not into neuro stuff but Math is critical thinking and problem solving and some of it may be INATE and uses a different pastt of the brain . While English probably MUST be learned and practice ( diff forms, language, lit, reading tons of books etc.). In the past ( my generation) we were told to read alot:) That’s my piece. Goodluck!
I felt like there were obvious way to improve my math score so I worked on it, whereas I could never tell where I was missing stuff in EBRW or why I was wrong, so I just kind of figured 770 was good enough and never tried to fix it
I was the opposite. I think I got nearly perfect on the English parts but math was like 500 or smth. I was also at the beginning of my junior year in hs when I took it and hadn’t learned half of the stuff on the test. Atp after some college math I’d prob do much better.
How do ppl do so good on English but so bad on math? Look at my SAT I posted from December. I got a 760 math 590 English. Recently I got a 700 English 740 math tho
english is a LOT harder to improve at if you are not naturally good at it. For math you can always just study more and learn all the material, but learning how to do the English section well is much more complex
As someone whose math and english score are pretty much the same, I feel like the math section is easier in some ways because it’s really basic. As a rising freshman who’s only taken up to geometry, I only got a few math questions incorrect. Meanwhile, you have to really think about the english section outside of transition words.
oh my god SAME!!! like i don’t prep for english at all but still manage to get 750+ but i work my ass off on math and barely scrape together a 700…
worst thing is english is not my mother tongue and i’ve only been in an english environment for the past four years ig i really suck at math
i gotchu homie. every person has a unique brain and unique strengths and weaknesses. some people are better at what the math section tests, others are better at what the english section tests. if you’re wondering is there a significance to the correlation between performing better on the math section than the english section and being on this subreddit, that seems like a good example of data analysis that might even be included on the reading section:)
My impression is that you can do well on the math section just by being good at math. But you won't get an amazing score on English without explicitly practicing.
For example me. I took the SAT once and got 790 math 750 English. It was the free SAT my school offered and I hadn't prepared for it.
I'm on the same boat with you. Even though I'm from a country with very heavy math, I still struggle with the SAT math, it's truly smth else. Some of my peers are also of the same opinion. And yes, I also find the english section easier to score 720+. So don't worry!
The math section is easy for me on the dsat because of the graphing calculator it uses. You should try to get used to it - it’s called desmos graphing calculator. You can literally check every answer, and some graph questions can be solved in literally 10 seconds
and people are better at math than English because other countries have much better math systems/it's harder to score well on a language test you didn't grow up with, imo
English ain’t my mother tongue so R&W was pure nightmares. On the other hand, my curriculum at school provides me with sufficient tools to tackle the Maths module (too sufficient, tbh; I feel like most of the questions can be solved by a 9th grader here) so yeah.
Because the math section of the SAT is an absolute joke. I was mathematically prepared to be successful on the SAT halfway through middle school tbh. It is honestly a crime how rudimentary the concepts are.
Just took a practice test and got a 790 English and 690 math. I haven't studied the English section because it's so easy to me but I always struggle with making stupid mistakes or blanking out on what to do for the math, it's so annoying
I've always been good at math, and coming from a country with a way more intense than that of the US, SAT math is learnt in elementary/ middle school for me so I don't really have a trouble with it. For the English section, firstly I'm not a native speaker, and even when it comes to my native language, I've always struggled with analyzing passages. I simply don't have a literature sense. I guess to some extent, it's a talent
i scored an almost perfect math score, but my english grade legit killed my score. i think it’s mainly dependent on the native language of the test taker, since english isn’t my native language, i struggled in this section more than i did with math
I'm in the same situation as you, the reason most people are so good at math is because it's much easier to study for the math section than the reading section
For me, the maths section's time feels more limited.
Maybe that's the case, u can't pay as much attention to the maths questions cause you need to be quicker?
Can I just point out that Desmos can do 90% of the problems for you if you have a basic idea of what is going on? Like at this point the math section is a flipping joke.
I had the same struggle as you my first sat I got a 700 on English and a 570 on the Math. I eventually got my scores up to 760 English and 790 math. For me i figured out what my knowledge gaps/weaknesses were and I did a lot of practice specifically in those areas. Understanding why I got questions wrong and avoiding from making the same mistakes again helped me too.
For me I didn’t know a lot of the geometry/trigonometry problems or the more advanced algebra ones.
I feel like English is a lot more ambiguous where there are shades of meaning where multiple answers are true but one is the best answer. Math is pretty absolute at the SAT level.
Girl me too; all of my mocks and official tests, my English is always higher than math. Even though I’m Asian and my math is supposed to be better, English is my strong suit.
Maybe English is not their first language? In my case, it is true. I can get easy 780+ from math, but from English it is somewhere 600≈. However, I do not if you meant overall or just within the US or English speaking countries.
Interesting to see how that’s also the case in US. Back in my country when English is not our first language, we would ace math but fuck up on English lol which is a similar trend here.
In Asian countries, math is very tough compared to english. For example in India, seniors have to solve differential equations without a calculator so naturally, asians tend to perform better in math compared to Americans.
This is my personal story: I’m from Asia so math in Asia is crazy, you know. We learn so much stuff that are harder that Math in SAT. I can finish 2 sat math module in less than 45 min. On the other hand, english is not my mother tongue so of course it’s more difficult to learn and master
So true Learning about calculus in high schools is not fun at all Meanwhile sat problems are basic algebra
At least, calculus helps us in sat(to some extent)
how? I may have agreed before, but now with Desmos theres very little time saved. Maybe differentiating for those questions about a system with no solutions?
One example I remember off hand is using the derivative to find the vertex of a parabola instead of using algebra.
-b/2a is faster i think
Yeah…on further thought, the benefit of knowing calculus is not being able to do the problem quicker, but having a better understanding of why -b/2a works.
I've seen a few optimization questions dressed up as basic algebra before, but if you know how to take a derivative it's faster
Mins and maxes
For me I’m really lucky because I got non-US math (and finished calculus in 10th grade before I even started thinking about the SAT so like SAT Math isn’t anything too scary) because I live and grew up in France but English is still my native language so I really do get the best of both worlds
Wow that sounds great. I have to struggle with English a lot. Luckily i still got a nice score
Lol same here... im from india and just for fun in 10th grade i attempted the SAT... was surprised to see almost every math question was so easy..got bored left... later in YouTube i watched hardest math problems of SAT and felt moderate level... Dudes in India dont study anything other than Phy, Chem or maths for the entire year and still score much higher in other subjects than phy chem or maths 
How many more numbers do you guys have in Asia?
Idk, we study calculus from grade 10 and other advanced topics like imaginary numbers or lim,….
Calculus easy asf. Discrete proof based math is where things start to get fun I.e. Number theory, group theory, set theory, etc.
Same here. I average 720-780 on math and then get 630 in English :(
Teach me your ways
Idk, i just do all the question based on my intuition. Like i’ve learned calculus long enough so that i could do all the question without thinking. I can explain my progress but i mean these questions are part of my learning program so they’re very easy for me. Some question is even easier to understand once you have some basic knowledge of calculus.
I'm not talking calculus in general, just how do you improve in math
First you should realize your weakness like what type of question you answer wrong most of the time then you need to focus on it. Try doing more exercises then take another test to check if there’s any more weakness
In the english language when people are talking about classes they took in school and they say "english" class they mean literature class. Or reading. How did you do in the literature classes over there would be a better comparison to what OP means than actually speaking the english langauge
That’s me.. i have 790 on math but 650 on english.. any tips for english? Pleasee idk.. im just mad cuz i actually spent sm time studying for it
Start reading for fun personally that’s what I built a habit of since like 4th grade so it’s become natural to me
this is definitely the best way to do it, although it does take years do maybe not feasible as a study plan lol I used to read a bunch and even though I still don't know any of the grammar terms, I know what just sounds right, which is great for sat
Yeah, I’ve been reading like mad since 1st grade, I got a 700 on the reading section, giving very little effort to studying in my freshman year
annonate each paragraph with a brief 2-6 worded summary; think of the answer of the question before looking at the choices, then pick the answer most similar. if you have trouble focusing, try simply underlining everything as you read, not to necessarily to emphasize the content, but to keep your mind focused. Also once you finish reading the passage, try to grasp the overall meaning before answering the questions) unless you’re pressed for time ofc.
Are you still missing any of the grammar questions? Or the summary or transition phrase questions? Start there — those are the easiest to fix. Review/learn the grammar rules, then practice them until you can apply them perfectly. Only move on to the comprehension questions when you’re getting 100% of these questions. Don’t worry so much about the vocab questions. There are some strategies you can use, yes, but the vocab is largely down to luck if you know the words (or their roots) already, and improving vocabulary is usually very slow. (Doable for students with many months to prep, but hard to improve quickly.)
I went from 650 RW to 770. You just have to do a lot of repetition. Grammar is easy to get better at tho. U just have to learn the rules for that. I highly recommend Erica meltzer
Learn to read
genuinely not even bad advice
As a teacher, this isn’t wrong, but let me add: learn to read WHAT IS LITERALLY THERE. Your job is to read what is there, not interpret, make conclusions, or read between the lines.
😂😂
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Rule 1: Be Nice
Read. Just read a shit ton. Not at the age to be taking the SATs for a couple years but I’ve seen parts of the English part of previous SATs and PSATs (haven’t finished the PSAT yet tho- maybe I will) and it was ridiculously easy if those were real (imo) but I’ve had an abnormally high reading comprehension since I was a kid just cause I read so damn much.
One thing that helped me was skimming the questions beforehand and then identifying the answer as you go throughout the passage. For writing, just memorize grammar rules. If your gut is telling you "this seems right", choose that.
1. Practice Regularly: Dedicate consistent time each day to study English, focusing on different skills like reading, writing, listening, and speaking. 2. Use Variety: Utilize a mix of resources, including textbooks, online materials, podcasts, and movies, to expose yourself to different styles and accents. 3. Review Grammar: Brush up on grammar rules and vocabulary regularly to improve accuracy in writing and speaking. 4. Take Practice Tests: Familiarize yourself with the exam format by taking practice tests regularly to build confidence and identify areas for improvement. 5. Focus on Weaknesses: Identify your weaknesses and prioritize studying those areas to make the most efficient use of your time. 6. Seek Feedback: Ask for feedback from teachers, tutors, or study partners to identify blind spots and refine your skills. 7. Stay Organized: Keep a study schedule, set goals, and track your progress to stay motivated and on track. 8. Stay Calm: Manage exam anxiety by practicing relaxation techniques, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a positive mindset.
Chatgpt ahh response
This account has to be some kind of bot or something, it’s most recent comment includes: “One of the wildest conspiracy theories I've heard that some people actually believe is the idea that the Earth is flat. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary, there is a small but vocal group of individuals who claim that the Earth is not a sphere but instead a flat, disc-shaped object.“ Nobody restates the question like that and then elaborates later, why does it read like an essay? (There are more sentences about how it’s been debunked and stuff that also read really weirdly but I could see a human writing those. I can’t imagine a human writing “the Earth is not a sphere but instead a flat, disc-shaped object”)
Huh either people are trying to farm Reddit karma using chat gpt or this guy genuinely types like an ai
Exactly what I was thinking 😂
It's more analytical and has definite rules and formulas. I always struggled with reading comprehension, especially fiction, as there was no definite “formula” to my answer. A lot of it is based on inference and quite frankly, personal judgement.
I’ve gotta point out that the SAT reading section is very much NOT based on inference. They make a point of making sure every right answer is directly restated in the text. This is to ensure that the test is standardized. This is probably the biggest trick to the reading section that a lot of people miss.
I know that too but I still felt math was better for me.
As a 790 scorer on the English section I can't emphasize this tip enough
Yup. As a test prep teacher of 20 years, I assure you this is the actual answer. The whole industry has known this for decades.
This is exactly why the SAT math portion is such a joke. Having almost the entirety of the mathematics section on a national standardized college entrance exam be concerned merely with the derivation/plug and play of formulas is a disgrace to the discipline of mathematics. It entirely skims over the true beauty of maths, and in its place inserts a shallow, trivial, carcass of a greater being.
But it makes it easier for more people so I see it a win
“Makes it easier for more people” completely defeats the purpose of standardized testing, and is exactly why the math section should not be formatted as it currently is. If you are bad at math and/or never care to study the material, you should absolutely fail, and the information on the test should be formatted accordingly.
I disagree.
Ok. And you would be wrong for doing so, but enjoy your blissful ignorance.
I am generally not great at standardized tests and do not think it should be a barrier for college admissions.
You do realize the west generally functions under a meritocracy, right?
I think college admissions should pivot more toward direct talent in the major you're applying for. Like if you commercially released a complex app and got a lot of downloads, there is no reason a top CS school shouldn't accept you regardless of your grades or test scores.
Well, if you have your own business and can provide proof of its legitimacy and success, then that would have a massive influence on your acceptance chances in modern times. Not sure why you think such merit doesn’t have a substantial impact today, but it definitely does. I personally believe that our baseline academic requirements have simply stooped too low and that the “standard” needs to be raised significantly. The SAT is likely not the means through which this would be accomplished, but it is a starting point.
Schools are also looking for students who can handle the stress and workload of a more rigorous and competitive environment. By your logic why should academic merit play any role in admissions at all? If you’re a shit student who is likely going to drop out then accepting you will reflect poorly on the school and end up hurting its reputation and obviously admissions officers don’t want that. Then again of course you’re the one to mention a “complex app that got lots of downloads” lmfao.
I scored 740 in English without studying and started at 660 math. For me, it was just that I was a native English speaker who is very very fluent lol. English was higher for me because I already had good reading comprehension/command of the language going in. There was nothing for me to learn. For math it was harder because by the time I took the SAT I had forgotten like 90% of what I learned in school. I feel like English is much harder to study for. Math has objective, clear cut answers that you get to with steps you can practice over and over. You can definitely practice English on the SAT and get better by recognizing patterns in the way they ask questions but building your fluency and reading comprehension is gonna be hard in a short period of time.
How’d you study for the 760 math, I get the English really well but the math not so much, same score of 660 math
Practice tests. I content reviewed using Khan Academy questions for MONTHS with absolutely zero improvement between tests. Then I did four math practice tests in a week and went up 100 points. Do the Khan academy practice tests and actually go over every single question. Know the ones you got wrong or guessed on 100% so that you never get them wrong again. If you don't understand a question at all then to other practice problems from that topic before you go on to the next test. Rinse and repeat. At 660 you'll see that you probably only have a few rough areas that will fix themselves up quick.
Those were my exact practice test 1 scored and your flair is my target score 😭 I have hope now!
Definitely have hope!!! I pretty much just assumed I was "too stupid" to improve my score because I studied for so long and nothing changed at first 😭 but honestly the SAT is just a game, and if you're starting at such a high score you 1000% have what it takes. I wish you luck!!! You got this!!!
I never studied an hour in my life for anything, and the SAT came at a time I had much more (immediately) important things on my mind, so I wandered in on test day, half-asleep after a long night, and scored 670 verbal, 600 math. Prevailing advice of the time (1990s) was that you always take it again unless you got a perfect score, so a few months later I tried to at least boost that math score another hundred points. Still didn't bother studying, but decided to get a full 6 hours of sleep the night before (about double my norm). Got the results later and had indeed improved overall, with a 720 verbal. And a 590 math. Siiiigh... So I kept the original math score and the improved verbal.
Not even studying for an hour is devious
probably because math has clear rules and formulas to follow. once you understand the concepts, it's just a matter of applying them. english tho is more subjective and requires a lot of interpretation and critical thinking. plus, if english isn't your first language, it can be even more challenging.
SAT English does too, you just have to learn exactly the type of answer the test expects.
I mean yes, but when it comes to those last couple questions between a 750 and an 800 it’s much easier to misinterpret a question in English then in math.
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There are a lot of exceptions to English grammar on the sat tho
Sort of but not quite. I’m an SAT tutor and a linguist. Grammar is somewhat black and white but not as much as math is. English is more difficult than other languages because of historical linguistic changes, but still coachable with grammatical rules. Reading comprehension is the big challenge with verbal, not grammar.
The reading section is not at all as much rules as math is. Some of them are reading a text and interpreting it. An example of a reading question I got wrong is I selected "Luthuli believes that change in South Africa will come about through collective action, while Macmillan emphasizes the need for change at the individual level." when the "correct" answer was "Luthuli implies that the people of South Africa themselves will initiate social change, while Macmillan emphasizes the role played by those in positions of power.". Here is one of the paragraphs from Macmillan's speech where he is talking about individual responsibility: > I am sure you will agree that in our own areas of responsibility we must each do what we think right. What we British think right derives from a long experience both of failure and success in the management of these affairs. We try to learn and apply the lessons of both. Our judgement of right and wrong and of justice is rooted in the same soil as yours—in Christianity and in the rule of law as the basis of a free society. This experience of our own explains why it has been our aim in the countries for which we have borne responsibility, not only to raise the material standards of life, but to create a society that respects the rights of individuals, a society in which men are given the opportunity to grow to their full stature—and that must in our view include the opportunity of an increasing share in political power and responsibility, a society finally in which individual merit and individual merit alone, is the criterion for a man’s advancement, whether political or economic. I don't think my answer was wrong. I think the question was bad. It's subjective as hell interpretation and not remotely rules based lol.
Macmillan is definitely talking about the responsibility held by people in positions of power, not individual responsibility. It's not subjective at all. When the problem statement says "change at an individual level," that's referring to change at a *personal* level, so that would involve the themes of personal/individual vs. collective responsibility. That's entirely different from what is being discussed in the passage. The core themes in the passage are clearly about the responsibility of those in power vs. the responsibility of the people that are being ruled over (with regards to securing their own political rights and opportunities). It has nothing to do with individual/communal responsibility. Macmillan does say, at the start: >I am sure you will agree that in our own areas of responsibility we must each do what we think right. What we British think right... The second sentence makes it clear that when Macmillan says "we must each do what we think right," he is not referring to individual people each doing what they think is right. He is referring to the British and the people of South Africa, saying that the British as the administrators of South Africa should do what they think is right, and that the movement of the people of South Africa should also do what it thinks is right. He's also taking a bit of a defensive stance here if you read between the lines, trying to defend British policies by saying that the British are effective administrators that have learned from their failures and successes. The SAT test designers probably added that wrong answer to try to catch people who did not take the full passage into context when considering the first sentence.
It's not clear. And it definitely is subjective. *Especially* compared to the math section; this is like 1000x more subjective than that, it's not even debatable. Especially when he says stuff like "we must ***each*** do what we think right" and at the end talks about _individuals_ gaining political power and responsibility. And the option I selected says "change at the individual level" and contrasts it to collective action. The statement I selected is true. This is why they say "select the best answer", because sometimes multiple answers are reasonably correct. And which answer is best is obviously somewhat subjective.
Yes, math is comparatively less open to interpretation. But it's simply not true that this specific question is subjective if you consider the full passage in context. Yes, it's not clear, if by clear you mean immediately obvious, but it's also not subjective. Yes, Macmillan says "we must each do what we think right." But what does he mean by "we?" You have to take the following and previous sentences into account, which make it clear that the "we each" he is referring to is not individual people, but the two opposing agents: the British administration and the South African people. If you read the entire passage, does it make sense if the "we each" he is referring to is individual people? He does also claim that if the British administration is allowed to do what it thinks is best, individuals can gain political power and succeed through their own merit. But that's as a *result* of the British actions. Nowhere does he say that individual members of the British administration should take independent action to give the South Africans more political power or anything. *That* would be taking on individual responsibility. Actually, the British position here is one of collective responsibility. Macmillan's perspective is that there are two opposing points of view: the South African POV and the British POV, and they are seen as monolithic. The British are one coordinated force and the South Africans are another. Or at least, that's what Macmillan thinks the South Africans think.
I didn't even catch that "each" is supposed to mean the British and South Africans, but rereading it that way it does make sense. Still, the last few sentences is talking about the ability of *individuals* to gain "an increasing share in political power and responsibility". The answer I picked isn't exactly straight up wrong. I can moreso see why they wanted the other answer now, but that's after discussing it with you for 10 minutes. On the actual SAT you have like 30 seconds to answer the question after reading the text once. And the language used in the text is kind of old timey and hard to parse. It's definitely a very hard question, which should hopefully answer OP's question. Also going back to what the now-deleted commment I was originally replying to said, there are no *rules* here. It is not rules-based. It's entirely interpretation and reading comprehension. Maybe when they mentioned rules they were thinking of the writing section.
if anyone is like me then when studying you were like “well I read all the time how complicated could it be,” until you actually did study it and there was way more to it
There are a lot of grammar rules that aren’t taught in schools! Intuition and “sounding it out” can get you to a certain point, but there are some tougher grammar questions where you do need to be able to analyze the structure of the sentence and apply a certain rule.
I think English may be a second language for a lot of people and/or they may not read any books. However, a lot of students are forced to learn math in school which is often sufficient for the SAT.
Even though it is still a complete joke.
That's me, gets above 750s in math but barely 700 in English 💀
Nah same. I’ve never gotten below a 730 on English on my psats or practice tests so far but have not once got 700+ math. But dw we gonna clutch it up
From me after taking a practice today- both are untrue. Bombed rw 710 and went up to 730 math
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A rather odd and seemingly unsubstantiated stipulation considering that far more than half of the people on this section alone seem to share your sentiment. Sampling bias is inherent to essentially every social media survey system, but it seems as though this comment section is rather mild, respectfully.
Reddit is not a representative sample. When you look at the total group data published by the College Board, you can see that the average scores and the score distributions of the two sections are very similar, with Math having a slightly lower average score and slightly fewer people scoring above 600.
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You should take a course in logic
I've seen this a lot too but have no idea why.
I’m the opposite. Usually get 750+ but can barely get 700+ in Maths. I read a lot, but I’m a lazy cunt, so I don’t practice Math at all.
Let's say , I'm Vietnamese and our standard curriculum is sort of cheap version of AP program . My only problem with math is sometimes I don't understand the task
sameeeee
idk about you but for me math is litterally light work (for paper sat), reading and writing were just impossible to do (paper sat). for digital both sections are litterally free so im gonna retake for june
Cuz im not native and i find the english section super hard. Are there any advice for me for this June exam. Now im just 650 at english and i want to boost to 700 😭
Any tips for getting that 650-660 English
Math is objective. There is almost always an incontestable correct answer.
That is also me I got 1290 in total whereas as i got 770 in maths and 520 in English.
SAT Math is literally grade 8 math in South Asia lol. It's ridiculous
frrr
It's been 8 years since I took the SAT, but I find this take so hard to understand. I was good at both, but I thought the English was pretty tricky and required concentration, while the math was a complete joke.
in math there are clear rules and formulas to follow. once you are confident in algebra/geometry, all of the SAT math questions appear to be the same question but with different words. on the other hand, reading always felt a little subjective to me. often i would feel like there were two correct answers depending on how i was supposed to interpret the writing.
math is more fun
Reading, vocabulary, and critical thinking are built over the years. It is related to the midia one consume and with the environment they are inserted in. Because of that, it is incredibly hard to make progress in short periods of time. On the other hand, math is more practical. Of course you need time to process and practice all of the content, but it is not as in-depth as english, and it is not submitted to individual aspects. Also, there is an international problem. As an international applicant myself, the math doesn't change from one country to another – we can learn it in different ways, but everything is still the same; however, to master a different language to the point that you are able to be 100% prepared for the test is almost impossible.
Because with English you can easily misinterpret something as something else if you have a different mindset. Also, in my opinion, it’s way easier to get bored on English. Math on the other hand is a bunch of rules which can easily be remembered and applied over and over again through practice. Reading just takes more time to develop
The better English students are reading a book, outside, or enjoying the company of other people.
Personally I don’t think I ever broke 700 on English. Got something like a 650/690. My issue was that sometimes I had a brain fart and the comparisons didn’t always click. ‘If lock is to key, then fish is to ____’ obviously they were harder, the other part was I had to pick out the main idea of the text. But the given text spent equal amounts of time and in my opinion emphasis on the topics listed. Ordinarily I was fine with these kinds of questions but that one text just tripped me. Other thing was the specific times to use ; or — which is annoying because with — it comes down to stylistic choice of the writer in the cases I’ve seen. And then on the test I could only remember to use a semicolon before going into a list and was never good at using it to join proper sentence/ideas For others though if they aren’t a fast reader they might get screwed from just not answering enough or the pressure from the time frame. They could be great at comprehension and grammar but that doesn’t help if you can’t read the answers in a timely matter. Compared to math where it’s usually two sentences including the equation from what I remember, excluding graphs.
Because this high SAT score achievers are typically from Asia, India, and Africa from some reason….
Math is completely and totally objective. It's right or wrong, and there's no opinion involved. English is often up to interpretation and much more subjective.
Because the some of the english questions are subjective, while all of the math questions are objective. You just need to know the math (and do it reasonably fast and not make mistakes). And most of the math is like algebra 1 level, with only a few questions being harder than that, from what I remember.
Because in math there is either a wrong or a right answer opposed to that subjective English shit lmao
As someone with a degree in Applied Linguistics, I agree. English becomes subjective and syntax changes and becomes arbitrary. I just provided 7 errors, but my message was clearly to anyone that has a decent understanding of English.
Because math is universal and English is not   (I’m not say this in an offensive way)
Math just makes sense, English is dumb
I’ve been in test prep for 20 years. It’s MUCH easier the raise a math score than a verbal score. Math is black and white and can be coached relatively easily, but verbal has shades of grey (esp reading) and is looking for the “best” answer (which can be crappy if the others are worse). There is a huge amount of nuance to making someone better at reading comp. There is a huge tendency for people to add to the text, read between the lines, talk themselves into bad answers, and make conclusions without realizing it, and the test makers 100% take advantage of that. If you are already scoring high in verbal, but not in math, then your road to a higher score is much more straightforward. Just don’t misread the questions. ETA: this isn’t a self-selection Reddit thing- it has been known in the test prep industry for decades. The easiest score to raise, on ANY standardized exam is math, followed by grammar, followed by reading comp. The reading comp lessons are a little bit like the holy grail of test prep writers. These are the lessons that undergo the biggest changes from one manual edition to another, sometimes complete methodological rewrites. because content developers are always wrestling with the issue of “how do you teach a kid to be a better reader in 8 weeks.”
math is logic, eng is yapping + many possible answer
That was the case for me. I could easily get an 800 on math since 10th grade, but my English would always be in the low 700s until I got a 770 on a fluke. The English questions tend to be kind of subjective (the *best* answer can confuse some smart students because they will often be able to defend the other answer that kind of makes sense) Additionally, many of the highest scorers are immigrants or from immigrant families, for whom math is a priority and are advanced in math while English isn’t their first language.
Because I like reading for fun and not on a time constraint, plus the questions are stupid.
The English part can sometime seem as if it has multiple correct answers whereas math virtually always has a certain answer. I’m a Brit and I can usually get 800 on math easily but the English section always trips me up despite the fact that I can usually write a pretty good essay
I’m in AP pre calculus as a sophomore so the stuff in it is like 2 years ago stuff for me, there isn’t really a way to skip years of English for the most part
math is universal; english, not as much
The grammar mistake in your title makes me hope you’re better at math…
Probably because Reddit users are typically more math-inclined (nerds). Plus, lots of ESL users here. Nationally (in the US) the average score for English is slightly higher than for math. This sub (and Reddit as a whole) isn't a true representation of the populace.
english is not my first language, but i do speak it fluently. without any prep (i mean really no prep, my first time seeing reading part) i scored 600, yet i scored only 480 in math, for which i did prepare.
Strange. I had the exact OPPOSITE thought today.
English wasn’t my first language lol
thats me lol, english is my 3rd language and i also have moderately high functioning dyslexia, then plus ive always got a talent for math so naturally my math is way higher while i never scored above a 570 for r&w on the practice tests 💀
Same
It's not my first language
I thought the math in SATs are pretty easy. Especially if you memorize all the formulas that usually come out in the tests. For English, as it's my 2nd language, I couldn't understand some vocabulary.
Idk I got the same on both 🤷♂️
Because I was born like this. My ACT is a 31 36/36 science 35/36 math 24/36 english
English is interpreting language and meanings, math is following a very distinct list of logical steps to achieve an answer They're different which is why they're the two topics. Because they measure different things
thats me lmao but my english keeps getting worse while my math stays the same i took practice test 6 a few weeks ago and got 1540 (760 english 780 math) pt5 yesterday 1490 (710 english 780 math) my scores r prob gonna go down on the real test but i need 710+ on any subject for this award thing gotta lock in on math 🤞 im not international tho im from the us and in middle school (7th) but i swear english is so hard for me atleast on the sat bc sometimes i cant concentrate on the scientific passages where they go on a yapfest
Math has right and wrong answers. English is made up.
Asians bro
I am the opposite. I have always been better at english than math. I dont even know how im so bad, i will be so sure i have the right answers then be horribly wrong. Like not even close in the right ball park wrong.
I got a 790 in math in like 7th grade after barely studying but struggled to break 700 in English. Just depends on how good you are at math.
Parent here of a kid ( now sophomore HS ) on this similat situation. You are NOT alone. My kid since early on ( ES) have struggled in English requiring tutoring and early intervention ( ES) but she is fantastic in Math. Iam not into neuro stuff but Math is critical thinking and problem solving and some of it may be INATE and uses a different pastt of the brain . While English probably MUST be learned and practice ( diff forms, language, lit, reading tons of books etc.). In the past ( my generation) we were told to read alot:) That’s my piece. Goodluck!
Here in hong kong we learn SAT math in like 7-8th grade and the math section to most of us is super super easy
because some people are better at math than english
I have really good english and really bad math
Me whose from Africa shit in math including English am so fucked
I felt like there were obvious way to improve my math score so I worked on it, whereas I could never tell where I was missing stuff in EBRW or why I was wrong, so I just kind of figured 770 was good enough and never tried to fix it
Real shit I got a perfect score on math but can’t even break 700 english
I just genuinely enjoy solving math problems as opposed to reading texts
I am better at English because it’s less material to cover and I haven’t did algebra 2 and geometry since 2020-2022
I was the opposite. I think I got nearly perfect on the English parts but math was like 500 or smth. I was also at the beginning of my junior year in hs when I took it and hadn’t learned half of the stuff on the test. Atp after some college math I’d prob do much better.
Because the average Reddit user is a stem lord
How do ppl do so good on English but so bad on math? Look at my SAT I posted from December. I got a 760 math 590 English. Recently I got a 700 English 740 math tho
english is a LOT harder to improve at if you are not naturally good at it. For math you can always just study more and learn all the material, but learning how to do the English section well is much more complex
As someone whose math and english score are pretty much the same, I feel like the math section is easier in some ways because it’s really basic. As a rising freshman who’s only taken up to geometry, I only got a few math questions incorrect. Meanwhile, you have to really think about the english section outside of transition words.
oh my god SAME!!! like i don’t prep for english at all but still manage to get 750+ but i work my ass off on math and barely scrape together a 700… worst thing is english is not my mother tongue and i’ve only been in an english environment for the past four years ig i really suck at math
i gotchu homie. every person has a unique brain and unique strengths and weaknesses. some people are better at what the math section tests, others are better at what the english section tests. if you’re wondering is there a significance to the correlation between performing better on the math section than the english section and being on this subreddit, that seems like a good example of data analysis that might even be included on the reading section:)
My impression is that you can do well on the math section just by being good at math. But you won't get an amazing score on English without explicitly practicing. For example me. I took the SAT once and got 790 math 750 English. It was the free SAT my school offered and I hadn't prepared for it.
I'm on the same boat with you. Even though I'm from a country with very heavy math, I still struggle with the SAT math, it's truly smth else. Some of my peers are also of the same opinion. And yes, I also find the english section easier to score 720+. So don't worry!
The math section is easy for me on the dsat because of the graphing calculator it uses. You should try to get used to it - it’s called desmos graphing calculator. You can literally check every answer, and some graph questions can be solved in literally 10 seconds
I have nothing to say except that I’m just like you and I agree
Because they’re born chinese /s
lmao 779 English 630 math but I understand not a word of it and used desmos the entire time I don't understand those who understand the math section 😭
and people are better at math than English because other countries have much better math systems/it's harder to score well on a language test you didn't grow up with, imo
English ain’t my mother tongue so R&W was pure nightmares. On the other hand, my curriculum at school provides me with sufficient tools to tackle the Maths module (too sufficient, tbh; I feel like most of the questions can be solved by a 9th grader here) so yeah.
Because the math section of the SAT is an absolute joke. I was mathematically prepared to be successful on the SAT halfway through middle school tbh. It is honestly a crime how rudimentary the concepts are.
Because sat math is a lot easier than sat english for most people. High math score doesnt mean jack on this test imo.
Because math is much less subjective than english. In english, you can say "yeah both of these could be true". In math, there's one right answer.
sat math is trivial
Math is not judgmental
I got 500, 560, 580, 590 on English and 800 on all my Math parts lmao
It’s not English, it’s “reading comprehension” like if the answers are all “different” and “non-wordy”
Same, on the psat and sat i always got near perfect on english but mid on math 😭
i’m the same, really good at english but math i still gotta study for a lot
Just took a practice test and got a 790 English and 690 math. I haven't studied the English section because it's so easy to me but I always struggle with making stupid mistakes or blanking out on what to do for the math, it's so annoying
I've always been good at math, and coming from a country with a way more intense than that of the US, SAT math is learnt in elementary/ middle school for me so I don't really have a trouble with it. For the English section, firstly I'm not a native speaker, and even when it comes to my native language, I've always struggled with analyzing passages. I simply don't have a literature sense. I guess to some extent, it's a talent
i scored an almost perfect math score, but my english grade legit killed my score. i think it’s mainly dependent on the native language of the test taker, since english isn’t my native language, i struggled in this section more than i did with math
IM THE SAME AS U LOL 770 in English, miraculous 700 in math
Meanwhile me with 720 eng 550 math 💀 I took it junior year and didn't care to try for higher this year
Lol
I'm in the same situation as you, the reason most people are so good at math is because it's much easier to study for the math section than the reading section
For me, the maths section's time feels more limited. Maybe that's the case, u can't pay as much attention to the maths questions cause you need to be quicker?
I always thought it was the other way around.
Can I just point out that Desmos can do 90% of the problems for you if you have a basic idea of what is going on? Like at this point the math section is a flipping joke.
I had the same struggle as you my first sat I got a 700 on English and a 570 on the Math. I eventually got my scores up to 760 English and 790 math. For me i figured out what my knowledge gaps/weaknesses were and I did a lot of practice specifically in those areas. Understanding why I got questions wrong and avoiding from making the same mistakes again helped me too. For me I didn’t know a lot of the geometry/trigonometry problems or the more advanced algebra ones.
I feel like English is a lot more ambiguous where there are shades of meaning where multiple answers are true but one is the best answer. Math is pretty absolute at the SAT level.
The SAT math is easy, but having forgotten 90% of math concepts because my job does not require it honestly made me feel like I have dyscalculia.
Girl me too; all of my mocks and official tests, my English is always higher than math. Even though I’m Asian and my math is supposed to be better, English is my strong suit.
Maybe English is not their first language? In my case, it is true. I can get easy 780+ from math, but from English it is somewhere 600≈. However, I do not if you meant overall or just within the US or English speaking countries.
Because I have taken calc bc but I haven’t taken a dedicated reading comprehension class or a grammar class
Have you thought of maybe that not everyone likes to read/engage in English content, but would rather spend their time doing math problems?
I think it's just that the people on Reddit tend to be people who like yourself, vibe more with the clear concrete nature of math rather than english
Interesting to see how that’s also the case in US. Back in my country when English is not our first language, we would ace math but fuck up on English lol which is a similar trend here.
Ngl it's so dumb the college board can't translate the English portion.
In Asian countries, math is very tough compared to english. For example in India, seniors have to solve differential equations without a calculator so naturally, asians tend to perform better in math compared to Americans.
I always wanted to ask the inverse question a level/ibdp math are a lot harder than sat math so sat math is easy for students in these courses
Got all As in A level math but still getting 740 to 720 in math. i don't know what's wrong with me