Better tips for practicing?

[BlasianAsian]

Alright. In the time I've taken these tests, I've noticed a couple of things...

Number Crunchers? Anybody can do those. The most I've missed are 2, mostly ones, sometimes 0s when I don't feel tired.

All stated and geometry on pgs 1 and 2 I can do, unless there's some thing in my brain that doesn't quite click, like the 'boot' problem.

Then we reach page 3. On this page, the geometry's I can all do. But the stated...the most I can usually get is 1/3 to 2/3 of them. There's always that one where I have no idea how to set up the equation, etc, etc. Is there any pattern to these problems to where I can anticipate what structure they use so I can practice them? They always seem quite random, and quite frankly, I like structured things.

Pg4 is where the going gets a little tougher. I usually can only do 1/3 to 0 stated on this page, and geometry is usually 1 to 2.

Then pg 5. Usually 1 to 0 geometries, and 2 - 3 stated since these are the ones that have some sort of format.

Pg 6 - 1 to 2 Stated, 1 to 0 geometries...

So, yeah. That's my spill. Any tips for pages 3 to 5? Page 6 is where I usually run out of time. I don't even do page 7, 'cause that's like...BEYOND high school, lol.

[007math]

You don't do page 7 at all? Those 5 crunchers are an easy 25 points.

[BlasianAsian]

Oh yeah, I do those. I mean the word stated and geometry ones...

[nsguy1350]

Well, not all of page 7 is beyond high school. There are a couple things not taught in a regular geometry course, but this isn't multivariable calculus or anything.
Study guide is all. It's definitely worth learning. I learned 49/50 today (well, I knew a couple beforehand). There is one left: the last stated problem where Fabens and Kevin posted solutions. I have to determine which solution is better and memorize it.

[BlasianAsian]

Ah, well, I don't think there's anytime for me to learn any of the study guide. There's only a 20% chance that a problem will show up? Hmmm....

[007math]

Yeah, I'm kind of doing BlasianAsian's thinking now. Unless #66 is going to be one of the easy study guide problems that you can do without having to know a specific formula, I'm not going to be attempting. I'm focusing on understanding those scaling problems better and just getting more of the "inside" problems since that can get a 250+ which I'm happy with.

EDIT: Just realized, I'm competing against you BlasianAsian!

EDIT2: Regarding that 20% probability: it's actually less i think :P

[Shawn]

Page 3 is in my experience the hardest stated on the whole exam, page 4 is slightly easier. For practice, I would suggest learning to do the easy calculus problems and studying physics, from your questions on here I would say those are probably the two areas that you are weakest on? I would really suggest a focus on page 4, these problems seem to be more similar than page 3. Page 5 geometry are rough generally, so with limited time I say hope that you already know. Page 6 you said 0-1 stated? This is really odd, you should be able to easily pick up the computational calculus (56) and matrix (58), as well as often times the geometry calculus (59) even if you don't know calculus I can quickly tell you how to do these. Overall just keep practicing (that is where page 3 can become very familiar) and posting problems on here that you don't know until regional and I will see what I can do to help you out. In the end you just need to see problems.

[nsguy1350]

[BlasianAsian]

Oh man, a Flower Mound kid? I'm screwed. D=

Nah, I said 1 to 2 stated on pg 6, namely 56 and 58 I can do since they're so standerdized, but 57 is one of those random throw in ones...

Ok. So just keep solving problems are practicing. I guess that works...