Number sense tips

[RobinK]

So I got back from regionals. Argyle, of course, completely annihilated everyone. After comparing my number sense scores to theirs, I began to question the meaning of my existence. But seriously, I want to practice a ton over the summer so I might actually have a chance to compete with Argyle at regionals. Any tips/methods on getting better at number sense that you guys do to improve? Please do not say "the only thing you can do is practice, practice, practice". Doing a number sense test once a day isn't helping me much. Please do not hate on me for being a total n00b.

[rcoker7]

The best way to get better is to get faster. Of course, practice will help this, but for big improvement, I would recommend focusing on how you think through problems. There's thousands of ways to think of each problem, so experiment with them. Every detail can help, even how you think through simple arithmetic. Creativity is important here. Then, all that's left is practice. A lot.

[RobinK]

Good tip, Ross. Thanks.

[nsguy1350]

Ross is completely right. A big factor is pattern recognition, and as Ross said, creativity. Often you will look at a problem and wonder how someone is ever going to be able to approach it during a Number Sense test. There is ALWAYS a way to figure out a problem more easily than it looks. Oftentimes, there is an underlying shortcut or "trick." Some problems require special techniques to do quickly. Others require you to have recognized the problem from before and apply a formula that you should have memorized. Many require special manipulation and simplification. This comes with experience, not just straight practice. You not only have to expose yourself to tests through practice, but you have to attack each problem separately and figure out the most efficient method to approaching it. Do that enough times and the number sense test will become very familiar, and your speed will increase to the point where you can consistently finish tests.

[dantx5]

Doing AMC problems can help boost your "creativity".

(nsguy pwned everyone in my region)