Numbers and Operations
27.5%of exam
Algebraic Concepts
27.5%of exam
Geometry
20%of exam
Measurement, Data, and Probability
25%of exam
Quick Facts
- Version
- TABE 13&14
- Levels
- E, M, D, A
- Items
- 40 per level
- Maximum time
- 60 minutes
- Part timing
- 45 + 15 minutes
- Formats
- Multiple-choice + gridded response
- Purpose
- Placement + NRS reporting
- Universal pass
- No DRC cut score
Operation Order
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
P: groupingE: exponentsMD: left-to-rightAS: left-to-right
Ratio vs Rate
Ratio
- Compares quantities
- Units may match
Rate
- Compares different units
- Unit rate denominator one
Comparison vs per-unit comparison
Problem Picker
- Combine quantities→Add
- Find difference→Subtract
- Equal-size groups→Multiply
- Equal sharing→Divide
- Part of whole→Percent equation
- Equal ratios→Proportion
- Repeated factor→Exponent
- Estimate requested→Round first
Operations
- Place value
- Each place is tenfoldE/M
- Operation order
- Group, powers, ×÷, +−All
- Signed addition
- Compare signs and magnitudesD
- Signed product
- Same positive; different negativeD
- Decimal operations
- Align decimal pointsM/D
- Estimate
- Check answer reasonablenessAll
- GCF
- Largest shared factorM
- LCM
- Smallest shared multipleM
Percent Relationship
Part equals rate times whole
Part = rate × wholeRate = part ÷ wholeWhole = part ÷ rate
Fractions + Percents
- Equivalent fractions
- Scale top and bottomE/M
- Add fractions
- Use common denominatorM
- Multiply fractions
- Multiply across; then reduceM
- Divide fractions
- Multiply reciprocalM
- Ratio
- Compare two quantitiesM/D
- Unit rate
- Divide to one unitM/D
- Proportion
- Equal ratiosD
- Percent amount
- Part = rate × wholeD
- Percent change
- Change ÷ original × 100%D
Signed Products
Same-sign product positive; mixed negative
− × − = ++ × + = +− × + = −
Powers + Radicals
- Product powers
- Same base: add exponentsD/A
- Quotient powers
- Same base: subtract exponentsD/A
- Power of power
- Multiply exponentsD/A
- Zero exponent
- a⁰ = 1, a ≠ 0D
- Negative exponent
- Move across fraction barD/A
- Rational exponent
- Denominator names rootA
- Scientific notation
- 1 ≤ coefficient < 10D
Level Ladder
- Level E numbers
- Place value + unit fractions
- Level E applications
- Time + simple graphs
- Level M numbers
- Decimals + fraction operations
- Level M algebra
- Expressions + simple equations
- Level D numbers
- Rationals + proportions
- Level D algebra
- Linear equations + functions
- Level A numbers
- Radicals + rational exponents
- Level A algebra
- Polynomials + advanced models
Slope Order
Rise over run; order must match
Top: y₂ − y₁Bottom: x₂ − x₁Vertical: undefined
Expression vs Equation
Expression
- No equality sign
- Simplify or evaluate
Equation
- Has equality sign
- Solve for unknown
Value vs solution
Equation Strategy
- Parentheses present→Distribute first
- Like terms present→Combine terms
- Variable both sides→Collect variables
- Divide by negative→Flip inequality
- Two linear equations→Eliminate or substitute
- Quadratic factors→Zero-product rule
- Quadratic resists factoring→Quadratic formula
- Radicals introduced→Check extraneous roots
Expressions + Equations
- Variable
- Unknown or changing quantityM+
- Like terms
- Matching variable powersD/A
- Distribute
- Multiply every inside termD/A
- Equation
- Two equal expressionsM+
- Inequality
- Solution regionM+
- System
- Shared solution satisfies bothD
- Literal equation
- Isolate requested variableA
- Polynomial
- Combine matching degree termsA
- Quadratic
- Highest power twoA
Linear vs Exponential
Linear
- Constant difference
- Straight-line graph
Exponential
- Constant ratio
- Curved growth or decay
Add repeatedly vs multiply
Functions + Models
- Function
- Each input gets one outputD/A
- Domain
- Allowed inputsA
- Range
- Produced outputsA
- Slope
- Δy ÷ ΔxD/A
- Y-intercept
- Output when x = 0D/A
- Linear model
- Constant differenceD/A
- Exponential model
- Constant ratioA
- Function notation
- Input selects outputA
- Graph solutions
- Points satisfy equationA
Dimension Units
Length one, area two, volume three
Perimeter: unitsArea: units²Volume: units³
Congruent vs Similar
Congruent
- Same shape
- Same size
Similar
- Same shape
- Proportional sides
Rigid motion vs dilation
Plane Geometry
- Perimeter
- Add outside lengthsE+
- Rectangle area
- A = lwE+
- Triangle area
- A = ½bhM+
- Parallelogram area
- A = bhM+
- Trapezoid area
- A = ½(b₁+b₂)hD/A
- Circle circumference
- C = 2πr = πdD/A
- Circle area
- A = πr²D/A
- Triangle angles
- Interior sum = 180°D
- Scale drawing
- Lengths scale by factorD
Perimeter vs Area
Perimeter
- Boundary length
- Linear units
Area
- Surface covered
- Square units
Around vs inside
Solids + Coordinates
- Rectangular prism
- V = lwhM+
- Cylinder
- V = πr²hA
- Pyramid
- V = ⅓BhA
- Cone
- V = ⅓πr²hA
- Sphere
- V = ⁴⁄₃πr³A
- Pythagorean
- a² + b² = c²D/A
- Axis-aligned distance
- Absolute coordinate differenceD
- Similarity
- Angles equal; sides proportionalD/A
- Density
- Quantity ÷ area or volumeA
Formula Sheet Ladder
- Level E sheet
- Rectangle perimeter + area
- Level M adds
- Triangle area + prism volume
- Level D adds
- Circles + Pythagorean theorem
- Level A adds
- Solid volumes + quadratic formula
- Never provided
- Slope formula
- Never provided
- Percent formulas
- Never provided
- Surface-area formulas
- Never provided
- Trapezoid area formula
Mean vs Median
Mean
- Uses every value
- Outlier sensitive
Median
- Uses ordered middle
- Outlier resistant
Balanced vs skewed data
Data Picker
- Balanced numeric center→Mean
- Skewed or outliers→Median
- Most common value→Mode
- Middle-half spread→IQR
- Numeric intervals→Histogram
- Five-number summary→Box plot
- Two numeric variables→Scatter plot
- Two categorical variables→Two-way table
Measurement + Units
- Conversion factor
- Arrange units to cancelM+
- Length units
- First powerAll
- Area units
- Squared unitsE+
- Volume units
- Cubed unitsM+
- Estimate units
- Match object scaleE
- Precision
- Respect measurement limitsA
Independent vs Dependent Events
Independent
- First changes nothing
- Reuse original probability
Dependent
- First changes second
- Update counts
Replacement often determines dependence
Statistics
- Mean
- Sum ÷ countM+
- Median
- Ordered middleM+
- Mode
- Most frequentM+
- Range
- Maximum − minimumM+
- IQR
- Q₃ − Q₁D/A
- Histogram
- Numeric interval frequenciesM+
- Box plot
- Center + quartile spreadM+
- Scatter plot
- Two numeric variablesD/A
- Two-way table
- Two categorical variablesD/A
- Outlier
- Can pull meanD/A
Correlation vs Causation
Correlation
- Variables move together
- Association only
Causation
- One produces change
- Needs stronger evidence
Pattern never proves cause
Probability
- Event probability
- Favorable ÷ totalD
- Complement
- 1 − P(event)D
- Independent AND
- Multiply probabilitiesD
- Exclusive OR
- Add probabilitiesD
- Dependent events
- Update second probabilityD
- Experimental probability
- Observed frequency ÷ trialsD
- Representative sample
- Supports population inferenceD
Common Traps
Fraction operation trap
Addition needs common denominators ≠ Multiplication goes straight across
Inequality sign trap
Adding negatives keeps direction ≠ Dividing negative flips direction
Diameter substitution trap
Formulas use radius ≠ Radius equals diameter ÷ 2
Scale factor trap
Lengths multiply by k ≠ Areas multiply by k²
Exponent distribution trap
Power distributes over products ≠ Power never distributes over sums
Average denominator trap
Divide by value count ≠ Never divide by total
Probability addition trap
Exclusive OR adds ≠ Overlapping OR subtracts overlap
Graph scale trap
Read axis intervals ≠ Never eyeball bar heights
Gridded response trap
No choices available ≠ Enter requested answer form
Last Minute
- 1.Confirm TABE version is 13&14
- 2.Confirm assigned level: E–A
- 3.Expect 40 items per level
- 4.Budget the 60-minute maximum
- 5.Remember part times: 45 + 15
- 6.Review your level's reference sheet
- 7.Add fractions using common denominators
- 8.Percent: part = rate × whole
- 9.Negative multiplication flips inequality direction
- 10.Slope subtraction order must match
- 11.Circle radius = diameter ÷ 2
- 12.Area answers need square units
- 13.Volume answers need cubic units
- 14.Skewed data usually favors median
- 15.Probability remains between 0 and 1
- 16.Estimate before accepting calculations
- 17.Gridded responses need exact requested form
Buy on Amazon
Study guide on MometrixSame family resources
Explore More Adult Basic Education Tests
Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.
More From This Family
Videos and articles for deeper review.
VideoCASAS Study Guide 2026: Scores, Reading, Math, Listening, and Practice PlanVideoCASAS vs TABE 2026: How the Two Adult-Education Tests Differ, What Scores Mean, and Which One to UseArticleCASAS vs TABE 2026: How the Two Adult-Education Tests Differ, What Scores Mean, and Which One to Use12 min readArticleCASAS Study Guide 2026: Scores, Reading, Math, Listening, and Practice Plan12 min read