These are the October 2026 US SAT Math answers that students argued about on Reddit after the October 3 test, worked out step by step by Mr. O. The biggest fight was the h(0) = p question: 35 of 57 students who answered said "not enough information," and that answer holds up. Mr. O worked 24 recalled questions in full. Another 22 recalls, some only a fragment or an answer, had too little detail to settle, and we still name the method for each one.
Short answer: nothing on this page is official College Board material. Every question comes from students' memories in the public r/SAT "Official October 3, 2026, US SAT Discussion Thread." Students said again and again that their numbers were different from their friends' numbers. The SAT gives several versions of the same question, so your numbers may not match the ones worked here. Learn the method, not the final number.
Practice these skills, free
Practice your weak skills (free)
Question banks: October 2026 Math question bank | November 2026 Math prediction bank
Practice needs a free account: one click with Google, and you land straight in your practice tab. You can preview the question banks without an account.
This page is the Math half of our SAT October 2026 Reddit discussion coverage for the US test. The English half is in October 3, 2026 US SAT Reading and Writing: Reddit, Solved. International students took a different form that day. Their questions are in the October 3, 2026 International SAT Reddit recap and the October 2026 International SAT Math answers. To practice the same skills, work through the October 2026 SAT Math practice questions.
October 2026 US SAT Math answers at a glance
The table lists the 24 questions Mr. O worked in full, grouped by the four College Board Math domains. "Students who answered" counts each Reddit user once, by the answer they said they picked. The 22 recalls with too little detail are in their own table further down.
| Question (as students recalled it) | What students said | Mr. O's answer | Does Reddit's pick hold up? | Seen before? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden: A plots 12 m2, B plots 17 m2, 424 m2 total, 3 A plots per B plot | 288 (1); 216 for another version (1) | 288 m2 | Yes for 288 | No |
| Hannah saves 1/5 of h, Wyatt saves 2/7 of w | 7h + 10w (3) vs 10h + 7w (1) | 7h + 10w = 35 times the total saved | Yes | Yes: October 2025 |
| 2(5x) + 6(7y) = 268 and 2(5x) − 6(7y) = −426, find 5x + 7y | No answer posted (1 recall) | Method; 55/3 with the recalled numbers | Not settled | Yes: December 2025 |
| h(x) = a(x + N)(x + r)(x + s), h(0) = p, compare p with Nrs | Not enough info (35), p greater (12), equal (5), less (5) | Not enough information | Yes | No |
| Vertex (−8, 9), point (−9, 7) or (9, 7), y = 6f(x) | "200-something" (2), 278 (2), 172 (1) | 595 for the (−9, 7) version | Versions differ | Yes: December 2024 |
| Population doubles every 67 minutes, time in hours | 60x/T form (4) vs Tx/60 form (2) | Exponent 60x/67 | Yes | Yes: October 2025 |
| 18(w − a)(w + 5) = 6(w + 5), sum of solutions 37/3 | 17 (5) | a = 17 | Yes | No |
| Smallest positive b so that x + b is a factor | 9 (5), 0 (3), 3, −9, 8 (1 each) | 9 | Yes for 9 | Yes: March 2025 |
| Quadratic formula form, find s/t | About 19 different answers from 26 students | Method; 1/5 for the (−9 ± √45)/2 version | Versions differ | Yes: June 2026 |
| (x + 35)(x − 11) = n, solutions r ± √s | 1 (2), 2 (1), 275 (1) | r = −12 | No | No |
| A is X% of B and Y% of C, answer p/1000 | 600 (23), 550 (12), 650 (9), 700 (3), other (6) | 100X/Y ÷ 1000; 600 for the 444% and 0.074% example | Versions differ | Yes: November 2025 |
| X moves at 1/a the speed of Y, distance Y travels | number × ab (17), answer over c (8), other (4) | 56ab for the 7b and 8c version | Yes (no c) | No |
| Melatonin study of 125 gamers from 3 countries | Not random from all gamers (31), too small (13), unequal countries (8) | Not selected at random from all gamers | Yes | No |
| Bear hibernation diets, what allows cause and effect | Assign bears (22), assign diets (8), no change (8), select bears (4) | Randomly assign the bears to the diet groups | Yes | No |
| Frequency table, value 17 removed | Mean up, median same (7), not enough info (1) | Mean goes up, median stays | Yes | Yes: October 2024 |
| 13% more, then 4% more, as one multiplier | 1.1752 (1), "1.2-something" (2) | 1.1752 | Yes for 1.1752 | No |
| Tangents HM and HN, quadrilateral GMHN, find GH | No consensus; at least 12 different answers, including 1162 and 1432 | 1190 for radius 182, perimeter 2716 | No consensus; 1162 fails | Yes: March 2026 International |
| Right triangle, 5r > 18s and similar, which is greatest | sin r/sin s (15) vs sin r/cos s (3) | sin r/sin s | Yes | No |
| Cube with 2.00 cm edges, find density | 0.72 (2), 0.4-something (1), 2.80 ÷ 8 (1) | Mass ÷ 8; 0.72 for a 5.76 g cube | Yes for 0.72 | Yes: October 2024, March 2024 |
| Hemisphere with radius 87 | About 1,379,200 (2) | About 1,379,200 | Yes | Yes: October 2024 |
| Rectangle ABCD, cos x = 0.53, find tan y | No answer posted | About 0.625 | Not settled on Reddit | No |
| Right triangle, B = 90°, tan C > 1, find angle A | Under 45 (3), 55 or 68 (2), 45 (1) | 35 in the 35/55/90 version | Partly | No |
| Circle center (k, 0), tangent at (2k + 1, −13), slope 4/5 | 9.4 (2) | k = 9.4 | Yes | No |
| cos2 A = 77/81, B = 90°, side 3, find AC | 9 (1 guess) | 13.5 if the 3 is BC | No | No |
"Versions differ" means students clearly saw different numbers, so more than one Reddit answer can be right. Each worked answer below shows the method so you can check your own version.
Algebra: the questions students recalled
Three Algebra questions had enough detail to work. Students did not argue much about them, but each one has a trap worth knowing.
What was the most area plant A could use in the garden question?
What students recalled: square plots of type A use 12 square meters each, and plots of type B use 17 square meters each. The garden has at most 424 square meters. There must be 3 A plots for every 1 B plot. The question asked for the most area that A plots can use. A second student recalled acres instead: 12 acres per unit of plant A, 16 acres per unit of plant B, at most 468 acres, and 3 times as many A units as B units. A third recalled 11, 16 and 494.
Reddit's answer split: one student said 288 square meters for the 424 version. One student said 216 for the 494 version.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: 288 square meters (424 version).
- Let x be the number of B plots. Then there are 3x A plots.
- Total area: 12(3x) + 17x = 36x + 17x = 53x.
- 53x ≤ 424, so x ≤ 8.
- A area = 36 × 8 = 288 square meters.
The acre version: 36x + 16x = 52x ≤ 468, so x = 9 and plant A uses 36 × 9 = 324 acres.
Why 216 fails for the 11, 16, 494 version: every A unit uses 11, so the A area must be a multiple of 11. 216 is not. If that version had the same 3-to-1 rule, then 49x ≤ 494 gives x = 10 whole units and an A area of 330.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found.
Which equation fit Hannah's and Wyatt's savings?
What students recalled: Hannah saves 1/5 of her monthly salary h. Wyatt saves 2/7 of his monthly salary w. Together they save a fixed number of dollars each month. The question asked which equation shows this. One student recalled a version with 1/4 and 1/7 and a total of 25.
Reddit's answer split: 3 students picked an equation of the form 7h + 10w = (a large number). One picked 10h + 7w.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: 7h + 10w = 35 times the monthly total.
- Write the savings: (1/5)h + (2/7)w = total.
- Clear the fractions. Multiply every term by 35, the least common denominator.
- 35 × 1/5 = 7 and 35 × 2/7 = 10, so 7h + 10w = 35 × total.
The 1/4 and 1/7 version: multiply by 28 to get 7x + 4y = 700.
Why 10h + 7w fails: it swaps the numbers. Hannah's fraction is 1/5, and 35 ÷ 5 = 7, so h gets the 7.
Seen before? Yes: a similar question appeared on the October 2025 SAT (International form).
What was 5x + 7y in the 2(5x) and 6(7y) system?
What students recalled: one student posted the system 2(5x) + 6(7y) = 268 and 2(5x) − 6(7y) = −426 and asked for 5x + 7y. The student said they were not sure of the numbers.
Reddit's answer split: no one posted an answer.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's method: treat 5x and 7y as single blocks.
- Let u = 5x and v = 7y. The system is 2u + 6v = 268 and 2u − 6v = −426.
- Add the equations: 4u = −158, so u = −39.5.
- Subtract the second from the first: 12v = 694, so v = 347/6.
- u + v = 55/3, about 18.33.
A fraction like 55/3 is possible, but the student doubted the numbers, so treat 55/3 as the result for the recalled numbers only. You never need x or y on their own. That is the whole point of this question type.
Desmos tip: type the two equations with x standing for 5x and y standing for 7y. Click the intersection and add its two coordinates.
Seen before? Yes: a similar question appeared on the December 2025 SAT. Our guide to solving SAT systems of equations fast walks through this "add, then subtract" move, and the free Systems of Two Linear Equations lesson notes cover this skill.
Advanced Math: the questions students recalled
Advanced Math produced the longest Reddit arguments, mostly about the last questions of Module 2.
Was the h(0) = p question "not enough information"?
What students recalled: h(x) = a(x + N)(x + r)(x + s), where a, r and s are positive constants. The graph has three x-intercepts and h(0) = p. The choices compared p with N · rs: greater, equal, less, or not enough information. Students recalled N as 20, 24, 33, 34, 36, 40, 43, 45, 48, 49, 53, 54 and 57. Several said it was the last question of Math Module 2.
Reddit's answer split: 57 students gave an answer. 35 said not enough information, 12 said p is greater, 5 said equal, and 5 said less. One student summed up the case for "not enough": "what if a is 1/2."
The version worked below: N = 57, the number in the first comment about this question.
22 of 28 students called October Math easy. Practice a full adaptive section and see if easy meant right.
Try 5 Free →Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: there is not enough information to compare p and 57rs.
- Plug in x = 0: h(0) = a(57)(r)(s). So p = 57ars.
- Compare 57ars with 57rs. Both share the positive factor 57rs, so the question is really: is a bigger than 1, equal to 1, or smaller than 1?
- The question only says a is a positive constant. If a = 1/2, then p < 57rs. If a = 1, they are equal. If a = 2, then p > 57rs.
- All three can happen, so none of them must be true.
Why "p is greater" fails: it assumes a is more than 1. A few students remembered the word "integer." Even then, a = 1 is allowed, and that makes p equal to 57rs, not greater. The "three x-intercepts" detail only tells you the roots are different. It says nothing about a.
Desmos tip: graph y = a(x + 57)(x + 2)(x + 3) with a slider for a. The 2 and 3 are test values we picked for r and s. The y-intercept is 342a, and 57 × 2 × 3 = 342. Slide a from 0.5 to 2 and watch the intercept cross 342.
TTA difficulty rating for this question type in the October 2026 practice set: Hard.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found. The "plug in x = 0" step is the same one taught in our October 2025 guide to solving for h(0) on the SAT.
What was the positive difference between a and b in the y = 6f(x) question?
What students recalled: f is a quadratic with vertex (−8, 9). Its graph passes through (9, 7) or a point like it, and another student remembered the point as (−9, 7). The graph of f has y-intercept (0, b). The graph of y = 6f(x) has y-intercept (0, a). Find the positive difference between a and b.
Reddit's answer split: 2 students said "200-something," 2 said 278, and 1 said 172. Those numbers point to different versions.
The version worked below: vertex (−8, 9) and point (−9, 7).
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: 595 for this version.
- Use vertex form: f(x) = k(x + 8)2 + 9.
- Plug in (−9, 7): k(−1)2 + 9 = 7, so k = −2.
- b = f(0) = −2(64) + 9 = −119.
- a = 6f(0) = −714.
- Positive difference: −119 − (−714) = 595.
The shortcut for any version: a = 6b, so the difference is always 5 times |f(0)|. Find f(0) and multiply by 5.
Why (9, 7) is probably a misremembered point: it gives k = −2/289 and a difference of about 42.8, which is not a clean answer. One student also mirrored (−9, 7) to (−10, 7). The mirror image across the axis x = −8 is (−7, 7).
Desmos tip: put the point in a table and run the custom regression y1 ~ k(x1 + 8)2 + 9. Desmos finds k from one point because the vertex is already built in.
Seen before? Yes: a similar question appeared on the December 2024 SAT. Practice vertex form in the free Quadratic Functions lesson notes.
Was the doubling exponent 60x/67 or 67x/60?
What students recalled: a bacteria population starts at 500,000 and doubles every 67 minutes. Other students saw 73, 79 or 83 minutes. The model uses x in hours. Which exponent goes on the 2?
Reddit's answer split: 4 students said 60x over the doubling time. 2 picked the doubling time times x over 60. One student explained the check: "if it was 79x/60 it would've doubled before the doubling time."
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: P = 500,000 · 260x/67.
- x hours is 60x minutes.
- The number of doublings is minutes ÷ 67, so 60x/67.
- Check: after 67 minutes, x = 67/60, and 60(67/60)/67 = 1. One doubling. Correct.
Why 67x/60 fails: that exponent reaches 1 when x = 60/67 hours, about 53.7 minutes. The population would double too early.
Seen before? Yes: a similar question appeared on the October 2025 SAT. The free Growth Factors and Linear vs Exponential Models lesson notes cover this unit switch.
What was a in 18(w − a)(w + 5) = 6(w + 5)?
What students recalled: 18(w − a)(w + 5) = 6(w + 5). The sum of the solutions is 37/3. Find a. Other students saw a sum of 40/3, 34/3 or 31/5, and different numbers in the second factor.
Reddit's answer split: 5 students said 17 for the 37/3 version. One confirmed the numbers: "your #'s were 5's, the final for me was 37/3." Others reported 19, 16, 18 and 7.75 for other versions.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: a = 17.
- Move everything to one side: 18(w − a)(w + 5) − 6(w + 5) = 0.
- Factor out (w + 5): (w + 5)[18(w − a) − 6] = 0.
- So w = −5, or 18(w − a) = 6, which gives w = a + 1/3.
- Sum: a + 1/3 − 5 = 37/3. So a = 37/3 + 14/3 = 17.
Why dividing both sides by (w + 5) fails: it throws away the solution w = −5. One student did this in a 31/5 version and then gave the sum itself as the answer.
Other versions: if the second factor is (w + m), then a = sum + m − 1/3. A 40/3 version with (w + 6) gives 19. A 34/3 version with (w + 5) gives 16. Watch the sign: students often remembered "minus" where the factor was "plus."
Desmos tip: graph y = 18(x − a)(x + 5) − 6(x + 5) with a slider for a. At a = 17 the zeros are −5 and 52/3, and they add to 37/3.
TTA difficulty rating for this question type in the October 2026 practice set: Hard.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found. For more practice, try the free Quadratic Equations lesson notes.
What was the smallest positive b that makes x + b a factor?
What students recalled: a polynomial (students did not post it), and the question asked for the smallest positive value of b where x + b is a factor. One student said the graph touched the x-axis at −9. Another said all the coefficients were divisible by 3.
Reddit's answer split: 5 students said 9. 3 said 0. One each said 3, −9 and 8.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: 9 (for the graph students described).
- If x = −9 is a zero, then x + 9 is a factor. So b = 9 works.
- Here is an example built to match what students described: 3x3 + 63x2 + 324x = 3x(x + 9)(x + 12). Its zeros are 0, −9 and −12.
- The factors of the form x + b are x (b = 0), x + 9 (b = 9) and x + 12 (b = 12).
- The smallest positive b is 9.
Why 0 fails: 0 is not positive. Why −9 fails: −9 is the zero; b is its opposite. Why 3 fails: the 3 you can pull out of every coefficient is a number, not a factor of the form x + b.
Seen before? Yes: a similar question appeared on the March 2025 SAT.
What was s/t in the quadratic formula question?
What students recalled: the solutions of a quadratic were written in a form like (−s ± √t)/2, with s and t positive. The question asked for s/t. One student was "99.99% sure" that s and t had to be positive.
Reddit's answer split: 26 students posted about 19 different answers. The most common were 1/5 (4 students) and 19/3 or 57/9 (4). Others included 9/73, 9/61, 9/69, 5/52 and −5/52. Clearly, the numbers changed from version to version.
The version worked below: one student posted the solutions as (−9 ± √45)/2.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: s/t = 1/5 for this version.
- (−9 ± √45)/2 comes from x2 + 9x + 9 = 0. Check: 92 − 4(1)(9) = 81 − 36 = 45.
- Match the form: s = 9 and t = 45.
- s/t = 9/45 = 1/5.
The method for any version: first make the leading coefficient match the form (divide so the denominator is 2, or keep 2a if the form shows it). Then s is the x-coefficient and t is the discriminant, b2 − 4ac.
Why a negative answer like −5/52 fails: both s and t are positive, so s/t must be positive.
Desmos tip: graph the quadratic and click its zeros. Then type your candidate (−s + √t)/2 and check that it matches one zero.
Seen before? Yes: similar quadratic formula questions appeared on the June 2026 SAT.
What was r in (x + 35)(x − 11) = n?
What students recalled: (x + 35)(x − 11) = n, where n is a positive constant. The solutions are irrational and can be written as r + √s and r − √s. Find r.
Reddit's answer split: 2 students said 1, one said 2, and one said 275. No one posted −12.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: r = −12.
- The two solutions r + √s and r − √s average to r.
- Expand: x2 + 24x − 385 − n = 0. The sum of the solutions is −24.
- So 2r = −24 and r = −12.
Faster: the parabola y = (x + 35)(x − 11) is symmetric around the midpoint of its zeros, (−35 + 11)/2 = −12. Raising the line y = n moves the solutions apart, but their middle stays at −12. That is why n never matters.
Why 1 and 2 fail: they do not depend on the numbers 35 and 11 at all. If you saw different numbers, r is still the average of the two zeros of the left side.
Desmos tip: graph y = (x + 35)(x − 11) and y = n with a slider. The two intersections always sit the same distance from x = −12.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found.
Problem-Solving and Data Analysis: the questions students recalled
Two of the most argued questions on the whole Math test were study-design questions with no arithmetic: the gamers and the bears. Several students said they felt "like reading" questions.
Was the p/1000 answer 600, 650 or 700?
What students recalled: object A is X% of the mass of object B, and A is Y% of the mass of object C. C is p% of the mass of B. The answer was entered as p/1000. One student recalled 438% and 0.068%. Another recalled "440%" and "0.088%." Several placed it as the last question of Math Module 2.
Reddit's answer split: 53 students gave an answer. 23 said 600, 12 said 550, 9 said 650 and 3 said 700. 6 gave other numbers, such as 60, 6 and 580. Two students said there were three versions (600, 650 and 700).
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's method: p = 100 × X/Y, then divide by 1000.
- A = (X/100)B and A = (Y/100)C.
- Set them equal: (Y/100)C = (X/100)B, so C = (X/Y)B.
- As a percent, p = 100 × X/Y.
- Example numbers that give the most common answer: X = 444 and Y = 0.074. Then X/Y = 6,000, p = 600,000 and p/1000 = 600.
- With X = 481 and Y = 0.074, p/1000 = 650. So 600 and 650 can both be right for different versions.
Check the recalled numbers: 438% and 0.068% give p/1000 of about 644, which is not a whole number, so that memory is probably off by a digit. 440% and 0.08% would give 550, which may explain the 550 group.
See which question types are costing you points
Start with a free mock, free drills, or preview sample questions before using all 45 question banks.
Why 60 and 6 fail: they forget that p is a percent. C = 6,000B means C is 600,000% of B, not 6,000%.
Desmos tip: type 100 × X ÷ Y ÷ 1000 with your own X and Y. One student said a regression solves it "in like 20 secs."
Seen before? Yes: a similar question appeared on the November 2025 SAT, and also on the November 2024, March 2025 and June 2026 SATs. Practice percent chains in the free Percent Change lesson notes.
How far did object Y travel in the 1/a speed question?
What students recalled: object X moves at 1/a times the speed of object Y. X travels a number of b centimeters every c seconds. The question asked how far Y travels in a number of c seconds. The clearest version: X travels 7b centimeters every c seconds, and the question asks for Y's distance in 8c seconds. Other versions used 2b, 5b, 6b or 9c. One student remembered the speeds the other way around.
Reddit's answer split: 29 students answered. 17 picked a number times ab with no c (56ab, 36ab, 42ab, 30ab and others). 8 picked an answer divided by c. 4 picked other forms, such as 72b/a.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: 56ab centimeters for the 7b and 8c version.
- Speed of X = 7b/c centimeters per second.
- X is 1/a of Y's speed, so Y is a times faster: speed of Y = 7ab/c.
- Distance = speed × time = (7ab/c)(8c) = 56ab. The c cancels.
General rule: if X goes kb centimeters every c seconds and you want Y's distance in mc seconds, the answer is kmab.
Why answers over c fail: those are speeds, not distances. Multiplying by a time that contains c cancels the c. If the question you saw asked for Y's speed instead of a distance, a c would stay in the denominator.
Desmos tip: pick a = 3, b = 2, c = 5. Compute (3 × 7 × 2 ÷ 5) × (8 × 5) = 336. Then test each choice; 56 × 3 × 2 = 336.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found. The free Rates, Unit Conversions and Ratios lesson notes train this setup.
Why couldn't the gamers study be generalized to all gamers?
What students recalled: researchers studied melatonin and gaming for 4 weeks. 125 gamers were selected at random from three countries: Sweden, South Korea and the United States. The question asked why the results cannot be generalized to all gamers. Students recalled four choices: not selected at random from all gamers, studied for too short a time, different numbers from each country, and sample too small.
Reddit's answer split: 52 students answered. 31 said the gamers were not selected at random from all gamers, 13 said the sample was too small, and 8 said the countries had unequal numbers.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: the gamers were not selected at random from all gamers.
- You can generalize a result only to the group you sampled from.
- The gamers were chosen at random from gamers in three countries, so the result reaches only gamers like those.
- One student put it well: "it was only selected at random for gamers in those countries."
Why "too small" fails: 125 people chosen at random is a workable sample. A bigger sample from the same three countries would still say nothing about gamers elsewhere. Why "unequal numbers" fails: random selection does not need equal counts per country. The problem is who could be picked, not how many.
Some students argued that the question already said "selected at random." It did, but only from those three countries.
TTA difficulty rating for this question type in the October 2026 practice set: Hard.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found.
Should the bears or the diets be randomly assigned?
What students recalled: a study of black bear hibernation (one student remembered brown bears, another remembered cows) compared two diets. The groups were formed from the diets the bears already ate before the study. The question asked what change would let researchers conclude cause and effect. Students recalled choices like randomly assigning bears to diet groups, randomly assigning diets, and making no change.
Reddit's answer split: 42 students answered. 22 said randomly assign the bears (to the groups or to the diets). 8 said randomly assign the diets or treatments. 8 said no change was needed. 4 said randomly select the bears.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: randomly assign the bears to the two diet groups.
- Cause and effect needs random assignment of subjects to treatments.
- Here the groups were built from what the bears ate before. One student noted, "they were put into groups based on what their diet was before."
- So the old diet is tangled up with the new diet. Any difference in hibernation could come from either.
- Putting the bears into the two groups by chance breaks that link.
A note on wording: "bears randomly assigned to diets" and "diets randomly assigned to bears" describe the same mechanism, as one student argued. If your choices had both, pick the one that says the bears are placed into groups by chance.
Why "randomly select" fails: random selection (sampling) helps you generalize to a population. It does not prove cause and effect. Why "no change" fails: the groups were not formed at random, so a hidden difference between the groups could explain the result.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found.
Did removing 17 change the mean or the median?
What students recalled: a frequency table of data. One value, 17, was removed. How did the mean and the median change? One student remembered this as a Module 1 question.
Reddit's answer split: 8 students answered. 7 said the median stayed the same and only the mean changed (going up). 1 said not enough information.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: the mean goes up and the median stays the same (for the table students described).
- Mean: removing a value that is below the mean raises the mean. The total drops by 17, but the count drops by 1, so the average of what is left is higher.
- Median: find the middle position in the frequency table. Removing one value moves the middle by half a position. If that position stays inside the same value's group, the median does not change.
Why "not enough information" fails: a frequency table gives every value, so you can compute both. As one student replied, you "could just calculate the median."
Seen before? Yes: a similar question appeared on the October 2024 SAT. The free Reading Data lesson notes cover frequency tables.
Was the 13% then 4% answer 1.1752?
What students recalled: an amount in 2004 was 13% more than in 2003. The amount in 2005 was 4% more than in 2004. The question asked for the 2005 amount as a multiple of the 2003 amount. One student called it "a hard module 2 question" in Module 1.
Reddit's answer split: one student said 1.1752. Two said "1.2 something."
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: 1.1752.
- 13% more means multiply by 1.13.
- 4% more means multiply by 1.04.
- Two changes in a row multiply: 1.13 × 1.04 = 1.1752.
Why 1.17 fails: adding 13% and 4% skips the 4% growth on the extra 13%. Percent changes in a row multiply.
Another student recalled a similar question with the years 2012 and 2013 near the end of Module 1. Students who saw it posted five different answers, so that version cannot be settled.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found.
Geometry and Trigonometry: the questions students recalled
A few students said the only questions that slowed them down in Math were geometry questions, like the tangent quadrilateral below.
How long was GH in quadrilateral GMHN?
What students recalled: a circle has center G. Points M and N are on the circle. Segments HM and HN are tangent to the circle at M and N. The question gave the radius and the perimeter of quadrilateral GMHN and asked for GH. One student recalled radius 182 and perimeter 2,716. Another recalled radius 306 and perimeter 1,289. Others saw answer choices in the 1,400s, 2,400s or 3,400s.
Reddit's answer split: no consensus. Students posted at least 12 different answers: 1162, 1432 (2 students), 1547, 1530 or 1510, 1267, 3757, "3000-something," "450-something," "300-something" and 373, plus three who only gave a letter.
The version worked below: radius 182, perimeter 2,716.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: GH = 1,190.
- The perimeter is GM + MH + HN + NG. GM and NG are radii. MH and HN are equal tangent segments.
- So 2(182) + 2t = 2,716, which gives t = 1,176.
- A radius meets a tangent at a right angle, so triangle GMH has a right angle at M.
- GH is the hypotenuse: GH = √(1,1762 + 1822) = √1,416,100 = 1,190.
Why 1162 fails: that student subtracted the squares. GH is the hypotenuse, so you add the squares, and GH must be longer than the 1,176 tangent. One student used that check: the answer "had to be longer than those."
The radius 306, perimeter 1,289 version: the tangent is 338.5 and GH is about 456.3. That fits the student who picked "450-something."
Seen before? Yes: a similar question appeared on the March 2026 International SAT. Practice tangents in the free Circles lesson notes.
Which value was greatest: sin r/sin s or sin r/cos s?
What students recalled: a right triangle has acute angles r and s. The condition was something like 5r > 18s. Other students saw 3r > 17s, 4r > 17s, 4r > 19s, 5r > 19s, 2r > 11s or 2r > 15s. Which is greatest: sin r, cos r, sin r/sin s, or sin r/cos s?
Reddit's answer split: 18 students answered. 15 said sin r/sin s. 3 said sin r/cos s.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: sin r/sin s.
- The acute angles of a right triangle add to 90°, so r + s = 90°.
- 5r > 18s means r is more than 3.6 times s, so r > 45°. Every version listed above forces r > 45°.
- For complementary angles, sin s = cos r and cos s = sin r.
- sin r/sin s = sin r/cos r = tan r, which is more than 1 when r > 45°.
- sin r/cos s = sin r/sin r = 1. And sin r and cos r are each less than 1.
Why sin r/cos s fails: it always equals exactly 1, because cos s = sin r.
Desmos tip: switch to degree mode, try r = 80 and s = 10, and evaluate all four. sin r/sin s is about 5.67, and sin r/cos s is 1.
TTA difficulty rating for this question type in the October 2026 practice set: Hard.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found. The free Right-Triangle Trigonometry lesson notes cover the cofunction rule.
What was the density of the cube with 2.00 cm edges?
What students recalled: a cube with an edge length of 2.00 centimeters and a given mass. Find the density in grams per cubic centimeter. Students remembered the mass differently.
Reddit's answer split: 2 students got about 0.72 (one typed 5.78 ÷ 8). One said "0.4 something." One divided 2.80 by 8.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's method: density = mass ÷ 8.
- Volume of the cube = 2.003 = 8.00 cubic centimeters.
- Density = mass ÷ volume = mass ÷ 8.
- For a 5.76-gram cube, density = 0.72 grams per cubic centimeter, the most common Reddit answer.
Common mistakes: using 22 = 4 (that is a face's area, not the volume) or 2 × 3 = 6.
Seen before? Yes: similar cube-density questions appeared on the October 2024 and March 2024 SATs.
Was the hemisphere volume 1,379,200?
What students recalled: the volume of a hemisphere with radius 87. One student picked choice D, 1,379,200.
Reddit's answer split: 2 students said about 1,379,200 (one wrote 1,379,000).
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: about 1,379,200.
- A sphere's volume is (4/3)πr3. A hemisphere is half: (2/3)πr3.
- 873 = 658,503.
- (2/3)(658,503) = 439,002, and 439,002π ≈ 1,379,165, which rounds to 1,379,200.
Why the "3/4" formula fails: one student wrote half of (3/4)πr3. The sphere formula uses 4/3, not 3/4. The flipped fraction gives about 775,781.
Seen before? Yes: similar hemisphere questions appeared on the October 2024 SAT. The free Area, Perimeter and Volume lesson notes cover the volume formulas.
What was tan y in rectangle ABCD with cos x = 0.53?
What students recalled: lines AC and BD are the diagonals of rectangle ABCD. Angle ACD has measure x, and cos x = 0.53. Angle ADB has measure y. What is tan y? Another student had the same figure but was asked for sin y.
Reddit's answer split: no one posted a value for tan y. One student asked whether sin y was just 0.53, and another said sin x equals cos y.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: tan y ≈ 0.625 (and sin y = 0.53 in the other version).
- Triangle ACD has a right angle at D, so angle CAD = 90° − x.
- The diagonals of a rectangle are equal and cut each other in half. Call the center O. Then OA = OD, so triangle AOD is isosceles.
- That makes angle ODA = angle OAD = 90° − x. So y = 90° − x.
- sin y = cos x = 0.53.
- sin x = √(1 − 0.532) = √0.7191 ≈ 0.848.
- tan y = cos x/sin x ≈ 0.53/0.848 ≈ 0.625.
Common trap: answering 0.53 for tan y. That is sin y, not tan y.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found.
If tan C > 1 in a right triangle, what was angle A?
What students recalled: triangle ABC has a right angle at B, and tan C > 1. Which could be the measure of angle A? One student recalled the choices 35, 90 and 55 (plus one more). Others had different choices.
Reddit's answer split: 6 students answered. 3 gave an angle under 45° for their version (13, 18 and 36). 2 picked 55 or 68. 1 said 45.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: 35° for the 35/55/90 version.
- tan 45° = 1, and tangent grows as the angle grows. So tan C > 1 means C > 45°.
- A + C = 90°, so A < 45°.
- The only choice under 45 is 35.
Why 55 fails: 55° could be angle C, not angle A. Why 45 fails: then tan C would equal 1, not be greater than 1.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found.
Was k equal to 9.4 in the tangent line question?
What students recalled: a circle has center (k, 0). Line L is tangent to the circle at the point (2k + 1, −13), and the slope of L is 4/5. Find k. One student placed this in Module 1.
Reddit's answer split: 2 students said 9.4. One of them had first guessed about 9.8.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: k = 9.4.
- The radius to the point of tangency is perpendicular to the tangent line.
- The tangent slope is 4/5, so the radius slope is −5/4.
- Radius slope from (k, 0) to (2k + 1, −13): −13/(k + 1).
- −13/(k + 1) = −5/4, so 5(k + 1) = 52 and k = 47/5 = 9.4.
Check: the point is (19.8, −13). Slope from (9.4, 0) is −13/10.4 = −1.25 = −5/4.
Desmos tip: graph y = −13/(x + 1) and y = −5/4. The intersection is at x = 9.4.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found.
How long was AC when cos2 A = 77/81?
What students recalled: a right triangle with angle B = 90°. One student recalled cos2 A = 77/81 and a side of length 3, and the question asked for AC. Other students saw 21/25, 36/69 or 39/47. The student with 39/47 said the side of 3 was BC, the side opposite angle A.
Reddit's answer split: one student guessed 9. The 39/47 student worked out about 7.27 for that version.
The version worked below: cos2 A = 77/81 with BC = 3. The position of the 3 is an assumption, because the 77/81 student did not say which side it was.
Show Mr. O's answer
Mr. O's answer: AC = 13.5 if BC = 3.
- sin2 A = 1 − cos2 A = 1 − 77/81 = 4/81.
- sin A = 2/9.
- sin A = opposite/hypotenuse = BC/AC, so 2/9 = 3/AC.
- AC = 27/2 = 13.5.
Other versions: with 21/25, sin A = 2/5 and AC = 7.5. With 39/47, AC is about 7.27, so that student's own work holds. If the 3 was AB (next to angle A), use cos A = AB/AC instead.
Why 9 fails: 9 is the denominator of sin A, not a side length. AC must make 3/AC equal 2/9.
Seen before? No similar earlier question found.
Recalled but not enough detail
For these 22 recalls, the thread does not give enough detail to settle an answer. Each row names the method that decides it, so you can check the version you saw.
| What students recalled | What Reddit said | Method that decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Rational expression written as a/x2 + b/x + c/(x − 9), find b + c (choices −13/7, 0, 68/49, 7), Module 1 | 0 (2, using regression), 7 (1, unsure) | If the original numerator has degree 1 or less, the 1/x terms must cancel for large x, so b + c = 0. Without the original expression this cannot be confirmed. |
| Circle equation with positive constants k and t, area 38π, find k + t, Module 1 | No answer posted | Complete the square for x and y. The right side equals r2 = 38. Then solve for the constants. |
| Rectangle JKLM, statements I, II, III about sin and cos of two angles | "I and II only" (4), "I, II and III" (1, guessed) | For complementary angles, sin x = cos y. Test each statement with angles that add to 90°. |
| Arc length bπ, diameter 798, 606 or 414, find b | 202 (1, for 606), 80.37 and 94.78 (1 each) | Arc length = (central angle/360) × πd, so b = angle × d/360. 606 to 202 would mean a 120° arc. The angle was not recalled. |
| 175 compounds, 50 semi-volatile with mean boiling point 334, find the other mean | 104 (1); another student set it up with an overall mean of 166 | Total = mean × count: other mean = (175 × overall mean − 50 × 334)/125. With 166, that is 98.8. The overall mean is not confirmed. |
| Revenue that starts at a multiple of n and grows by a fixed amount each day | Answers with equal coefficients, like 26nx + 26n, 44nx + 44n or 14nx + 14n | Day-1 value plus a constant daily change. One student's version: start 28n, add 14n a day, so 28n + 14n(x − 1) = 14nx + 14n. |
| System with infinitely many solutions (answer 30a = 7b), and a separate Module 1 question with 50a = 9b | One student each | Infinitely many solutions means the equations are multiples: the ratios of matching coefficients (and constants) are equal. |
| System question with choices 0, −64 and two others | −64 (2) | Add or subtract the equations to isolate the asked expression. |
| Barometer model, about f(t) = 13.1(t − 120)/10 + 101,870 | 120.1 and 166 | Set f(t) equal to the target pressure and solve, or intersect in Desmos. The recalled model is incomplete. |
| Bird bite force with 1,000 < x < 2,000 | 210-something (1), 131.8 (1) | Translate the range through the given formula. |
| Angles numbered 1 to 7, find the sum of some | 356 (2), 333 (1) | Angles on a straight line add to 180°; angles in a triangle add to 180°. |
| 93-sided polygon | No answer posted | Interior angles of an n-sided polygon add to (n − 2) × 180°. |
| 30-60-90 triangle with 93 + 93√3 (or 102 + 102√3) | 62√3 (1) | Sides are in the ratio 1 : √3 : 2. Match the given sum to the matching sides. |
| Rectangle with area n(n + 4) | About 16.81 (1), other area totals | Set n(n + 4) equal to the area and keep the positive root. |
| Triangle ABC with angles w and z, D on BC | 40/9 (1) | Use the angle sum of each smaller triangle. |
| No-solution system, "what c + d cannot equal" | −12 (1) | No solution means equal slopes and different intercepts. |
| "f(n) = −k," "did k equal −7," "r/m > k" | One student each | Not enough recalled to name the question. |
| Snow queen pothos plants, Module 2 | No answer posted | Likely two linear equations (total plants and a second condition). Numbers were not recalled. |
| Similar prisms | About 630 (1) | Volumes of similar solids scale by the cube of the length ratio. |
| Parabola through (0, 33) with h(−7) = h(11) | 41/16 for a (0, 41) version (1) | Equal outputs at −7 and 11 put the axis of symmetry at x = 2. |
| Box-and-whisker plots, Module 1 | "Standard deviation was lower" (1) | Compare the spread of the two boxes and whiskers. |
| Answer-only memories: −44, −3, 0, 0.072, a > 43/8 | One or two students each | Not enough recalled to name the question. |
If you remember one of these clearly, the method in the right-hand column still works with your own numbers.
How hard was the October 3 US SAT?
Most students who rated the Math section called it easy: 22 of 28. Five said the last two or three questions of Module 2 were the hard ones. We counted every comment that rated Math difficulty, one per student:
| What students said about Math | Students |
|---|---|
| Math was easy, or easier than usual (several said easier than September) | 22 |
| Math was hard, or harder than usual | 6 |
| The last two or three questions of Module 2 were the hard ones | 5 |
Many of the "easy" students worried that easy meant they got the easier Module 2. One student who scored 800 in September said they "felt the same way for september." Students who saw the h(0) = p comparison, the 1/a speed question or the p/1000 percent chain mostly placed them in Module 2 and called them hard. Seeing them is a hint you had the harder module, not proof. The College Board's test structure page explains that the second module is more or less difficult based on how you did in the first.
TTA's re-rated difficulty labels for the October 2026 Math practice set do not back the "easy" camp. These are The Test Advantage's own ratings, not College Board data:
| TTA Math practice set | Questions | Easy | Intermediate | Hard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 106 | 31 (29%) | 38 (36%) | 37 (35%) |
| September 2026 | 194 | 63 (32%) | 71 (37%) | 60 (31%) |
| August 2026 (US) | 88 | 22 (25%) | 22 (25%) | 44 (50%) |
| October 2025 | 209 | 90 (43%) | 68 (33%) | 51 (24%) |
Updated October 13, 2026: these figures now cover the full October bank, which includes the US form, and use our re-rated difficulty labels.
October 2025 has the highest share of Easy questions of the four. October 2026's Hard share (35%) sits between September 2026 (31%) and August 2026 US (50%). For a look back at a past October test, see our October 5, 2024 US SAT Reddit guide.
When do October 3, 2026 SAT scores come out?
The College Board's score release table lists October 16, 2026 as the student score release date for the October 3 test. The next test dates are November 7, 2026 (scores November 20) and December 5, 2026 (scores December 18). The thread's pinned comment lists October 23, 2026 as the final registration date for November; confirm it on the College Board site or our SAT test dates page. Our guide to when SAT scores come out explains the release window.
Did the October 3 US SAT Math section repeat old questions?
Partly. In the TTA repetition report for October 2026, 24 of the 74 International-form Math practice questions (32.4%) closely resemble questions from earlier SATs. The report compares each question with 20 earlier SATs from March 2024 to September 2026, using the question text and the answer choices. A match can be the same question or the same setup with new names or numbers.
| Domain | Seen before / questions |
|---|---|
| Algebra | 10 / 24 |
| Advanced Math | 6 / 27 |
| Problem-Solving and Data Analysis | 3 / 11 |
| Geometry and Trigonometry | 5 / 12 |
The earlier SATs with the most October matches were November 2025 (7 questions), December 2025 (5), December 2024 (5), October 2024 (4) and June 2026 US (3).
Among the 24 questions Mr. O worked on this page, 11 had a similar earlier question: the percent chain (November 2025), the 6f(x) vertex question (December 2024), the doubling exponent (October 2025), the GMHN tangents (March 2026 International), the removed-value table (October 2024), the savings equation (October 2025), the x + b factor (March 2025), the cube density (October 2024 and March 2024), the hemisphere (October 2024), the 5x and 7y system (December 2025) and the quadratic formula form (June 2026). The most argued questions, h(0) = p, the gamers and the bears, had no earlier match.
To practice the older questions that came back, start with the November 2025 SAT Math question bank and the December 2025 SAT Math question bank.
What to practice before November 7
If you are retaking on November 7, aim your practice at the skills this test leaned on: study design, percent chains, vertex form, the x = 0 trick, and tangent-line geometry.
- The same month's skills: work through the October 2026 SAT Math practice set, 106 questions sorted by domain. The October 2026 SAT Reading and Writing practice set covers the English side.
- Free lesson notes: Quadratic Equations, Quadratic Functions, Growth Factors and Doubling Time, Percent Change, Right-Triangle Trigonometry and Circles. For more questions, see the paid October 2026 Math question bank.
- Desmos speed: several questions above fall in seconds with a slider or a regression. The Desmos for the Digital SAT page and our complete Desmos guide show how.
- Formulas: the hemisphere, cube and arc questions each hinge on one formula. Keep the SAT Math formulas list close.
- Estimate your score: plug your Module 1 and Module 2 counts into the Digital SAT score calculator.
- A full adaptive section: create a free account and take one full-length adaptive SAT section free, with a Module 1 to Module 2 route and a scaled score.
- Earlier tests: every monthly practice set is on the SAT question bank page. For the last two US recaps, see September 12, 2026 US SAT Math, September 12, 2026 US SAT Reading and Writing, August 2026 US SAT Math answers and August 2026 US SAT Reading and Writing answers.
How we built this page
All questions here come from the public r/SAT "Official October 3, 2026, US SAT Discussion Thread," read on October 3, 2026. We read 1,853 comments: 1,547 from a full export of the thread and 306 more that appeared only in other snapshots of it. We listed every Math question a student recalled and counted each student once per question, by the answer they said they picked. Nothing here is official College Board material. These are student memories, and students said many times that numbers changed from one version to the next. We do not name commenters, and quotes are kept short.
Mr. O worked each recalled question through from what students described, and the answers were also checked against TTA's October 2026 practice materials and repetition report. Where students saw different numbers, we showed the method and worked the version most students described. Question text on this page is shortened or paraphrased. Difficulty ratings and the repetition report are The Test Advantage's own work, not College Board data. Official dates come from the College Board pages linked above, fetched October 3, 2026. Written by Mr. Osama Ahmad.
October 2026 SAT scores are out. See what 28 r/SAT students and 12 Test Advantage students scored, who went up, and why about a third of October's Reading and Writing passages repeated earlier tests: October 2026 SAT scores: what Reddit and TTA students got.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was the h(0) = p question "not enough information"?
Yes. Plugging in 0 gives p = a times N times r times s, so comparing p with N times rs comes down to whether the positive constant a is below 1, equal to 1, or above 1, and the question does not say. On r/SAT, 35 of 57 students who answered said not enough information, and Mr. O's worked answer agrees.
Was the p/1000 answer 600, 650 or 700?
It depends on the version. If A is X% of B and Y% of C, then C is (100 times X/Y)% of B, and you divide that by 1000. With 444% and 0.074% the answer is 600; with 481% and 0.074% it is 650. On r/SAT, 23 of 53 students said 600, and students reported at least three versions.
Why couldn't the gamers study be generalized to all gamers?
Because the 125 gamers were chosen at random only from three countries, not from all gamers. You can generalize only to the group you sampled from. On r/SAT, 31 of 52 students who answered gave this reason; 13 said the sample was too small, which does not change who could be chosen.
How hard was the October 3 US SAT?
For Math, 22 of 28 students who rated it on r/SAT called it easy or easier than usual, and 5 said the last two or three Module 2 questions were the hard ones. TTA difficulty ratings for the October 2026 Math practice set are 29% Easy, 36% Intermediate and 35% Hard. These are TTA ratings, not College Board data.
Did the October 3 US SAT Math section repeat old questions?
Partly. In the TTA repetition report for October 2026, 24 of the 74 International-form Math practice questions (32.4%) closely resemble questions from earlier SATs, most often November 2025, December 2025 and December 2024. Of the 24 questions worked on this page, 11 had a similar earlier question.
When do October 3, 2026 SAT scores come out?
The College Board's score release table lists October 16, 2026 for the October 3, 2026 test. The next test dates are November 7, 2026 (scores November 20) and December 5, 2026 (scores December 18).