We’re not here to preach about the evils of calculators. By all means, get the best calculator you can find, as long as complies with the official SAT calculator policy, which is as follows.
This is the fourth article in our SAT Math Overview series. The series includes:
We recommend that you bring a calculator to use on the math section of the SAT. Every question on the test can be solved without a calculator; however, using a calculator on some questions may be helpful to you. A scientific or graphing calculator is recommended.
Acceptable SAT Calculators:
graphing calculators
scientific calculators
four-function calculators (not recommended)
If you have a calculator with characters that are 1 inch or higher, or if your calculator has a raised display that might be visible to other test-takers, you will be seated at the discretion of the test supervisor.
You will not be allowed to share calculators. You will be dismissed and your scores canceled if you use your calculator to share information during the test or to remove test questions or answers from the test room.
Unacceptable SAT Calculators:
Unacceptable calculators are those that:
use QWERTY (typewriter-like) keypads
require an electrical outlet
“talk” or make unusual noises
use paper tape
are electronic writing pads, pen input/stylus-driven devices, pocket organizers, cell phones, powerbooks, or handheld or laptop computers
But remember, the SAT is testing your critical thinking skills more than it is testing your ability to pound out numbers on a calculator. Resist the urge to use the calculator, especially in practice, and you may be surprised how it helps you develop your intuitive math skills that will get you a higher SAT score.
Every question can, in theory, be answered without the use of a calculator. There are times, however, when a calculator makes sense, such as when working with decimal problems.
Below are some recommendations for graphing calculators. If you don’t have one, invest in one today so you get used to using it during your practice. You want to be completely familiar with it by test day. Plus, you will likely use it frequently during your college career.
This concludes our SAT Math Overview series. Please return to our SAT page to review more SAT Test information.
This module is an overview of the SAT math section. Other modules in the TestSherpa Free SAT Prep Lab will cover these topics in much greater detail. You will be entirely familiar with the SAT math section – overviews, test taking techniques, scoring strategies and of course, essential math concepts. In fact, after taking the TestSherpa SAT preparation course, you may know more about math than anyone in your class. Don't worry, we won't tell anyone what a math geek you will become.
The SAT Math section that is call "Student-Response Questions" involve gridded answer choices. That is, they have similar questions to the multiple-choice questions on the rest of the SAT Math section, but they require you to calculate the answer on your own and then enter it into an answer grid.
Some questions involve being able to quickly divide one number by another. Of course, the SAT is not really testing your ability to do long division, although you are welcome to use long division in a jam. If you tried to crunch through all of the questions on the SAT the normal (i.e., hard) way, you would run out of time. The SAT is deliberately designed to reward you for some advanced reasoning on the math portion instead of brute force.
