SAT Math topics, domain by domain
The math section is four domains, and every question belongs to one of them. Knowing the map tells you where the marks are and which skills keep reappearing in a new costume.
The four domains and their share
Each module contains questions from all four domains, arranged easiest to hardest. Algebra and Advanced Math carry most of the section, so they decide most scores. The other two are smaller and are the usual reason a strong student plateaus.
- Algebra: 13 to 15 questions
- Advanced Math: 13 to 15 questions
- Problem-Solving and Data Analysis: 5 to 7 questions
- Geometry and Trigonometry: 5 to 7 questions
Algebra: lines, systems, inequalities
Linear equations in one variable, linear equations in two variables, linear functions, systems of two linear equations, and linear inequalities. The skill underneath all five is moving between three views of the same relationship: an equation, a table, and a graph. A question that looks like a graph question is usually an equation question with a picture, and the reverse.
Advanced Math: everything nonlinear
Equivalent expressions, nonlinear equations in one variable, systems of equations in two variables, and nonlinear functions. In practice that means quadratics, exponentials, polynomials, rational expressions, radicals, and absolute value. Two things surprise students here. Absolute value is officially Advanced Math, not Algebra. And many of these questions are about structure rather than solution: which expression is equivalent, what does the constant mean, how many solutions exist.
Problem-Solving and Data Analysis: the reading-heavy one
Ratios, rates, proportional relationships and units; percentages; one-variable data such as center and spread; two-variable data such as scatterplots and models; probability and conditional probability; inference and margin of error; and evaluating statistical claims. About 30% of the math section is set in context, and most of that context lives here, which makes careful reading worth more marks than speed.
Geometry and Trigonometry: given formulas, tested setup
Area and volume formulas, lines and angles, triangles, right triangles and trigonometry, and circles. The reference panel inside the test app carries the formulas, so memorising them is not the differentiator. The marks are in setup: splitting a composite shape, spotting the similar triangle, seeing that a radius meets a tangent at a right angle.
What is not tested
The scope is narrower than a school course, and that is good news for study time. These do not appear, so hours spent on them buy nothing on this test.
- Formal proofs
- Logarithms
- Complex number arithmetic
- Matrices
- Trigonometry beyond right triangles and the radian measure of a circle
How to use the map
Start with Algebra: it is the largest domain and the most learnable, and Advanced Math borrows its moves constantly. Then take Advanced Math, where the same algebra is applied to curves. Data Analysis is often the cheapest improvement per hour for students who read carefully but calculate quickly, because the questions are about meaning. Geometry comes last and is mostly setup practice, since the formulas are handed to you.
How many questions are on SAT Math?
44, split into two modules of 22, with 70 minutes in total and a calculator allowed throughout.
Is trigonometry on the SAT?
Yes, but only right-triangle trigonometry: sine, cosine and tangent of an acute angle, plus the special right triangles. There are no unit-circle identities.
Are logarithms tested?
No. Logarithms, complex numbers and matrices are outside the tested scope. Exponential functions are tested; logarithms are not.
Which domain has the most questions?
Algebra and Advanced Math, at 13 to 15 questions each, out of 44. Problem-Solving and Data Analysis and Geometry and Trigonometry have 5 to 7 each.
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Updated 2026-10-25. Free to use, no account needed. SAT is a trademark of College Board. Not affiliated with or endorsed by College Board.