SAT Glossary — Key Terms & Definitions
- $f(x+2)$ vs. $f(x)+2$
- Absolute value
- Addition rule
- Angle inscribed in a semicircle
- Angle-angle (AA) similarity
- Arc length
- Area ratio of similar figures
- Associated (vs. caused)
- Axis of symmetry
- Backsolving
- Box plot
- Cancel factors, never terms
- Clearing the denominators
- Cofunction identity
- Complement rule
- Completing the square
- Composition of functions
- Conditional probability
- Correlation is not causation
- Degree
- Difference of squares in disguise
- Discriminant
- Discriminant as intersection counter
- Domain
- End behavior
- Exponential function
- Extraneous solution
- Extrapolation vs. Interpolation
- Factor Theorem
- Factored form (of a quadratic)
- Fill the field
- Forbidden values
- Frequency weighting
- Function notation
- Growth factor
- Histogram
- Inscribed angle
- Inside vs. outside (transformation rule)
- Interquartile range (IQR)
- Inverse function
- Isolate, then square
- Isolating a quantity
- Joint probability
- Laws of exponents
- Leading coefficient
- Line of best fit
- Linear-vs-exponential trap
- Margin of error
- Master form ($A_0 b^{t/p}$)
- Mean-versus-median skew inference
- Mixed-number trap
- Multiplication rule for independent events
- Multiplicity
- Multiplicity (Odd Crosses vs. Even Bounces)
- Negative exponent
- Negative reciprocal (and the multiply-to-$-1$ check)
- Never divide by a variable expression
- Non-commutativity of composition
- Observational study
- Percent change
- Plugging in numbers
- Point-slope form
- Principal square root
- Pythagorean identity
- Quadratic formula
- Random assignment vs. random sampling
- Rational exponent
- Read the verb (linear vs. exponential diagnostic)
- Residual
- Resistant measure
- Reverse percentage
- Sampling variability vs. sampling bias
- Slope-intercept form
- SOH-CAH-TOA
- Solution trichotomy
- Special right triangles (45-45-90, 30-60-90)
- Standard deviation
- Standard form
- Standard form of a circle
- Successive percentages
- System trichotomy
- Tangency
- The "less than" reversal
- The circle in disguise
- The denominator-first protocol (two-way tables)
- The design grid
- The intercept substitution rule
- The numerical spot-check
- The rate ∆y
- The ratio-denominator error
- The sign-flip rule
- The skew-naming trap
- The two-sizes principle (transversal)
- The vanishing variable
- Three forms of a quadratic
- Unit conversion trap
- Vertex
- Vertex form (of a quadratic)
- Weighted mean
- You supply the $\pm$
- Ambiguous antecedent
- Bracket and Delete
- Comma splice
- Command of evidence (quantitative)
- Command of evidence (textual)
- Conjunctive adverb
- Connotation
- Dangling modifier
- Dependent (subordinate) clause
- Escalation (indeed / in fact)
- Essential vs. non-essential material
- Expand-the-contraction test
- FANBOYS
- Finite verb
- Goal-to-shape conversion
- Idiomatic preposition
- Illogical comparison
- Indefinite pronoun number
- Independent clause
- Inference
- Intensity (constraint)
- Inversion
- Logical comparison
- Logical relation (constraint)
- Main purpose
- Matched-pair rule
- Misplaced modifier
- Necessary/sufficient distinction
- Non-finite form
- Overshoot
- Parallelism
- Parenthetical compound (as well as / along with)
- Past perfect (had + past participle)
- Percentage points vs. percent
- Plural vs. possessive
- Polarity (constraint)
- Prediction (predict before looking at options)
- Pronoun case (subjective vs. objective)
- Proximity rule (or / either…or / neither…nor)
- Redundancy family
- Register (constraint)
- Rhetorical synthesis
- Run-on
- Secondary-definition mechanism
- Semicolon–period equivalence
- Subject–verb agreement
- Subordinator
- Text structure
- That vs. which
- The operational test
- The pivot
- The unnecessary mark
- Transition
- Unsupported Interiority
- Weakest-option principle
- Words in Context
- Wrong Referent
- Wrong-Goal distractor
- Adaptive routing
- Computational vs. conceptual difficulty
- Desmos regression protocol
- Error budget
- Expected value of a guess
- Flagging
- Form-selection item
- Mark for Review
- Module
- Module sealing
- Option elimination
- Pacing checkpoints
- Reference sheet
- Sawtooth difficulty ordering
- Section ceiling (lower-panel cap)
- The "one possible value" tell
- The $100 base
- The 20-Second Abandonment Rule
- The Answer-Every-Question Theorem
- The Desmos diagnostic question
- The Desmos Doctrine
- The fraction discipline
- The Module 2 difficulty signal
- The parameter blind spot (Desmos)
- The portfolio model
- The re-read question
- The reserve
- The six moves
- The two-minute warning triage
- The Two-Pass Pacing Protocol
- Transcription discipline
- Transcription error
- Upper panel / lower panel