DAT Math Formulas You Need to Memorize

The DAT math formulas to memorize come down to about 20-25 that actually show up on the Quantitative Reasoning section: percent change, averages, rate/time/distance, simple interest, basic probability and combinations, a short list of area/volume shapes, the Pythagorean theorem with special right triangles, and light SOH-CAH-TOA trig. There's no calculus and no obscure identities. Below is the full list, organized so you memorize only what's tested — then we'll tell you why memorizing them is only half the job.

Why a generic algebra and geometry dump wastes your time

Search "DAT math formulas" and you'll find lists lifted straight from a high school textbook — forty-plus formulas covering everything from logarithm rules to trig identities the DAT has never once tested.

We took the DAT. Both of us finished in the top 3% (97th-plus percentile). The Quantitative Reasoning section is 40 questions in 45 minutes, all algebra, quantitative comparison, data analysis, and word problems — no calculus, ever. A padded formula sheet doesn't make you more prepared. It just makes flashcards you'll skim once and forget.

The formulas below are the ones that actually recur on real DAT QR questions. Nothing else made the cut.

DAT math formulas to memorize, by category

This is the sheet. Copy it, print it, put it on your wall — whatever gets it into long-term memory fastest.

That's the whole list. If you've memorized these cold, you've covered the overwhelming majority of what the DAT actually asks in Quantitative Reasoning — for the full breakdown of question types this list maps onto, see our guide to DAT QR question types.

Algebra and word-problem formulas you'll use constantly

Percent change, averages, and rate/time/distance aren't glamorous, but they're the backbone of DAT QR. Word problems dress them up in different scenarios — a car trip, a discount, a mixture of solutions — but the underlying formula rarely changes.

The trap is arithmetic speed, not formula recall. You'll know d = r × t on sight; the real test is rearranging it to solve for r or t in under a minute while the clock runs. That's a drilling problem, not a memorization problem.

Geometry formulas tested on the DAT QR section

Geometry on the DAT stays basic: areas and volumes of common shapes, the Pythagorean theorem, and the two special right triangles (45-45-90 and 30-60-90). You will not see circle theorems involving inscribed angles, coordinate geometry with conic sections, or 3D solids beyond rectangular boxes and cylinders.

Special right triangles deserve extra attention because they let you skip the Pythagorean theorem entirely when you recognize the pattern — and pattern recognition is what saves seconds you don't have to spare.

Probability, averages, and data analysis formulas

Probability and combinatorics questions on the DAT are usually one or two steps: multiply independent probabilities, add mutually exclusive ones, or plug into nPr/nCr. The formulas are simple; the challenge is correctly identifying which formula the word problem is describing.

Data analysis questions (reading a table or graph, then calculating an average or percent change) don't need a new formula — they need you to apply the ones above accurately while under time pressure and mild reading-comprehension load.

Formulas you don't need to memorize for the DAT

Because we get asked this constantly, here's the negative space — formulas that appear on generic prep lists but essentially never show up on the real DAT:

• Calculus of any kind (derivatives, integrals, limits) — the DAT tests through algebra and light trig only.
• Trig identities beyond SOH-CAH-TOA (double-angle, sum-to-product, law of sines/cosines) — not tested.
• Logarithm and exponential-growth formulas beyond basic exponent rules — rare to nonexistent.
• Conic sections (ellipses, parabolas as equations, hyperbolas) — not part of the QR blueprint.
• Advanced statistics (standard deviation, z-scores, regression) — you'll see averages and basic data reads, not this.

Cutting these isn't cutting corners. It's the same "practice correctly, learn only what the test rewards" logic we built our entire study system around.

How to actually memorize DAT math formulas (and why that's not enough)

Memorizing a formula and applying it correctly under exam pressure are two different skills, and most students only train the first one.

Here's what actually works:

1. Write the list somewhere you see daily — a phone lock screen, a sticky note on your monitor, whatever forces repetition.
2. Attach each formula to one worked example, not just the symbols. You remember "percent change" better tied to a discount problem you actually solved.
3. Drill formula recall inside timed sets, not isolated flashcards. A formula you can recite calmly at your desk can vanish under a 45-minute countdown.
4. Track which formulas you mix up on missed questions, and re-drill only those. Don't re-study what you already have cold.
5. Take full-length practice tests under real timing so formula recall happens under the same fatigue and pressure as the actual exam — see our DAT QR time management guide for pacing specifics.

This is exactly why we don't just hand students a formula sheet at DATPractice. Every miss on our practice tests gets tagged to the specific concept behind it, so if you're shaky on combined work-rate problems specifically, that's what the AI tutor drills you on — not a generic re-read of the whole algebra list.