The science behind Kaplan's SmartPoints™

On the standardized tests like the SAT, certain skills are tested more often than others. For example, the SAT contains more questions about equations than angles. To earn the most points on Test Day, we teach our students to focus on and master these most-tested skills.

We took this idea one step further. We decided to actually calculate exactly how many SAT points each skill is worth. We analyzed all the published tests. We counted how many times each skill was tested. From there, we were able to calculate the SmartPoints value—the number of SAT points—for each skill.

For example, on released SATs, we counted that about 150 out of 900 Math questions tested equations, meaning that equations make up one-sixth of all Math questions—and one-sixth of the available 600 points in that section. The conclusion? Mastering equations can earn you 100 points on your SAT score.

As a Kaplan student, you'll use SmartPoints to guide you in your at-home studies. Sure, you'll spend more time on topics that are new than those you know already, but you'll always spend more time on topics with the highest number of SmartPoints—and earn as many SAT points as you can on Test Day.