Special nerd note: #20 in Section 4 is pretty much
my favorite
 Guesstimate question of all time.

The College Board’s latest The Official SAT Study Guide with DVD is exactly the same as the 2nd edition, except that it comes with a DVD containing a bit of extra content. I can see the utility in the SAT timer it includes, but otherwise the only content of value on the DVD is one additional test—the January 2008 QAS. I went through that test yesterday so I could update the Blue Book Breakdown in my Math Guide (I’m calling it Test 11). A PDF of that page (with page number references, etc.) is available here for book owners. For everyone else, below is an HTML version of that table with links to some important strategies.

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Techniques and concepts
Diff.
3
8
1
Factoring
1
3
8
2
You could plug in here, ya know.
1
3
9
3
In a parallelogram, as in a rectangle, opposite sides are equal. Fill in all given lengths.
2
3
9
4
Read the graphs carefully
2
3
10
5
3
3
10
6
3
3
10
7
3
3
10
8
4
3
11
9
Uh…subtraction?
1
3
11
10
2
3
12
11
2
3
12
12
Inequalities
3
3
12
13
Draw it. (5, 0) is on the circle, so the distance to (13, 0) is 8.
3
3
12
14
At 5 feet you have 2 posts. At 10 feet you have 3 posts. The number of posts is 500/5 + 1.
4
3
13
15
3
3
13
16
3
3
13
17
4
3
13
18
The key here is to figure out the total journey’s time, which is 30 min + 15 min.
5
4
14
1
1
4
14
2
Plug in to clarify the relationship if you want.
1
4
15
3
Draw it, and then maybe backsolve if the answer doesn’t jump out at you.
2
4
15
4
1
4
15
5
You’ll probably just use your head, but your calculator’s fraction function is a safety net.
2
4
15
6
Read the graph carefully. Note that the bars add up to more than 100%.
3
4
15
7
Backsolve, or just do the algebra: x + 1 = 2x – 1
2
4
16
8
For Pete’s sake, just list them!
2
4
16
9
2
4
16
10
3
4
16
11
Logic. You don’t know anything about I or II, but if Greta never goes to mysteries, III is true.
3
4
17
12
3
4
17
13
The ones on the ends add 4 to the perimeter. The others add 3.
3
4
17
14
You probably should just do the algebra here. Combine like terms and you get 2x < 0.
3
4
18
15
4
4
18
16
Read carefully! Wednesday doesn’t work because Anna didn’t hit the 5 total servings goal
4
4
18
17
3
4
18
18
The surface area of the big cube is 6. The surface area of a small cube is 6/4.
4
4
19
19
5
4
19
20
Guesstimate, or connect big circle centers to make isosceles right triangles
5
8
32
1
2
8
32
2
1
8
33
3
3
8
33
4
2
8
33
5
Draw the square and the other diagonal, then draw the points.
2
8
33
6
Plug in, saying the original quantity was 100. You eat questions like this for breakfast.
2
8
34
7
2
8
34
8
Shortcut: write out all of set T, then look for multiples of 6 in it
2
8
34
9
3
8
34
10
This is a rare instance of “It cannot be determined.” Could have 14 to 26 oatmeal cookies.
1
8
35
11
4
8
35
12
4
8
35
13
4
8
36
14
2 is the additional height you get each time a pail is added
4
8
36
15
Know the properties of even and odd numbers, or plug in a bunch of possibilities.
5
8
36
16
Quick and dirty: Graph (or look at the table of values) on your calculator. 
5

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