Click Study Flashcards above to open the flashcard hub — hundreds of ACCUPLACER cards you can flip, match, type, or quiz yourself on. Every card is drawn from the five official ACCUPLACER tests, so you study exactly what the test measures.[1] Pair them with our free practice test and study guide.
ACCUPLACER Flashcard Study Modes
Flip mode walks you through one card at a time so you can check yourself before turning it over. Match is a timed game that pairs terms with their definitions. Type shows the definition and asks you to produce the term, so a card like Semicolon has to come back spelled correctly. Quiz turns the same cards into multiple choice for quick recall checks.
Why Flashcards Work for the ACCUPLACER
Writing is the largest domain at 57 cards, and it leans on the punctuation and sentence-repair vocabulary the test keeps circling back to. You get marks like Comma, Colon, and Semicolon alongside revision-level ideas such as Thesis, Modifier, and Concision, so you can name what a question is testing before you pick an answer.
Arithmetic runs 54 cards and drills the plain computational vocabulary behind word problems. Terms like Percent, Decimal, and Integer sit next to applied cards such as Tip and Markup, with Ratio, Factor, and Sum covering the relationships that show up whenever a problem asks you to compare or combine quantities.
Reading holds 53 cards focused on how passages are described and questioned. Cards like Tone, Mood, and Theme cover author craft, while Bias, Claim, and Genre handle argument and text type, and a figurative-language card such as Simile keeps you fluent in the terms answer choices use.
Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra & Statistics contributes 49 cards built around data and measurement language. Mean, Median, and Mode anchor the statistics side, Set and Union cover the vocabulary of grouping, and geometry terms like Area, Volume, and Slope keep the coordinate and measurement questions readable.
Advanced Algebra & Functions also carries 49 cards and moves into function and trigonometry vocabulary. Function, Domain, and Vertex frame how relationships are described, Parabola and Radical cover common forms you have to recognize, and Sine, Cosine, and Tangent handle the ratio terms that appear in right-triangle work.
ACCUPLACER spans a lot of ground — reading vocabulary and grammar, arithmetic and percent, algebra, statistics, functions, and trigonometry.[1] Spaced flashcards are the most efficient way to keep it all fresh. Used alongside our practice test and study guide, they turn review time into measurable progress.
ACCUPLACER Flashcards by Test
The cards are organized by the five official ACCUPLACER tests. Because your college usually requires only a subset, drill the tests you actually need — start with whichever you find hardest:
| Test | Questions | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 20 | Comprehension, vocabulary in context, synthesis |
| Writing | 25 | Expression of ideas, conventions, WritePlacer essay |
| Arithmetic | 20 | Whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percent |
| QAS | 20 | Ratios, algebra, statistics, geometry |
| AAF | 20 | Factoring, functions, logs, trigonometry |
How to Get the Most Out of These Flashcards
- Start with Writing. At 57 cards it is the biggest section of the deck, and the punctuation terms it drills carry over into how you read every sentence-correction prompt.
- Type-drill the exact terms. Cards like Semicolon and Parabola are easy to recognize and hard to produce, so typing them forces precise recall instead of vague familiarity.
- Use Match for vocabulary clusters. The Reading cards such as Tone, Mood, and Theme blur together under time pressure, and the timed pairing game is where you separate them.
- Move to the practice test once Quiz is steady. When you clear the Quiz mode on a domain without second-guessing, work full-length questions and use the study guide for anything that falls apart.
- Rotate domains in short sittings. With 262 cards across five domains, take one domain per session and revisit the previous one in Flip mode before starting the new set.
ACCUPLACER Flashcards FAQ
Hundreds of free ACCUPLACER flashcards, organized across all five tests — Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra & Statistics (QAS), and Advanced Algebra & Functions (AAF). They cover the high-yield terms and concepts each test measures, free with no account required.
Yes. Flashcards use active recall — pulling an answer from memory — which research shows is one of the most effective study methods, especially in short, spaced sessions. They're ideal for ACCUPLACER reading vocabulary, grammar rules, math formulas, and statistics terms.
All five multiple-choice tests: Reading (comprehension and vocabulary), Writing (grammar, conventions, the WritePlacer essay), Arithmetic (fractions, decimals, percent), QAS (algebra, ratios, statistics), and AAF (factoring, functions, logarithms, trigonometry).
Focus on the tests your college actually requires, since you usually take only a subset. Mix the modes: flip to learn, type to test recall, match for speed, and quiz to check yourself before a full practice test. Drill your weakest area until it feels easy, then aim as high as you can — it's a placement test, not pass/fail.
Yes — 100% free, all four study modes, no paywall.
Yes. The cards are organized to the College Board's official 'What's on the Tests' for the next-generation ACCUPLACER, across all five tests scored on the 200–300 scale (WritePlacer essay 1–8).
ACCUPLACER flashcard bank
All 262 cards, by topic
A reference copy of every card in this deck. Each answer stays hidden until you choose to show it. To study with Flip, Match, Type and Quiz modes and track what you have mastered, use Study Flashcards at the top of the page.
Reading (53)
- Main idea
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The central point a passage conveys — what the whole text is mostly about.
- Supporting detail
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A fact, example, statistic, or reason that explains or develops the main idea.
- Theme
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The underlying message or insight about life that a literary text explores.
- Topic sentence
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The sentence (often first) that states a paragraph's main point.
- Inference
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A logical conclusion drawn from textual evidence plus reasoning — not stated outright.
- Textual evidence
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Specific words or lines from a passage used to support a claim or answer.
- Command of evidence
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Choosing the detail or line that best supports a given conclusion.
- Word in context
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A word's meaning as it is actually used in a sentence, not just its dictionary definition.
- Connotation
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The implied or emotional meaning of a word beyond its literal definition.
- Denotation
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The literal, dictionary meaning of a word.
- Author's purpose
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The reason a text was written — to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain.
- Tone
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The author's attitude toward the subject, shown through word choice.
- Mood
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The feeling or atmosphere a text creates in the reader.
- Point of view
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The perspective from which a text is told or argued.
- Synthesis
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Combining ideas across two or more texts to reach a broader conclusion.
- Paired passages
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Two related passages compared on the same topic on the Reading test.
- Cross-text connection
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A relationship (agreement, disagreement, extension) between two passages.
- Literary text
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Imaginative writing such as fiction, poetry, and drama.
- Informational text
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Nonfiction such as essays, articles, editorials, and documents.
- Figurative language
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Language meaning something beyond the literal — metaphor, simile, personification.
- Metaphor
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A comparison that states one thing IS another ("time is money").
- Simile
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A comparison using "like" or "as" ("brave as a lion").
- Text structure
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How a text is organized — cause/effect, compare/contrast, sequence, problem/solution.
- Cause and effect
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A structure linking events to their results.
- Compare and contrast
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A structure showing similarities and differences between ideas.
- Sequence
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A structure presenting events or steps in order.
- Summarize
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Restate a passage's main points briefly in your own words.
- Paraphrase
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Restate a specific idea in different words while keeping its meaning.
- Context clues
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Hints in surrounding text — definitions, examples, contrasts — that reveal a word's meaning.
- Central idea
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The most important point a passage makes; the ACCUPLACER term for main idea.
- Claim
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A debatable position an author argues for.
- Counterargument
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A point that opposes the author's claim, often addressed to strengthen it.
- Rhetorical question
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A question asked for effect, not for an answer.
- Implication
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Something a text suggests without stating directly.
- Explicit information
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Information stated directly in the text.
- Implicit information
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Information implied or suggested, requiring inference.
- Information and Ideas
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An ACCUPLACER Reading category: central ideas, evidence, and inferences.
- Craft and Structure
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An ACCUPLACER Reading category: word meaning, text structure, purpose, and point of view.
- Vocabulary item
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A single-sentence ACCUPLACER Reading question about a word's meaning in context.
- Analyze
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Break a text into parts to examine how they work and what they mean.
- Evaluate
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Judge the quality, strength, or logic of an argument or evidence.
- Bias
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A one-sided perspective that can color how a text presents information.
- Objective writing
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Writing that presents facts without personal opinion.
- Subjective writing
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Writing that expresses personal opinions or feelings.
- Narrator
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The voice telling a story in a literary text.
- Genre
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A category of text, such as fiction, poetry, essay, or editorial.
- Argument
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A claim supported by reasons and evidence in a text.
- Evidence-based answer
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An answer choice you can prove with a specific line in the passage.
- Drawing conclusions
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Combining stated facts to reach a logical end point.
- Primary source
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A firsthand account or original document.
- Secondary source
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A work that analyzes or interprets primary sources.
- Persuasive text
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Writing that aims to convince the reader of a position.
- Audience
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The intended readers a text is written for.
Writing (57)
- Expression of Ideas
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An ACCUPLACER Writing category: development, organization, and effective language use.
- Standard English Conventions
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An ACCUPLACER Writing category: sentence structure, usage, and punctuation.
- Development
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Stating a clear point and supporting it with relevant detail.
- Organization
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Arranging ideas in a logical order with effective openings and closings.
- Effective language use
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Choosing concise, precise words that fit the style and tone.
- Concision
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Expressing an idea in as few words as needed; cutting wordiness.
- Subject-verb agreement
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A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb.
- Pronoun-antecedent agreement
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A pronoun must match the noun it refers to in number and gender.
- Pronoun case
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Using the correct subjective (I, he) or objective (me, him) pronoun form.
- Verb tense
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The form of a verb showing time; keep it consistent unless the time changes.
- Parallel structure
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Using the same grammatical form for items in a list, pair, or comparison.
- Modifier
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A word or phrase that describes another; place it next to what it modifies.
- Dangling modifier
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A modifier with no clear word to describe, creating confusion.
- Misplaced modifier
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A modifier positioned so it seems to describe the wrong word.
- Sentence fragment
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An incomplete sentence missing a subject, verb, or complete thought.
- Run-on sentence
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Two complete sentences joined without proper punctuation or a conjunction.
- Comma splice
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Joining two complete sentences with only a comma — a kind of run-on.
- Independent clause
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A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a sentence.
- Dependent clause
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A clause with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone.
- Coordinating conjunction
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A joining word — for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS).
- Subordinating conjunction
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A word (because, although, when) that begins a dependent clause.
- Transition
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A word or phrase signaling the logical relationship between ideas.
- Contrast transition
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However, but, although — signals an opposing idea.
- Cause/effect transition
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Therefore, because, consequently — signals a result or reason.
- Addition transition
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Furthermore, moreover, also — signals an added point.
- Example transition
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For instance, for example — signals an illustration.
- Comma
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Punctuation separating items, clauses, or introductory elements.
- Semicolon
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Punctuation joining two closely related independent clauses.
- Colon
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Punctuation introducing a list, explanation, or quotation.
- Apostrophe
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Punctuation showing possession (Maria's) or contraction (don't).
- Its vs. it's
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"Its" shows possession; "it's" is the contraction of "it is."
- Their/there/they're
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"Their" = possession; "there" = place; "they're" = they are.
- Your vs. you're
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"Your" shows possession; "you're" is the contraction of "you are."
- Affect vs. effect
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"Affect" is usually a verb (to influence); "effect" is usually a noun (a result).
- Accept vs. except
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"Accept" means to receive; "except" means to exclude.
- Active voice
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The subject performs the action ("The team won the game").
- Passive voice
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The subject receives the action ("The game was won by the team").
- Redundancy
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Needless repetition of an idea; ACCUPLACER rewards cutting it.
- Wordiness
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Using more words than needed; choose the most concise correct option.
- Thesis
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The central claim or position an essay argues, stated near the start.
- WritePlacer
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The ACCUPLACER essay test, scored 1–8 on six criteria.
- Purpose and Focus
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A WritePlacer criterion: a clear, sustained position.
- Organization and Structure
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A WritePlacer criterion: logical arrangement of ideas.
- Development and Support
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A WritePlacer criterion: reasons and examples that develop the thesis.
- Sentence Variety and Style
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A WritePlacer criterion: varied sentences and precise word choice.
- Mechanical Conventions
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A WritePlacer criterion: grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling.
- Critical Thinking
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A WritePlacer criterion: reasoning and insight in the argument.
- Topic sentence (writing)
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A sentence stating a paragraph's main idea, supporting the thesis.
- Conclusion
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The final paragraph that restates the position and wraps up the argument.
- Verb form
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The correct form of a verb (tense, agreement, participle) for the sentence.
- Antecedent
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The noun a pronoun refers back to.
- Comparative form
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The -er or 'more' form comparing two things (faster, more careful).
- Superlative form
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The -est or 'most' form comparing three or more (fastest, most careful).
- Then vs. than
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"Then" relates to time; "than" is used in comparisons.
- Quotation marks
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Punctuation marking exact words spoken or quoted.
- Capitalization
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Begin sentences and proper nouns with a capital letter.
- Idiom
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A standard expression whose meaning isn't literal ("interested in," not "interested on").
Arithmetic (54)
- Whole number
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A non-negative number with no fraction or decimal part (0, 1, 2, 3, …).
- Place value
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The value of a digit based on its position (tens, hundreds, …).
- Numerator
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The top number of a fraction — how many parts you have.
- Denominator
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The bottom number of a fraction — how many equal parts in the whole.
- Proper fraction
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A fraction less than 1 (numerator smaller than denominator).
- Improper fraction
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A fraction equal to or greater than 1 (numerator ≥ denominator).
- Mixed number
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A whole number combined with a fraction, such as 2½.
- Common denominator
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A shared denominator used to add or subtract fractions.
- Least common denominator
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The smallest common denominator for two or more fractions.
- Adding fractions
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Use a common denominator, then add the numerators.
- Multiplying fractions
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Multiply numerators together and denominators together, then simplify.
- Dividing fractions
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Multiply by the reciprocal of the second fraction (flip and multiply).
- Reciprocal
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A fraction flipped upside down; ¾ becomes 4⁄3.
- Simplify a fraction
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Divide numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor.
- Decimal
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A number using a decimal point to show parts of a whole (0.75).
- Adding decimals
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Line up the decimal points, then add.
- Multiplying decimals
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Multiply as whole numbers, then place the decimal by counting decimal places.
- Rounding
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Replacing a number with a nearby simpler value to a given place.
- Percent
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A part per hundred; convert to a decimal by dividing by 100 (25% = 0.25).
- Percent of a number
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Convert the percent to a decimal and multiply (20% of 80 = 0.20 × 80 = 16).
- Percent increase
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Multiply by (1 + rate); a 25% increase is × 1.25.
- Percent decrease
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Multiply by (1 − rate); a 30% discount is × 0.70.
- Percent change
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(new − old) ÷ old × 100.
- Finding the whole
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If a part is a percent of a number, divide the part by the decimal form.
- Equivalent forms
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The same value as a fraction, decimal, and percent (½ = 0.5 = 50%).
- Order of operations
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PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply/Divide, Add/Subtract.
- Factor
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A number that divides evenly into another number.
- Multiple
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The product of a number and an integer (multiples of 4: 4, 8, 12, …).
- Greatest common factor
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The largest factor shared by two or more numbers.
- Least common multiple
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The smallest multiple shared by two or more numbers.
- Prime number
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A whole number greater than 1 divisible only by 1 and itself.
- Composite number
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A whole number with more than two factors.
- Integer
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A whole number or its negative (… −2, −1, 0, 1, 2 …).
- Absolute value
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A number's distance from 0, always non-negative (|−5| = 5).
- Estimating
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Rounding to friendly numbers to get a quick approximate answer.
- Ratio
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A comparison of two quantities, written 3:4 or 3⁄4.
- Number comparisons
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Ordering values by converting them to one common form first.
- Decimal to fraction
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Write the decimal over its place value and simplify (0.25 = 25⁄100 = ¼).
- Fraction to decimal
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Divide the numerator by the denominator (¾ = 3 ÷ 4 = 0.75).
- Negative numbers
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Values less than 0; subtracting a negative is the same as adding.
- Markup
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An amount added to a cost to set a selling price.
- Discount
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An amount subtracted from a price; often a percent off.
- Sales tax
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A percent added to a purchase price.
- Tip
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A percent of a bill added for service.
- Sum
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The result of addition.
- Difference
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The result of subtraction.
- Product
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The result of multiplication.
- Quotient
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The result of division.
- Average
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The mean — add the values and divide by how many there are.
- Square (number)
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A number multiplied by itself (5² = 25).
- Square root
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A value that, multiplied by itself, gives the number (√25 = 5).
- Scientific notation
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Writing a number as a digit times a power of 10 (3.2 × 10⁴).
- Divisibility
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Whether one number divides into another with no remainder.
- Remainder
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What is left over after division.
Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra & Statistics (49)
- Rational number
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Any number that can be written as a fraction of two integers.
- Irrational number
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A number that cannot be written as a fraction (√2, π).
- Proportion
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An equation stating two ratios are equal; solved by cross-multiplying.
- Cross-multiplying
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Multiplying across an equals sign to solve a proportion.
- Unit rate
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A ratio per single unit, such as miles per hour or cost per item.
- Proportional relationship
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Two quantities that change at a constant ratio.
- Exponent
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A raised number showing repeated multiplication (2³ = 8).
- Product rule (exponents)
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Same base: add the exponents (xᵃ · xᵇ = xᵃ⁺ᵇ).
- Quotient rule (exponents)
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Same base: subtract the exponents (xᵃ ÷ xᵇ = xᵃ⁻ᵇ).
- Power of a power
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Multiply the exponents: (xᵃ)ᵇ = xᵃᵇ.
- Zero exponent
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Any nonzero base to the 0 power equals 1.
- Negative exponent
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x⁻ⁿ equals 1 ÷ xⁿ.
- Algebraic expression
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A combination of numbers, variables, and operations with no equals sign.
- Variable
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A letter standing for an unknown number.
- Coefficient
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The number multiplying a variable (in 5x, 5 is the coefficient).
- Like terms
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Terms with the same variable and exponent that can be combined.
- Distributive property
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a(b + c) = ab + ac.
- Linear equation
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An equation whose graph is a straight line; variables to the first power.
- Solving equations
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Isolate the variable using inverse operations on both sides.
- Slope
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Rise over run = (y₂ − y₁)/(x₂ − x₁); the m in y = mx + b.
- Y-intercept
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Where a line crosses the y-axis (x = 0); the b in y = mx + b.
- Slope-intercept form
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y = mx + b, where m is slope and b is the y-intercept.
- X-intercept
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Where a line crosses the x-axis (y = 0).
- Linear inequality
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Like a linear equation but with <, >, ≤, or ≥.
- Flipping the inequality
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Reverse the sign when multiplying or dividing by a negative.
- Coordinate plane
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A grid formed by a horizontal x-axis and vertical y-axis.
- Ordered pair
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A point's coordinates written (x, y).
- Set
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A collection of distinct objects or numbers.
- Union
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All elements in either set, written A ∪ B.
- Intersection
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Elements common to both sets, written A ∩ B.
- Probability
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Favorable outcomes ÷ total outcomes — a number from 0 to 1.
- Independent events
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Events where one outcome does not affect the other.
- Mean
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The average — sum of values divided by how many there are.
- Median
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The middle value of a data set in order.
- Mode
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The value that appears most often in a data set.
- Range (statistics)
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The highest value minus the lowest value.
- Outlier
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A value far from the others that can skew the mean.
- Scatterplot
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A graph of paired data points showing a relationship.
- Positive correlation
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As one variable rises, the other tends to rise.
- Negative correlation
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As one variable rises, the other tends to fall.
- Line of best fit
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A trend line through a scatterplot summarizing the data.
- Box plot
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A graph showing the median, quartiles, and range of data.
- Histogram
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A bar graph of frequencies across value ranges.
- Area
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The space inside a 2D figure; rectangle area = length × width.
- Perimeter
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The distance around a 2D figure.
- Circumference
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The distance around a circle, 2πr.
- Volume
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The space inside a 3D solid.
- Pythagorean theorem
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In a right triangle, a² + b² = c² (c is the hypotenuse).
- Geometry concepts
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Area, perimeter, volume, angles, and the Pythagorean theorem on QAS and AAF.
Advanced Algebra & Functions (49)
- Factoring
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Rewriting an expression as a product of simpler factors.
- Greatest common factor (algebra)
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Factor out the largest factor shared by every term first.
- Trinomial
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A polynomial with three terms, such as x² + 5x + 6.
- Factoring a trinomial
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Find two numbers that multiply to the constant and add to the middle coefficient.
- Difference of squares
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a² − b² = (a − b)(a + b).
- Perfect-square trinomial
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a² + 2ab + b² = (a + b)².
- Quadratic equation
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An equation with a squared variable: ax² + bx + c = 0.
- Parabola
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The U-shaped graph of a quadratic function.
- Zero-product property
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If a product is 0, at least one factor is 0 — used to solve factored quadratics.
- Quadratic formula
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x = (−b ± √(b² − 4ac)) ÷ 2a.
- Discriminant
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b² − 4ac; its sign tells how many real solutions a quadratic has.
- Function
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A rule assigning exactly one output to each input; written f(x).
- Function notation
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f(x) names the output of a function for input x.
- Evaluating a function
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Substitute the input: if f(x) = 2x + 1, then f(3) = 7.
- Domain
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The set of all allowed input values (x) of a function.
- Range (functions)
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The set of all possible output values (y) of a function.
- Vertical-line test
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A graph is a function if no vertical line crosses it more than once.
- Linear function
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A function whose graph is a straight line, f(x) = mx + b.
- Quadratic function
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A function of the form f(x) = ax² + bx + c.
- Vertex
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The highest or lowest point of a parabola.
- Axis of symmetry
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The vertical line through a parabola's vertex that mirrors it.
- Radical
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A root expression, such as a square root √x.
- Radical equation
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An equation with a variable under a radical.
- Solving radical equations
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Isolate the radical, then square both sides; check for extraneous roots.
- Extraneous solution
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A solution introduced by squaring that doesn't satisfy the original equation.
- Rational expression
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A fraction whose numerator and denominator are polynomials.
- Rational equation
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An equation containing rational expressions; clear denominators to solve.
- Polynomial
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An expression of terms with whole-number exponents (3x³ − 2x + 1).
- Degree of a polynomial
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The highest exponent in the polynomial.
- Leading coefficient
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The coefficient of the highest-degree term.
- Exponential equation
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An equation with a variable in the exponent; models growth and decay.
- Exponential growth
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A quantity increasing by a constant percent over equal intervals.
- Exponential decay
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A quantity decreasing by a constant percent over equal intervals.
- Logarithm
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The inverse of an exponent: logₐ(b) asks 'a to what power gives b?'
- Log-exponent conversion
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logₐ(b) = c means aᶜ = b.
- Common logarithm
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A logarithm with base 10, written log(x).
- Natural logarithm
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A logarithm with base e, written ln(x).
- Trigonometry
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The study of relationships between angles and sides in triangles.
- Sine
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In a right triangle, opposite ÷ hypotenuse (SOH).
- Cosine
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In a right triangle, adjacent ÷ hypotenuse (CAH).
- Tangent
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In a right triangle, opposite ÷ adjacent (TOA).
- SOH-CAH-TOA
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Mnemonic for sine, cosine, and tangent ratios.
- Hypotenuse
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The longest side of a right triangle, opposite the right angle.
- Right triangle
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A triangle with one 90° angle.
- System of equations
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Two or more equations solved together by substitution or elimination.
- Substitution method
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Solve one equation for a variable and substitute into the other.
- Elimination method
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Add or subtract equations to cancel a variable.
- Linear application
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A real-world problem modeled with a linear equation (shared QAS/AAF topic).
- Geometry concepts (AAF)
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Area, volume, angles, and the Pythagorean theorem appearing on AAF.
References
- 1.The College Board (ACCUPLACER). “What's on the Tests.” accuplacer.collegeboard.org. ↑
- 2.The College Board (ACCUPLACER). “Understand My Scores.” accuplacer.collegeboard.org. ↑
- 3.The College Board (ACCUPLACER). “ACCUPLACER home.” accuplacer.collegeboard.org. ↑
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