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Percent problems are like the Swiss Army knife of math—they show up everywhere, including the SAT. The good news is that these problems follow the same basic formula, no matter how they’re dressed up. Whether you’re asked to find the percent, the part, or the whole, you’ve got this! Even if test anxiety or SAT anxiety tries to trick you into overthinking, we’ll keep it simple and fun.
Let’s break down percent problems step by step, so you can tackle them with confidence.
The Percent Formula
All percent problems boil down to this formula:
Here’s what each part means:
- Part: The portion or piece of the whole (like 20 out of 100).
- Percent: The percentage, written as a decimal (so 25% becomes 0.25).
- Whole: The total or the complete amount (like the 100 in 20 out of 100).
This one formula can solve all three types of percent problems—you just rearrange it depending on what you’re trying to find. Let’s tackle them one at a time.
Finding the Percent
Example: What percent of 40 is 10?
Finding the Part
Example: What is 30% of 50?
Finding the Whole
Example: 20 is 40% of what number?
Practice Problems
Let’s try a few practice questions to solidify your skills:
Test Anxiety Tip: Keep It Simple
If SAT anxiety makes you freeze, remember these tips:
Writing down your steps keeps things clear and prevents silly mistakes.
Final Thoughts
Percent problems are some of the most straightforward questions you’ll face on the SAT. Once you understand the basic formula and how to rearrange it, these problems become second nature.
Keep practicing, and if you’re looking for more tips and tricks to crush SAT math, check back on this blog. You’ve got this—good luck!