SAT Math: Heart of Algebra

What is it?

Per the College Board’s Official Guide, Heart of Algebra focuses on linear equations, systems of linear equations, and functions that are found in many fields of study. These questions ask you to create equations that represent a situation and solve equations and systems of equations as well as to make connections between different representations of linear relationships.

The College Board further categorizes Heart of Algebra into three different segments:

• Analyzing and fluently solving linear equations and systems of linear equations

• Creating linear equations and inequalities to represent relationships between quantities and to solve problems

• Understanding and using the relationship between linear equations and inequalities and their graphs to solve problems

Out of 58 total questions on the exam, there will be 19 Heart of Algebra questions. This means a third of the SAT math question will come from this category. This is the largest category on the exam.

On the SAT, Heart of Algebra questions show up in both the calculator and non-calculator sections. You can also expect multiple-choice and grid-in Heart of Algebra questions.

Worthington Prep’s Heart of Algebra Breakdown

Heart of Algebra is a massive portion of the exam. I went through over 700 Old SAT exam questions and categorized every single one of them. From there, I created categories for every single question. Heart of Algebra breaks down into the following teachable categories:

• Absolute Value

• Distance Formula

• Division

• Exponential Growth

• Graphs, Lines, Slopes, Quadrants

• Inequalities

• Interpreting Expressions and Equations

• Interpreting Word Problems

• Linear vs. Exponential Growth

• Lines - Perpendicular, Parallel

• Solving an Equation

• Solving one variable in terms of another

• System of Equations

Worthington Prep Tutoring Approach

There are a lot of categories and a lot of questions to cover. Getting a high score on the exam requires mastering Heart of Algebra. It requires reviewing each of these topics in detail and, of course, a lot of repetition. We will cover each one of these concepts in our meet ups. Homework will be assigned for each of these topics before / after the concept is covered in our meet up. And then we’ll reinforce it through our daily WhatsApp questions. And each answer attempt will be recorded. This way I can track your weaknesses and strengths. We won’t focus as much on your strengths. We’ll hit the weaknesses hard to turn them into strengths.

Heart of Algebra isn’t complex. It is typically covered in your 8th / 9th grade math class. But the way it’s tested on the exam can be very different than how it comes up in class.

The Worthington Prep Mantra: Whatever it Takes. Yes, whatever it takes to master this topic. It’s critical for the really high exam score you’re looking for on the exam.