DOST-SEI Mathematics Review: Part III Topics and Plan

DOST-SEI Mathematics Review: Part III Topics and Plan

Part III of the DOST-SEI qualifying exam is Mathematics, and at 70 minutes it's the longest part. Like the rest of the exam, it's multiple choice with four options, and your score is the number of correct answers — there's no deduction for wrong ones (DOST-SEI exam primer). DOST-SEI doesn't publish how many items there are or which topics carry the most weight, so review the full senior high scope.

This post is the Mathematics plan that the DOST-SEI pillar guide hands off to.

What to review

Algebra

• Linear equations and inequalities, including absolute value
• Quadratic equations: factoring, the quadratic formula, the discriminant, sum and product of roots
• Systems of equations
• Exponents, radicals and logarithms
• Polynomials: special products and factoring
• Functions: domain, range, composition, inverses and reading graphs
• Arithmetic and geometric sequences and series

Word problems

Rate, work, mixture, age, number and investment problems, plus ratio, proportion and variation. Translate the words into an equation before calculating — setting up is where most mistakes happen.

Geometry

• Triangles: angle sums, similarity, congruence, the Pythagorean theorem, 30-60-90 and 45-45-90 triangles
• Circles: central and inscribed angles, arcs, sectors, tangents
• Polygons: interior and exterior angles, areas
• Coordinate geometry: distance, midpoint, slope, equations of lines, circles
• Perimeter, area and volume of common figures and solids

Trigonometry

• Right-triangle ratios and angles of elevation and depression
• Values at 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90°
• Basic identities, and the laws of sines and cosines

Statistics and probability

• Mean, median, mode, range and weighted mean
• Reading tables and graphs
• Counting: permutations and combinations
• Simple probability

Number sense

Divisibility, primes, GCF and LCM, fractions, decimals and percentages — quick wins if you're fluent.

The primer's list of what to bring on exam day — test permit, school ID, parental consent and waiver form, pencils, eraser, sharpener, snacks and water — doesn't include a calculator, so practise computing by hand.

A four-week plan

Throughout, keep an error log: for each wrong item, write the topic and why you got it wrong (concept, careless slip, or ran out of time).

Pacing in 70 minutes

• First pass: answer every item you can solve quickly and confidently.
• Second pass: return to the longer word problems and multi-step items.
• Last minute: fill in every remaining item with your best guess — a wrong answer costs nothing.
• If an item is taking several minutes, mark it and move on.

You can't go back to Parts I and II once you're in Part III, and you can't bank time from them, so the 70 minutes are all you get for math.

Where Super Tutor fits

Super Tutor's DOST-SEI reviewer has mathematics chapters from arithmetic, algebra and word problems to geometry, trigonometry, statistics and probability, and basic calculus, plus scholarship-level science and math chapters. Each chapter comes in 11 study formats, with practice quizzes at three difficulty levels and an AI tutor that explains solutions step by step. It doesn't have full DOST-SEI mock exams. Start free — 5-day trial, no card needed.

What to read next

The DOST-SEI pillar guide anchors the full review. The other parts: Science, Creative Reasoning, Language and Literature.