Baffled by SAT Probability Questions, Any Tips?

I'm solid with most math sections, but probability really messes with my head! Every time I practice SAT problems, I get probability wrong. Anyone have any resources or strategies to conquer these?

Hello there! You're definitely not alone in finding the probability concept a bit challenging on the SAT Math section. However, with diligent practice and a clear understanding of certain fundamental principles, you can definitely overcome this.

Here is a simple strategy to tackle probability problems. Probability is the measure of how likely an event is to occur out of the number of possible outcomes, defined as favorable outcomes divided by total outcomes. Keep this basic definition in mind as it forms the fundamental building block of probability.

Let's say if you’re dealing with a problem that involves drawing a certain card from a deck, there are 52 possible outcomes (since there are 52 cards in a deck). So if the question asks the probability of drawing a heart, you favor 13 cards (the number of hearts in a deck), your probability is 13/52, which reduces to 1/4.

If you encounter a problem where you need to find the probability of something NOT happening, subtract the probability of it happening from 1. For instance, the probability of not drawing a heart from a deck of cards would be 1 - 1/4 = 3/4 since there are 3 other suits out there that are not hearts.

Regarding resources, though CollegeVine doesn't offer SAT prep courses, Khan Academy does have excellent resources to master Probability, including video tutorials and practice problems. It’s certainly worth checking out!

Don’t forget practice is key – the more problems you work on, the more comfortable you’ll become with probability questions. You've got this!