SAT Math Reference Sheet: What's Given vs. What to Memorize
The Digital SAT gives you a geometry reference sheet on every math question — but it's missing the formulas you need most. Here's what's provided and what you must memorize.
SATMock Team
Last updated: 2026-07-01 · SAT prep experts using real College Board data
Yes, the SAT Gives You a Formula Sheet — But It's Not Enough
Good news: the Digital SAT displays a geometry reference sheet on-screen for every math question. Bad news: it only covers basic geometry. The algebra and advanced-math formulas that show up far more often? You're expected to know those cold.
Here's the honest split between what's handed to you and what you have to carry in.
What's on the Reference Sheet (Provided)
The on-screen reference sheet is all geometry:
-Area of a circle and circumference
-Area of a rectangle and a triangle
-The Pythagorean theorem
-Special right triangles (30-60-90 and 45-45-90)
-Volume of a rectangular box, cylinder, sphere, cone, and pyramid
-The fact that a circle has 360 degrees / 2π radians, and a triangle's angles sum to 180 degrees
That's genuinely useful — but notice what's *missing*. There's no algebra, no functions, no statistics. And those categories are 70%+ of the math section.
What You Must Memorize (Not Provided)
These are the formulas the reference sheet won't give you — and they're the ones you'll use most.
- Circle area & circumference
- Rectangle & triangle area
- Pythagorean theorem
- Special right triangles
- Volumes: box, cylinder, sphere, cone, pyramid
- Degrees in a circle; angles in a triangle
- Slope & slope-intercept form
- Quadratic formula & vertex (−b/2a)
- The discriminant (number of solutions)
- Percent change
- Exponent rules & growth/decay
- Mean, median, mode, and outlier effects
The reference sheet covers geometry — but algebra, functions, and statistics are on you.
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Algebra & lines
-Slope = (y₂ − y₁) / (x₂ − x₁)
-Slope-intercept form: y = mx + b
-Parallel lines have equal slopes; perpendicular slopes are negative reciprocals
Quadratics
-Quadratic formula: x = (−b ± √(b² − 4ac)) / 2a
-Vertex of y = ax² + bx + c is at x = −b / 2a
-The discriminant b² − 4ac tells you the number of real solutions (positive = 2, zero = 1, negative = 0)
Percentages & change
-Percent change = (new − old) / old × 100
-Increasing by p%: multiply by (1 + p/100); decreasing: multiply by (1 − p/100)
Exponents & functions
-Exponent rules: multiply → add exponents, divide → subtract, power of a power → multiply
-Exponential growth/decay: y = a(1 ± r)ᵗ
Statistics
-Mean = sum ÷ count; median = middle value; mode = most frequent
-How mean vs. median shift with outliers (a big outlier pulls the mean, not the median)
The Smart Way to Use All This
The reference sheet is a safety net, not a strategy. Two rules:
1. Don't waste time flipping to it for things you know. Clicking to the sheet mid-question costs seconds. Memorize the special-right-triangle ratios so you don't need it.
2. Do lean on it for volume formulas. Cone and sphere volumes are easy to forget and easy to look up — let the sheet carry those.
And remember: you also have Desmos on every question. For a lot of algebra, graphing beats recalling a formula. See our guide on how to use Desmos on the Digital SAT.
Turn Formulas Into Reflexes
Knowing a formula and recognizing when to use it are different skills. The second only comes from practice. Drill mixed math sets until "percent change" or "vertex form" jumps out at you automatically — that's when your speed and accuracy climb together. Practice with real questions filtered by domain, or take a free score quiz to find your weak spots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the SAT give you a formula sheet?
Yes. The Digital SAT shows a geometry reference sheet on-screen for every math question, including circle and triangle areas, the Pythagorean theorem, special right triangles, and volume formulas. It does not include algebra, functions, or statistics formulas.
What formulas do I need to memorize for the SAT?
Memorize the ones not on the reference sheet: slope and slope-intercept form, the quadratic formula and vertex (−b/2a), the discriminant, percent change, exponent rules, exponential growth/decay, and the basics of mean, median, and mode. These cover the algebra, functions, and statistics that make up most of the section.
Is the reference sheet the same on every SAT?
Yes. The geometry reference sheet is standardized and appears on-screen throughout the Math section on every Digital SAT. Because it's always available, you don't need to memorize the volume formulas — but knowing the common ones still saves time.
Do I need to memorize formulas if I have Desmos?
Some, but less than you'd think. Desmos handles a lot of algebra graphically — finding roots, intersections, and vertices. Still, memorizing core formulas like percent change and exponent rules is faster than setting up a graph for simple cases.
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