SAT Right Triangles and Trigonometry
The right-triangle and trig patterns most often tested on the Digital SAT, with the special triangles and SOH-CAH-TOA cheat sheet.
Know the Special Triangles
30-60-90 triangles have sides in ratio 1 : √3 : 2. 45-45-90 triangles have sides in ratio 1 : 1 : √2. Recognizing these by sight saves 60+ seconds every time.
SOH-CAH-TOA in Practice
Label the sides relative to the angle: opposite, adjacent, hypotenuse. Then write sin, cos, or tan as the correct pair. Most SAT trig questions are one substitution away from done.
What to do after reading this
- Turn the article into one action: a bank drill, a timed module, or a score calculation.
- Write down the exact skill or habit you are testing.
- Review the result before reading another guide.
Related SAT guides
- SAT Geometry Overview: Every Topic Tested
The Digital SAT tests geometry lightly but predictably. Here's the full topic list with what matters for each.
- Every SAT Math Formula You Need to Memorize
The complete list of Digital SAT math formulas to memorize — including what the reference sheet already covers and what it doesn't.
Mistakes to avoid
- Reading multiple guides without doing practice between them.
- Using broad practice when the article points to a narrow skill.
- Treating format knowledge as score improvement before testing it under time.
Use this in practice
Practice on 1600.now
Apply what you just read. Run the numbers in the SAT score calculator, take a full Digital SAT module, or drill targeted skills in the question bank.
Post 41 of 52 in the 1600.now Digital SAT blog.