> The main issue is that you kind of have to dumb yourself down to answer the questions - if you start actually thinking critically, you'll run into trouble.
This has always been true on the SAT--especially the math section.
In the math section, it is almost always faster to eliminate answers using backward reasoning than getting the correct answer using forward calculation. For the sample question, answers C&D relate to intercept--answers A&B relate to slope. The question asks about slope so you immediately discard C&D. Now, even a guess is a plus for you.
By the way, that sample question would get removed after statistical norming. It's sufficiently confusing that it won't pass the standard--poor students always miss--mediocre students sometimes hit--good students always get it right--that is required for the SAT to work statistically. The confusion is that choice of slope is arbitrary--there is no particular reason for why which length is on which axis and which is cause and effect.
This was actually one of the unique things about the SAT for me. While "sample" questions always had lots of confusing answers, the SAT questions were absolutely crystal clear. Any SAT section with more than one confusing question was obviously the experimental section.
This has always been true on the SAT--especially the math section.
In the math section, it is almost always faster to eliminate answers using backward reasoning than getting the correct answer using forward calculation. For the sample question, answers C&D relate to intercept--answers A&B relate to slope. The question asks about slope so you immediately discard C&D. Now, even a guess is a plus for you.
By the way, that sample question would get removed after statistical norming. It's sufficiently confusing that it won't pass the standard--poor students always miss--mediocre students sometimes hit--good students always get it right--that is required for the SAT to work statistically. The confusion is that choice of slope is arbitrary--there is no particular reason for why which length is on which axis and which is cause and effect.
This was actually one of the unique things about the SAT for me. While "sample" questions always had lots of confusing answers, the SAT questions were absolutely crystal clear. Any SAT section with more than one confusing question was obviously the experimental section.