Click Study Flashcards above to open the flashcard hub — over a hundred CLT cards you can flip, match, type, or quiz yourself on. Every card is drawn from the three Classic Learning Test sections, so you study exactly what the exam tests.[1] Pair them with our free practice test and study guide.
CLT Flashcard Study Modes
Flip mode lets you study each card front and back at your own pace, Match turns the deck into a timed term-to-definition game, Type shows you a definition and asks you to produce the term, so a card like Cosine has to come from memory rather than recognition, and Quiz builds multiple-choice questions from the same cards for quick checks.
Why Flashcards Work for the CLT
Quantitative Reasoning is the largest group at 46 cards, and it drills the vocabulary behind the math you have to read quickly under time. You get geometry and measurement terms such as Area, Radius, and Volume, trigonometry ideas including Sine and Cosine, and the statistics and proportion language that shows up in word problems, with cards like Mode, Ratio, and Slope. Knowing exactly what each term names keeps you from rereading a problem to figure out what it is asking for.
Verbal Reasoning follows with 43 cards focused on the literary and rhetorical terms that passage questions lean on. Some cards cover how a text sounds and what it is about, including Tone, Mood, Theme, and Topic, while others name the persuasive appeals a writer uses, such as Ethos and Logos. Devices and figurative language get their own cards too, with Irony and Idiom among them, so answer choices that hinge on naming a technique become far easier to sort.
Grammar / Writing rounds out the deck with 35 cards on mechanics, usage, and editing judgment. Punctuation gets close attention through Colon, Semicolon, Em dash, and Apostrophe, each of which behaves differently in a sentence-correction item. Sentence structure and clarity are handled by cards like Modifier and Antecedent, and the revision questions that ask you to tighten prose are supported by Redundancy and Conciseness. These are the terms that explain why one answer choice is right rather than merely shorter.
The CLT rewards instant recognition of advanced vocabulary, literary and rhetorical devices, grammar and punctuation rules, and the math facts you need on a no-calculator section.[2] Spaced flashcards are the most efficient way to make that knowledge automatic. Used alongside our practice test and study guide, they turn review time into measurable progress.
CLT Flashcards by Section
The cards are organized by the CLT’s three scored sections. Because each section contributes the same 40 points to your composite, drill your weakest section first:[1]
| Section | Questions | Weight toward composite |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal Reasoning | 40 | 1–40 subscore (equal) |
| Grammar / Writing | 40 | 1–40 subscore (equal) |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 40 | 1–40 subscore (equal) |
How to Get the Most Out of These Flashcards
- Start with the biggest section. Quantitative Reasoning holds 46 cards, more than any other domain here, so clearing it first gives you the fastest drop in unfamiliar terms.
- Type-drill the precise ones. Cards like Cosine and Antecedent are easy to half-know, and typing the term from its definition exposes the gap that flipping quietly hides.
- Use Match for the punctuation set. Pairing Colon, Semicolon, and Em dash against their definitions under a clock builds the fast recognition that sentence-correction items reward.
- Move to the practice test once recall is steady. When Quiz mode stops surprising you across all three domains, switch to full-length timed work and use the study guide for gaps.
- Keep a rotating cadence. With 124 cards, work one domain per session and reshuffle the previous day’s misses into the next round rather than restarting the whole deck each time.
CLT Flashcards FAQ
More than a hundred free CLT flashcards, organized across the three Classic Learning Test sections — Verbal Reasoning, Grammar/Writing, and Quantitative Reasoning. They're free with no account required.
Yes. Flashcards use active recall — retrieving an answer from memory — which research shows is one of the most effective study methods, especially in short, spaced sessions. Because the CLT rewards instant recognition of vocabulary, literary devices, grammar rules, and math facts, the cards make that knowledge automatic.
All three sections: Verbal Reasoning (vocabulary, literary and rhetorical devices, reading concepts like main idea, inference, and tone), Grammar/Writing (subject-verb agreement, modifiers, parallelism, punctuation, comma splices, active vs. passive voice), and Quantitative Reasoning (arithmetic, percents, algebra, geometry, polygon angles, the Pythagorean theorem, and trigonometry).
Because each CLT section is worth the same 40 points, lead with your weakest section. Mix the modes: flip to learn, type to test recall, match for speed, and quiz to check yourself. Then confirm with full practice questions, reading every rationale before test day.
Yes — 100% free, all four study modes, no paywall.
Yes. The cards are organized to the CLT's three scored sections and reflect what each tests — the classic-passage reading skills and literary terms of Verbal Reasoning, the standard English conventions and rhetoric of Grammar/Writing, and the no-calculator arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry of Quantitative Reasoning.
CLT flashcard bank
All 124 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.
Verbal Reasoning (43)
- Classic Learning Test (CLT)
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An online college-admissions exam from Classic Learning Initiatives — an alternative to the SAT and ACT, scored on a 0–120 composite.
- Composite score
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The CLT's overall score on a 0–120 scale, formed by adding the three section subscores (each 1–40); the score colleges receive.
- Percentile
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A ranking showing the percentage of test-takers a score equals or exceeds; reported with the CLT composite.
- Main idea
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The central point a passage is built to make — broad enough to cover the whole text but specific enough to exclude details.
- Topic
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What a passage is about, as distinct from the main idea, which is what the passage says about that topic.
- Inference
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A conclusion a passage strongly implies but does not state outright; it must be supported by evidence in the text.
- Vocabulary in context
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A word's meaning as used in the passage, which can differ from its most common dictionary definition.
- Tone
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The author's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice, detail, and style (e.g., reverent, critical, ironic).
- Mood
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The feeling or atmosphere a passage creates in the reader, as distinct from the author's tone.
- Connotation
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The emotional or implied meaning a word carries beyond its literal definition (denotation).
- Denotation
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The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, apart from any emotional associations.
- Author's purpose
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The reason an author wrote a passage — to inform, persuade, entertain, or analyze.
- Theme
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A central, universal idea or message a literary work explores, such as justice, ambition, or loss.
- Thesis
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The central claim or argument a passage sets out to support.
- Simile
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A comparison of two unlike things using 'like' or 'as' — 'brave as a lion.'
- Metaphor
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A direct comparison that equates two unlike things without 'like' or 'as' — 'he was a lion in battle.'
- Personification
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Giving human qualities or actions to a non-human thing or abstract idea.
- Irony
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A contrast between expectation and reality; can be verbal, situational, or dramatic.
- Verbal irony
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Saying the opposite of what is meant, often for sarcastic or humorous effect.
- Situational irony
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When the outcome of a situation is the opposite of what was expected.
- Dramatic irony
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When the reader or audience knows something a character does not.
- Allusion
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A brief, indirect reference to a person, place, event, or work the reader is expected to recognize.
- Hyperbole
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Deliberate, obvious exaggeration used for emphasis or effect, not meant to be taken literally.
- Oxymoron
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A figure of speech combining two contradictory terms — 'clearly ambiguous,' 'deafening silence.'
- Paradox
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A statement that seems self-contradictory yet expresses a possible truth.
- Symbolism
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Using an object, person, or action to represent a larger idea or meaning.
- Imagery
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Descriptive language that appeals to the senses to create vivid mental pictures.
- Alliteration
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The repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words — 'wild and woolly.'
- Rhetoric
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The art of effective or persuasive expression — how an author organizes and phrases ideas to inform, move, or convince.
- Ethos
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A rhetorical appeal to the speaker's credibility, authority, or character.
- Pathos
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A rhetorical appeal to the audience's emotions.
- Logos
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A rhetorical appeal to logic, reason, and evidence.
- Analogy
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A comparison that explains one thing by likening it to another, often to clarify a relationship.
- Antonym
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A word with the opposite meaning of another — 'exonerate' is an antonym of 'convict.'
- Synonym
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A word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another — 'efficacious' and 'effective.'
- Exonerate
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To free someone from blame or responsibility; the opposite of 'convict.'
- Seminal
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Strongly influential and original; a 'seminal' work shapes later developments in a field.
- Reticent
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Reserved or reluctant to speak; not forthcoming.
- Hubris
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Excessive pride or self-confidence, often leading to a downfall in literature.
- Magnanimous
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Generous and forgiving, especially toward a rival or someone less powerful.
- Ambiguous
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Open to more than one interpretation; unclear or having a double meaning.
- Cite textual support
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The habit of grounding every reading answer in a specific line of the passage rather than outside knowledge.
- Idiom
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An expression whose meaning isn't predictable from its words — 'a dime a dozen' means very common.
Grammar / Writing (35)
- Verbal Reasoning section
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The CLT's first section — 40 questions in about 40 minutes, reading and analyzing classic passages.
- Grammar / Writing section
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The CLT's second section — 40 questions in about 35 minutes, editing passages for conventions and rhetoric.
- Standard English conventions
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The rules of grammar, usage, and mechanics the Grammar/Writing section tests.
- Subject-verb agreement
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A verb must match its subject in number — singular subject, singular verb; plural subject, 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 form of a pronoun — subjective (I, who), objective (me, whom), or possessive (my, whose).
- Modifier
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A word or phrase that describes another part of a sentence.
- Misplaced modifier
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A modifier positioned next to the wrong word, so it appears to describe the wrong thing.
- Dangling modifier
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A modifier whose intended subject is missing from the sentence, so it has nothing logical to describe.
- Dangling participle
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A participial phrase that doesn't logically attach to the subject — 'Running to catch the bus, her shoe fell off.'
- Parallel structure
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Using the same grammatical form for items in a series or comparison — 'reading, writing, and hiking.'
- Independent clause
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A group of words with a subject and verb that can stand alone as a complete sentence.
- Dependent (subordinate) clause
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A clause with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone — it begins with a subordinating word like 'because' or 'when.'
- Sentence fragment
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A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, verb, or complete thought.
- Run-on sentence
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Two independent clauses joined with no punctuation or conjunction between them.
- Comma splice
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Joining two independent clauses with only a comma; fix it with a period, semicolon, conjunction, or subordination.
- Coordinating conjunction
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A word joining equal grammatical elements — for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS).
- Subordinating conjunction
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A word that begins a dependent clause and links it to a main clause — because, although, when, if.
- Correlative conjunction
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A pair of words that work together — not only ... but also, either ... or, neither ... nor; the parts must be parallel.
- Semicolon
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Joins two closely related independent clauses, or separates list items that already contain commas.
- Colon
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Introduces a list, explanation, or example after a complete independent clause.
- Apostrophe
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Marks possession (the dog's bone) or a contraction (it's = it is); not used for simple plurals.
- Oxford (serial) comma
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The comma before the final 'and' in a list — 'apples, oranges, and bananas.'
- Em dash
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A punctuation mark that sets off an abrupt break or parenthetical element with emphasis.
- Verb tense consistency
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Keeping verb tenses consistent within a sentence or passage unless a shift in time requires a change.
- Past perfect tense
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Shows that one past action was completed before another past action — 'he had finished before she arrived.'
- Active voice
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The subject performs the action — 'the committee made the decision'; usually clearer and more concise.
- Passive voice
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The subject receives the action — 'the decision was made by the committee'; uses 'to be' plus a past participle.
- Conciseness
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Expressing an idea in as few words as needed; wordiness and redundancy are errors even when grammatical.
- Redundancy
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Needlessly repeating an idea — 'past history,' 'free gift'; the CLT rewards cutting it.
- Transition word
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A word or phrase that signals the logical relationship between ideas — however, therefore, moreover.
- Its vs. it's
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'Its' is possessive (the cat licked its paw); 'it's' is the contraction of 'it is.'
- Affect vs. effect
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'Affect' is usually a verb (to influence); 'effect' is usually a noun (a result).
- Who vs. whom
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'Who' is a subject (who called?); 'whom' is an object (to whom did you speak?).
- Antecedent
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The noun a pronoun refers back to; pronoun and antecedent must agree.
Quantitative Reasoning (46)
- Quantitative Reasoning section
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The CLT's third section — 40 questions in about 45 minutes of no-calculator math.
- No-calculator rule
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The CLT math section forbids calculators, so numbers are chosen to work out cleanly by hand.
- Order of operations (PEMDAS)
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Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division (left to right), Addition/Subtraction (left to right).
- Fraction
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A number expressing a part of a whole, written as a numerator over a denominator.
- Ratio
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A comparison of two quantities by division, written a to b or a:b.
- Proportion
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An equation stating that two ratios are equal; cross-multiply to solve for a missing term.
- Percent
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A number out of 100; to find a percent of a value, convert to a decimal or fraction and multiply.
- Percent change
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(new value − old value) ÷ old value, expressed as a percent; positive for increase, negative for decrease.
- Mean (average)
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The sum of a set of values divided by how many values there are.
- Median
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The middle value of an ordered data set (or the average of the two middle values).
- Mode
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The value that appears most often in a data set.
- Linear equation
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An equation whose graph is a straight line, typically written y = mx + b.
- Slope
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The steepness of a line, rise over run; m in the equation y = mx + b.
- Quadratic equation
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An equation of the form ax² + bx + c = 0, solved by factoring, completing the square, or the quadratic formula.
- Linear system
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Two or more linear equations solved together; one solution = intersecting lines, infinite = same line, none = parallel.
- Inequality
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A statement that one quantity is greater than or less than another; flip the sign when multiplying or dividing by a negative.
- Exponent
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A power showing how many times a base is multiplied by itself; obeys product, quotient, and power rules.
- Function
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A rule assigning exactly one output to each input, often written f(x).
- Absolute value
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The distance of a number from zero, always non-negative; written |x|.
- Arithmetic sequence
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A sequence with a constant difference between terms; the nth term = first term + (n − 1) × difference.
- Geometric sequence
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A sequence with a constant ratio between consecutive terms.
- Perimeter
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The total distance around the outside of a two-dimensional shape.
- Area
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The amount of surface a two-dimensional shape covers, measured in square units.
- Volume
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The amount of space a three-dimensional solid occupies, measured in cubic units.
- Triangle angle sum
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The interior angles of any triangle add up to 180 degrees.
- Interior-angle sum
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The interior angles of an n-sided polygon sum to (n − 2) × 180 degrees.
- Exterior-angle sum
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The exterior angles of any polygon always sum to 360 degrees, regardless of the number of sides.
- Regular polygon
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A polygon with all sides and all angles equal; each interior angle = (n − 2) × 180 ÷ n.
- Pythagorean theorem
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For a right triangle, a² + b² = c², where c is the hypotenuse opposite the right angle.
- Pythagorean triples
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Whole-number right-triangle sides — 3-4-5, 5-12-13, 8-15-17, 9-12-15 — worth memorizing for the no-calculator test.
- Hypotenuse
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The longest side of a right triangle, opposite the right angle.
- Supplementary angles
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Two angles whose measures add up to 180 degrees.
- Complementary angles
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Two angles whose measures add up to 90 degrees.
- Circumference
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The distance around a circle, equal to 2 times pi times the radius (or pi times the diameter).
- Area of a circle
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Pi times the radius squared.
- Diameter
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A straight line through a circle's center connecting two points on the circle; twice the radius.
- Radius
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The distance from a circle's center to any point on the circle; half the diameter.
- Volume of a sphere
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Four-thirds times pi times the radius cubed.
- Volume of a cylinder
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Pi times the radius squared times the height.
- Diagonal of a square
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The side length times √2.
- Trigonometry
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The study of relationships between angles and sides of triangles; the CLT tests basics the SAT does not.
- SOH-CAH-TOA
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Right-triangle trig ratios: sine = opposite/hypotenuse, cosine = adjacent/hypotenuse, tangent = opposite/adjacent.
- Sine
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In a right triangle, the ratio of the side opposite an angle to the hypotenuse.
- Cosine
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In a right triangle, the ratio of the side adjacent to an angle to the hypotenuse.
- Tangent
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In a right triangle, the ratio of the side opposite an angle to the side adjacent to it.
- Word-problem translation
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Turning a word problem into math: define a variable, write the equation the words describe, then solve.
References
- 1.Classic Learning Initiatives. “The CLT — College-Admissions Exam (Sections & Content).” cltexam.com. ↑
- 2.Classic Learning Initiatives. “CLT vs. SAT — Format and Scoring Comparison.” cltexam.com. ↑
- 3.Purdue University — Online Writing Lab (OWL). “Grammar, Punctuation, and Mechanics.” owl.purdue.edu. ↑
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