SAT Math Formulas: The Official Reference Sheet and 54 More to Memorize

The SAT math formulas you get for free are all geometry. College Board's reference sheet lists 10 area, volume and Pythagorean formulas, the 2 special right triangles, and 3 angle facts. Everything else is on you: slope, the quadratic formula, the discriminant, percent change, exponential growth, the circle equation, radians and SOHCAHTOA.

To practice these formulas under time pressure, take an SAT math practice test and review it the same day.

Short answer: do not memorize what the sheet already gives you. Spend your study time on the 54 formulas and rules that are not on it. This page lists every one, sorted by the 4 official SAT Math domains, and ties each one to a skill in College Board's own content specifications. Then it shows 8 questions from The Test Advantage's September 2026 SAT Math Question Bank where a formula does the work.

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Question banks: October 2026 Math question bank

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SAT math reference sheet: what is on it

The SAT math reference sheet is one page, and almost all of it is geometry. College Board's Bluebook tools page says "a reference sheet with commonly used formulas will appear on all tests with math questions." We checked the printed copy on page 30 of College Board's SAT Practice Test 4 again on October 22, 2026. It has four parts:

• Circles, rectangles and triangles: A = πr², C = 2πr, A = ℓw and A = ½bh.
• Right triangles: the Pythagorean theorem, c² = a² + b², and the two special right triangles, 30°-60°-90° and 45°-45°-90°.
• Volume: rectangular prism, cylinder, sphere, cone and pyramid with a rectangular base.
• Three facts: a circle has 360 degrees of arc and 2π radians of arc, and the angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees.

The same page sets the ground rules. Unless a question says otherwise, variables are real numbers, figures are drawn to scale, and figures lie in a plane. The next section shows every formula with what each letter means. Anything not listed, such as slope or the quadratic formula, you have to know yourself.

What formulas are given on the SAT?

The SAT gives you a reference sheet during the Math section. Bluebook, the app you take the test in, says "a reference sheet with commonly used formulas will appear on all tests with math questions" (Bluebook testing tools).

Here is everything on it. We copied it from the reference page in College Board's SAT Practice Test 4 PDF (page 30) and checked it against Appendix D of the Assessment Framework for the Digital SAT Suite. Both were fetched on September 28, 2026.

Shape or rule	Formula on the sheet	What the letters mean
Circle	A = πr2 and C = 2πr	r = radius, A = area, C = circumference
Rectangle	A = ℓw	length times width
Triangle	A = ½bh	b = base, h = height
Pythagorean theorem	c2 = a2 + b2	c = hypotenuse of a right triangle
30°-60°-90° triangle	sides x, x√3, 2x	x is across from 30°, x√3 is across from 60°, 2x is the hypotenuse
45°-45°-90° triangle	sides s, s, s√2	s√2 is the hypotenuse
Rectangular prism (box)	V = ℓwh	length times width times height
Cylinder	V = πr2h	area of the circle base times height
Sphere	V = 4⁄3πr3	r = radius
Cone	V = 1⁄3πr2h	one third of a cylinder with the same base and height
Pyramid (rectangular base)	V = 1⁄3ℓwh	one third of a box with the same base and height
Fact 1	The number of degrees of arc in a circle is 360.
Fact 2	The number of radians of arc in a circle is 2π.
Fact 3	The sum of the measures in degrees of the angles of a triangle is 180.

The same page also sets 4 ground rules. Unless a question says otherwise, all variables are real numbers, figures are drawn to scale, and all figures lie in a plane. The domain of a function f is every real x for which f(x) is a real number.

Studying for November or December? Our November and December 2026 SAT Math prediction ranks these formulas by how often their skills show up in our Math banks.

What is not on the SAT math reference sheet?

Almost all of the algebra, and a good part of the geometry. The sheet has no slope formula, no quadratic formula, no circle equation, no trig ratios and no surface area formulas.

Students do mix this up. On r/satprep, one tip post said the circle equation is "printed at the start of every module." It is not. The sheet shows a circle's area and circumference only. You still need (x − h)² + (y − k)² = r² in your head.

A reply in the same thread made the other point: "If you don't have basic formulas committed to working memory, you'll spend so much time stumbling over what the formula is." Knowing even the given formulas by heart saves you a trip to the sheet.

The sheet also leaves out whole domains. College Board says Math is about 35% Algebra, 35% Advanced Math, 15% Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, and 15% Geometry and Trigonometry (Math specifications). The reference sheet only touches the last 15%.

Which SAT math formulas do you need to memorize?

Memorize the formulas below. They are sorted by the 4 official domains. The last column names the College Board skill each one serves, in College Board's words where we could quote them. Those skills come from the SAT Math specifications page and the detailed skill tables (Appendix B, tables A34 to A37) of the Assessment Framework.

You can skip logarithms and permutation formulas. Neither word appears anywhere in the Assessment Framework, so some "complete" formula lists online go beyond the test.

For context, the SAT Math section has 44 questions in 70 minutes: 2 modules of 22 questions, 35 minutes each. That is about 1 minute 35 seconds per question, per the same specifications page.

Algebra formulas (about 35% of SAT Math)

Formula	What it does	Official skill it serves
Slope: m = (y2 − y1) / (x2 − x1)	Rise over run between two points. Also the "rate of change."	Linear functions: "write the rule for a linear function given two input/output pairs"
Slope-intercept form: y = mx + b	m = slope, b = y-intercept (the starting value in a word problem).	Linear functions; linear equations in 2 variables
Point-slope form: y − y1 = m(x − x1)	Writes a line from one point and a slope.	Linear equations in 2 variables: "write an equation for a line given two points on the line, one point and the slope"
Standard form: Ax + By = C	Slope is −A/B. The y-intercept is C/B.	Linear equations in 2 variables: "interpret the graph of a linear equation in the form Ax + By = C"
Parallel lines: m1 = m2. Perpendicular lines: m1 × m2 = −1	Perpendicular slopes are negative reciprocals, like 3 and −1⁄3.	Linear equations in 2 variables: "one point and a parallel or perpendicular line"
Systems of 2 linear equations	Different slopes: exactly 1 solution. Same slope, different intercept: no solution. Same line: infinitely many solutions.	Systems of 2 linear equations: "no solution, a unique solution, or infinitely many solutions"
One-variable equation ax + b = cx + d	If a = c and b ≠ d: no solution. If a = c and b = d: infinitely many.	Linear equations in 1 variable: "no solution, a unique solution, or infinitely many solutions"
Inequality rule	Multiply or divide both sides by a negative number and the sign flips.	Linear inequalities in 1 or 2 variables

Advanced Math formulas (about 35% of SAT Math)

Formula	What it does	Official skill it serves
Quadratic formula: x = (−b ± √(b2 − 4ac)) / (2a)	Solves any ax2 + bx + c = 0.	Nonlinear equations: "using the quadratic formula or completing the square"
Discriminant: b2 − 4ac	Positive: 2 real solutions. Zero: 1 real solution. Negative: no real solutions.	Nonlinear equations: "no real solutions, one real solution, or two real solutions"
Sum of solutions = −b/a. Product of solutions = c/a	Answers "sum" and "product" questions without solving.	Nonlinear equations: "quadratic equations in one variable presented in a wide variety of forms," using "algebraic structure"
Vertex: x = −b/(2a)	The x of the highest or lowest point of a parabola.	Nonlinear functions: choose "the most suitable form" to show "key features" of a quadratic
Vertex form: y = a(x − h)2 + k	Vertex is (h, k). If a > 0 it opens up (minimum). If a < 0 it opens down (maximum).	Nonlinear functions (key features)
Factored form: y = a(x − r)(x − s)	x-intercepts are r and s. The vertex sits halfway between them.	Nonlinear functions: solutions to f(x) = 0 "correspond to x-intercepts"
Completing the square: x2 + bx = (x + b/2)2 − (b/2)2	Turns standard form into vertex form. Also finds a circle's center.	Nonlinear equations; Circles
Difference of squares: a2 − b2 = (a + b)(a − b)	Fast factoring.	Equivalent expressions: "rewriting binomials that represent a difference of two squares"
Perfect squares: (a + b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2 and (a − b)2 = a2 − 2ab + b2	Expanding and spotting square trinomials.	Equivalent expressions: "rewriting trinomials as the product of two binomials"
Exponent rules: xa · xb = xa+b; xa / xb = xa−b; (xa)b = xab; x0 = 1; x−a = 1/xa	Simplifies powers. x0 = 1 needs x ≠ 0.	Equivalent expressions
Rational exponents: xm/n = n√(xm)	The bottom number is the root. The top number is the power.	Equivalent expressions: "rewriting expressions with rational exponents in radical form"
Exponential growth: y = a(1 + r)t. Decay: y = a(1 − r)t	a = starting amount, r = rate as a decimal, t = number of periods.	Nonlinear functions: "create and use quadratic or exponential functions"
Growth every k units of time: y = a(b)t/k	Doubling every k years: b = 2. Half-life of k years: b = 1⁄2.	Nonlinear functions (exponential models)
Transformations: f(x − h) + k	Moves the graph right h and up k. f(x + 6) moves it left 6.	Nonlinear functions: a function "that involves a transformation"

Problem-Solving and Data Analysis formulas (about 15%)

Formula	What it does	Official skill it serves
Percent of a number: part = (p/100) × whole	"24% of y" is 0.24y.	Percentages
Percent change = (new − old) / old × 100%	Always divide by the original amount.	Percentages: "percent increases and decreases"
Multiplier: increase by p% means × (1 + p/100). Decrease by p% means × (1 − p/100)	Back-to-back changes multiply: up 20% then down 20% is × 1.2 × 0.8 = 0.96.	Percentages: "the relationship between percent change and growth factor (5% and 1.05, for example)"
Rate: distance = rate × time	Works for any "per" rate: items per hour, dollars per pound.	Ratios, rates, proportional relationships, and units
Unit conversion: multiply by a fraction equal to 1, like (3 feet / 1 yard)	Square units convert twice: 1 square yard = 9 square feet.	Ratios, rates, and units: "a multistep or multidimensional unit conversion"
Mean = sum of values / number of values	Pulled toward outliers.	One-variable data: "calculate, compare, and interpret mean, median, and range"
Median = middle value in order (mean of the 2 middle values if the count is even)	Resists outliers.	One-variable data; "the effect of outliers on mean and median"
Range = greatest value − least value	A simple measure of spread.	One-variable data
Standard deviation (no formula needed)	Bigger when values sit farther from the mean. Compare, do not calculate.	One-variable data: "distributions with different standard deviations"
Probability = favorable outcomes / total outcomes	Always between 0 and 1.	Probability and conditional probability
Conditional probability: P(A given B) = (count of A and B) / (count of B)	In a two-way table, the "given" group is your denominator.	Probability and conditional probability: "using ... a two-way table"
Margin of error: estimate ± margin	Larger samples usually give smaller margins.	Inference: "a larger sample size generally leads to a smaller margin of error"

Geometry and Trigonometry formulas (about 15%, beyond the sheet)

Formula	What it does	Official skill it serves
Circle equation: (x − h)2 + (y − k)2 = r2	Center (h, k), radius r. Watch the signs: (x + 6)2 means h = −6.	Circles: the ordered pairs that satisfy this equation "form a circle"
Completing the square on a circle	Add (half the x-coefficient)2 and (half the y-coefficient)2 to both sides.	Circles: "complete the square in an equation representing a circle"
Distance: d = √((x2 − x1)2 + (y2 − y1)2)	The Pythagorean theorem on a grid.	Circles: "use the distance formula in problems related to circles"
Midpoint: ((x1 + x2)/2, (y1 + y2)/2)	The center of a circle is the midpoint of any diameter.	Not named in the specifications. Use it with circle-equation questions.
Arc length = (θ/360) × 2πr	θ = central angle in degrees.	Circles: "arc lengths"
Sector area = (θ/360) × πr2	The same fraction of the whole circle.	Circles: "sector areas"
Radians: arc length s = rθ; sector area = ½r2θ	Only when θ is in radians.	Circles: "radian measure"
Degrees to radians: multiply by π/180. Radians to degrees: multiply by 180/π	π/6 = 30°, π/4 = 45°, π/3 = 60°, π/2 = 90°.	Circles: "convert between angle measures in degrees and radians"
SOHCAHTOA: sin = opposite/hypotenuse, cos = adjacent/hypotenuse, tan = opposite/adjacent	Ratios in a right triangle, measured from the given angle.	Right triangles and trigonometry: "right triangle trigonometry"
Complementary angles: sin x° = cos(90° − x°)	Example: sin 20° = cos 70°.	Right triangles and trigonometry: "the relationship between sine and cosine of complementary angles"
Unit circle: the point at angle θ is (cos θ, sin θ), and tan θ = sin θ / cos θ	Radius 1, center at the origin.	Circles: "trigonometric ratios in the unit circle"
Similar triangles: matching sides are proportional, matching angles are equal	Set up a/b = c/d with matching sides.	Lines, angles, and triangles: "congruence and similarity of triangles"
Scale factor k: lengths × k, areas × k2, volumes × k3	Angles do not change.	Area and volume: "changes all areas by a factor of k2, and changes all volumes by a factor of k3"
Angles: vertical angles are equal; a straight line is 180°; parallel lines cut by a transversal make equal alternate interior angles	Chain these to find missing angles.	Lines, angles, and triangles: "vertical angle theorem" and "parallel lines"
Polygon angle sum = (n − 2) × 180°	n = number of sides. It comes from splitting into triangles.	Lines, angles, and triangles (extends the triangle angle sum theorem)
Cylinder surface area: lateral = 2πrh; total = 2πr2 + 2πrh	Not on the sheet. See the next section.	Area and volume: "selecting the correct ... surface area or volume formula"
Box surface area = 2(ℓw + ℓh + wh). Cube: V = s3, surface area = 6s2	Add up all 6 faces.	Area and volume (surface area)
Sphere surface area = 4πr2	Not on the sheet.	Area and volume (surface area)
Equilateral triangle with side s: height = (√3/2)s, area = (√3/4)s2	It is two 30°-60°-90° triangles back to back.	Right triangles: "properties of special right triangles"
Pythagorean triples: 3-4-5, 5-12-13, 8-15-17 (and multiples like 6-8-10)	Skip the square roots.	Right triangles: "the Pythagorean theorem"

A note on scope: trigonometry is tested on the SAT. College Board's specifications say the PSAT 8/9 is the one test in the family that "doesn't test trigonometry."

What is the sum and product of solutions formula?

For a quadratic ax² + bx + c = 0, the two solutions add up to −b/a and multiply to c/a. You do not need to find the solutions first.

Example: in 2x² − 10x + 3 = 0, a = 2, b = −10 and c = 3. The sum is −(−10)/2 = 5. The product is 3/2. Solving with the quadratic formula gives the same answers, just slower.

Four traps:

• Move everything to one side first. In x² = 14x − 11, rewrite as x² − 14x + 11 = 0 before you read off b.
• Keep the sign on b. If b = −10, then −b = 10.
• Divide by a. This matters whenever a is not 1.
• Watch for a repeated solution. If the discriminant is 0, there is only one distinct solution. The formula counts it twice. For (x − 3)² = 0, −b/a gives 6, but the only solution is 3.

One r/Sat student put it simply: "-b/a = sum of solutions c/a = product of solutions these two save you years." For more worked examples, see our sum of solutions formula guide and the product of roots walkthrough. Question 3 below uses both.

What is the surface area formula for a cylinder?

A cylinder's lateral surface area (the curved side only) is 2πrh. Its total surface area adds the two circle ends: 2πr² + 2πrh, which factors to 2πr(r + h). Neither is on the reference sheet. Only the volume, πr²h, is.

Why it works: unroll the side and you get a rectangle. Its height is h. Its width is the circle's circumference, 2πr. So the side is 2πr × h. Each end is a circle of area πr², and there are two.

Example: r = 3 and h = 5. Lateral area = 2π(3)(5) = 30π. Total = 2π(9) + 30π = 48π. Check with the factored form: 2π(3)(3 + 5) = 48π.

An open-top cylinder, like a cup, has only one end: πr² + 2πrh. Read the question for words like "open" or "without a lid." Question 8 below uses the total surface area. There is also a single-question cylinder surface area walkthrough on our blog.

How do SAT math formulas show up on test questions?

Below are 8 questions from The Test Advantage's September 2026 SAT Math Question Bank (194 questions in 5 sections). Each one needs a formula from the lists above. Try it first, then open the answer. We solved every question ourselves, and each key below matches the bank's key.

Question 1: Slope and slope-intercept form (Medium)

Practice more: the free Systems of Two Linear Equations lesson notes. Check it on Desmos: type the two points into a table and fit a line, as shown in our rate of change on Desmos guide.

Question 2: The discriminant (Medium)

Practice more: the free Quadratic Equations lesson notes.

Question 3: Sum and product of solutions (Hard)

Practice more: the free Quadratic Functions lesson notes. Check it on Desmos: graph y = x² − 17x + 63 and confirm both x-intercepts match (17 ± √37)/2.

Question 4: Exponential decay (Medium)

Practice more: the free Growth Factors and Linear vs Exponential Models lesson notes.

Question 5: Percent increase multiplier (Medium)

Practice more: the free Percent Change lesson notes.

Question 6: Circle equation by completing the square (Medium)

Practice more: the free Circles lesson notes. Check it on Desmos: type the equation exactly as given and read the radius off the graph, as in our circle equations on Desmos guide.

Question 7: Radians and the cosine of a special angle (Medium)

Practice more: the free Radian Measure lesson notes and the Right-Triangle Trigonometry lesson notes. Check it on Desmos: type cos(47π/282) with the angle mode set to radians. It returns about 0.866, the decimal for √3/2. More in our unit circle on Desmos guide.

Question 8: Cylinder surface area and similar solids (Hard)

Practice more: the free Area, Perimeter and Volume lesson notes. For more solids, see volume and surface area on Desmos.

Want 16 more practice questions across all 8 SAT domains? See our free SAT practice questions with answers.

Can you use Desmos instead of memorizing SAT math formulas?

Sometimes, yes. College Board's calculator policy says "Bluebook contains an embedded Desmos calculator with two options" (graphing or scientific), and you can switch between them (SAT Suite calculator policy). The practice test directions add: "Use of a calculator is permitted for all questions."

Desmos can stand in for a formula when the question gives you an equation to graph. It cannot tell you which formula to set up from a word problem. Use this table:

Formula	Desmos shortcut	Guide
Solving a system of 2 equations	Graph both equations and tap the intersection.	Systems of equations on Desmos
Quadratic formula, vertex x = −b/(2a)	Graph the parabola and tap the x-intercepts or the vertex.	Find a quadratic's minimum on Desmos
Sum of solutions −b/a	Graph, read both x-intercepts, add them.	Sum of solutions and Desmos check
Vertex form	Graph the given form and read the turning point.	Vertex form on Desmos
Exponential model from a table	Enter the table and run an exponential regression.	Exponential functions on Desmos
Circle equation	Type the equation as given. Read the center and radius from the graph.	Circle equations on Desmos
SOHCAHTOA and special angles	Evaluate sin, cos or tan directly, with the right angle mode.	Trig ratios on Desmos

Where Desmos does not help much: percent change setups, surface area, similar triangles, and "which form shows the vertex" questions. College Board lists choosing "the most suitable form" of a quadratic or exponential as its own skill. That is formula knowledge, not calculator work. A student who scored 800 on the August 2026 SAT said the same on r/satprep: for geometry and trigonometry, "Desmos is mostly only useful for calculations."

For every Desmos technique in one place, open the free Desmos for the Digital SAT hub. It has a practice calculator and an A to Z technique library.

Is there an SAT math formula sheet PDF?

The official sheet is printed inside College Board's practice test PDFs. For example, it is on page 30 of SAT Practice Test 4, at the start of the Math section. On test day it appears in Bluebook.

We did not make a PDF file either. Instead, the table below is built to print on about one page. Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Command+P (Mac) and print this section. To save a copy, pick "Save as PDF" as the printer.

Domain	Formulas to memorize (not on the reference sheet)
Algebra	m = (y2 − y1)/(x2 − x1)  |  y = mx + b  |  y − y1 = m(x − x1)  |  Ax + By = C: slope −A/B  |  parallel: same slope  |  perpendicular: m1m2 = −1  |  systems: same slope + different intercept = no solution; same line = infinitely many  |  flip the inequality sign when you multiply or divide by a negative
Advanced Math	x = (−b ± √(b2 − 4ac))/(2a)  |  b2 − 4ac: >0 two, =0 one, <0 none  |  sum = −b/a, product = c/a  |  vertex x = −b/(2a)  |  y = a(x − h)2 + k  |  a2 − b2 = (a + b)(a − b)  |  xaxb = xa+b, xa/xb = xa−b, (xa)b = xab, x−a = 1/xa, xm/n = n√(xm)  |  y = a(1 ± r)t  |  y = a(b)t/k  |  f(x − h) + k: right h, up k
Problem-Solving and Data Analysis	part = (p/100) × whole  |  % change = (new − old)/old × 100  |  up p%: ×(1 + p/100), down p%: ×(1 − p/100)  |  distance = rate × time  |  mean = sum/count  |  median = middle value  |  range = max − min  |  P = favorable/total  |  P(A given B) = count(A and B)/count(B)  |  bigger sample: smaller margin of error
Geometry and Trigonometry	(x − h)2 + (y − k)2 = r2  |  d = √((x2 − x1)2 + (y2 − y1)2)  |  midpoint ((x1 + x2)/2, (y1 + y2)/2)  |  arc = (θ/360)2πr  |  sector = (θ/360)πr2  |  radians = degrees × π/180  |  sin = opp/hyp, cos = adj/hyp, tan = opp/adj  |  sin x° = cos(90° − x°)  |  similar figures: lengths ×k, areas ×k2, volumes ×k3  |  polygon angles (n − 2)180°  |  cylinder: lateral 2πrh, total 2πr2 + 2πrh  |  box surface 2(ℓw + ℓh + wh)  |  sphere surface 4πr2
Given on the SAT sheet	Circle A = πr2, C = 2πr  |  A = ℓw  |  A = ½bh  |  c2 = a2 + b2  |  30-60-90: x, x√3, 2x  |  45-45-90: s, s, s√2  |  V = ℓwh, πr2h, 4⁄3πr3, 1⁄3πr2h, 1⁄3ℓwh  |  360° = 2π radians in a circle  |  triangle angles sum to 180°

How should you study SAT math formulas?

Learn each formula with a real question, not a flashcard alone. None of the 8 questions above names the formula it needs. You have to spot which one fits.

1. Sort the list. Mark each formula above as "know it," "shaky" or "new." Start with the new ones in Algebra and Advanced Math, since together they are about 70% of the section.
2. Pair each formula with a question. Work 3 to 5 questions that use it. The free lesson notes cover one skill at a time, for example Quadratic Equations, Circles and Right-Triangle Trigonometry. A free account is needed to open them. For mixed review, open the free SAT Math Mixed Review lesson notes.
3. Decide "formula or Desmos" for each type. Do the question by hand once, then check it on Desmos. On test day, use whichever is faster for you.
4. Test it under real timing. Create a free account and take one full-length adaptive SAT section free, with a real Module 1 to Module 2 route and a scaled score. If a formula question slows you down there, it goes back on your "shaky" list.
5. Finish with recent questions. The SAT Question Bank hub groups Digital SAT question banks by test month, with separate English and Math banks. The September 2026 Math bank above sorts its 194 questions by domain, skill and difficulty.

Studying English too? Our SAT grammar rules cheat sheet does the same job for Reading and Writing.

How we built this page: the reference sheet was copied from College Board's SAT Practice Test 4 PDF (page 30) and Appendix D of the Assessment Framework for the Digital SAT Suite (version 3.01), both fetched on September 28, 2026. Every formula in the "memorize" tables was mapped to a skill in College Board's SAT Math specifications and Appendix B skill tables, and each formula was checked by hand. The 8 questions come from The Test Advantage's September 2026 SAT Math Question Bank (question ids 615062, 570014, 614965, 614716, 568894, 614723, 569364 and 662862). We solved each one independently, and every answer matches the bank's key. Student quotes come from public r/Sat and r/satprep threads. The Test Advantage is not affiliated with College Board.

Frequently Asked Questions

What formulas are given on the SAT?

The Digital SAT reference sheet in Bluebook lists A = πr² and C = 2πr for a circle, A = ℓw, A = ½bh, c² = a² + b², the 30-60-90 triangle (x, x√3, 2x) and 45-45-90 triangle (s, s, s√2), and the volumes V = ℓwh, V = πr²h, V = (4/3)πr³, V = (1/3)πr²h and V = (1/3)ℓwh. It also states that a circle has 360 degrees and 2π radians of arc, and that a triangle's angles sum to 180 degrees.

What is not on the SAT math reference sheet?

The sheet has no slope formula, no quadratic formula or discriminant, no sum and product of solutions, no exponent rules, no percent change, no mean, median or probability formulas, no circle equation, no distance formula, no arc length or radian conversion, no SOHCAHTOA and no surface area formulas.

Which SAT math formulas do you need to memorize?

Memorize slope, slope-intercept and point-slope form, the quadratic formula, the discriminant b² − 4ac, sum (−b/a) and product (c/a) of solutions, vertex x = −b/(2a), exponent rules, exponential growth and decay, percent change, mean and median, probability, the circle equation (x − h)² + (y − k)² = r², arc length and sector area, degrees to radians (× π/180), SOHCAHTOA, sin x = cos(90° − x) and cylinder surface area.

What is the sum and product of solutions formula?

For ax² + bx + c = 0, the sum of the two solutions is −b/a and the product is c/a. Move every term to one side first, keep the sign of b, and divide by a. Example: in 2x² − 10x + 3 = 0 the sum is 5 and the product is 3/2.

What is the surface area formula for a cylinder?

The lateral (side) surface area of a cylinder is 2πrh. The total surface area adds the two circular ends: 2πr² + 2πrh, or 2πr(r + h). Neither formula is on the SAT reference sheet; only the volume πr²h is.

Can you use Desmos instead of memorizing SAT math formulas?

Partly. Bluebook has a built-in Desmos calculator (graphing or scientific) for the whole Math section, so you can graph a system, a parabola or a circle and read off the answer. Desmos cannot tell you which formula to set up from a word problem, so you still need percent change, surface area, similar triangles and the forms of a quadratic.

Is there an SAT math formula sheet PDF?

College Board prints the reference sheet inside its practice test PDFs, for example page 30 of SAT Practice Test 4. The Test Advantage's formula page has a print-ready summary table: print it from your browser or choose Save as PDF.

Related Concepts

sat math formulas Digital SAT SAT Math College Board Bluebook Desmos SAT reference sheet quadratic formula discriminant Vieta's formulas circle equation SOHCAHTOA radians cylinder surface area percent change exponential growth Algebra Advanced Math Problem-Solving and Data Analysis Geometry and Trigonometry The Test Advantage

Related Guides

Sources and Citation Targets

• College Board: SAT Practice Test 4 (reference sheet, page 30)
• College Board: Assessment Framework for the Digital SAT Suite (Appendix B skill tables, Appendix D reference sheet)
• College Board: SAT Math Specifications
• College Board: Bluebook testing tools (reference sheet, Desmos)
• College Board: SAT Suite calculator policy (embedded Desmos)
• Canonical URL