SAT Math Formulas
What the test hands you, and what you have to bring yourself. Two lists, nothing else.
Given on test day
This mirrors the official reference sheet you'll have in Bluebook — one tap away on test day.
Reference sheet
- Area of a circle
- Circumference of a circle
- Area of a rectangle
- Area of a triangle
- Pythagorean theorem
- 30-60-90 triangle
- 45-45-90 triangle
- Volume of a box
- Volume of a cylinder
- Volume of a sphere
- Volume of a cone
- Volume of a pyramid
- Circle & triangle facts
A circle has 360° = 2π radians of arc. The angles of a triangle sum to 180°.
Know by heart — not provided on the test
Linear equations & graphs
- Slope
- Slope-intercept form
- Point-slope form
- Parallel & perpendicular lines
Parallel lines have equal slopes. Perpendicular lines: m₁·m₂ = −1.
- Distance between two points
- Midpoint
- Absolute value equations
- How many solutions a linear system has
Different slopes → one solution. Same slope, different intercepts → none. Same line → infinitely many.
Quadratics & polynomials
- Difference of squares
- Square of a sum / difference
- Quadratic formula
- Discriminant
D > 0: two real roots. D = 0: one. D < 0: none.
- Vertex of a parabola
- Factored form & roots
has roots p and q
- Sum & product of roots (Vieta)
Exponents, radicals & exponential change
- Product of powers
- Quotient of powers
- Power of a power
- Negative & zero exponents
- Fractional exponents
- Product of radicals
- Exponential growth & decay
- Function shifts
shifts the graph h units right and k units up
Percentages, ratios & data
- Percent of a number
- Percent change
- Mean (average)
- Median & range
Median = middle value of the sorted data. Range = max − min.
- Proportions (cross-multiply)
- Probability
Trigonometry & circles
- SOH-CAH-TOA
- Pythagorean identity
- Complementary angles
- Degrees to radians
- Equation of a circle
- Arc length & sector area
Knowing a formula and using it under time pressure are different skills. Practice SAT Math to build the second one.