SAT Grid Ins

The Student Response Questions or Grid-In Questions test the same Math skills as Multiple Choice questions. However unlike, multiple choice questions you do not have the luxury of selecting the right answers from among the five answer choices. You have to calculate the answer all the way till the end and fill in the space provided. They are called grid-in questions because you enter a numerical answer in a grid like answering space by filling out ovals for each digit.

Some students find Grid in questions challenging while others prefer them. The advantage of Grid In questions is that there is a definite answer for every question and you need not be confused with answers that appear very similar. Grid-in questions constitute approximately 25% of total math questions on the SAT.

The strategy to solve Grid In questions varies somewhat from the multiple choice questions. Even though, a solid foundation in basic Math skills is required for both types of questions.

1. There are only 4 spaces provided in a Grid In question. In addition, only digits from 0-9, a decimal point and slash are allowed. Therefore you must know at the outset what is acceptable and what is possible. If you come up with an answer that does not fit within the given spaces, you know that you have solved it incorrectly. Grid-in questions do not have the provision to enter negative answers. Therefore if you obtain a negative answer, go back and check your work.
2. When entering the answer in the grid/space be careful how you fill in. Start from the left hand column and if your answer requires less than 4 spaces leave the remainder blank. Do not fill in a zero in the right hand columns and then write your answer.
3. Be as accurate as possible in your answer. This is the reason decimals and fractions are allowed. Practice decimals and fractions thoroughly in preparation for SAT Math.
4. Use your calculator freely in this section of SAT Math. You are required to calculate your answers accurately on your own. You can use the test paper to decide on an approach.
5. Write your answer on top of the grid which you can transfer to the actual grid. This eliminates errors that you may make while filling in answers directly in the spaces.
6. Similar to Multiple Choice questions the questions are organized such that the difficulty level increases as you move along. Get through the easy questions in the beginning quickly and maintain a steady pace.
7. Practice! Practice! Practice! The more questions you solve as your SAT preparation the more chances are you would get a question in SAT that you would have solved earlier. As you practice solving questions apply the tips and tricks listed above and fine tune your Math skills.