Free PERT Exam Flashcards

Ask you to identify the passage's central point - what the whole passage is about, not just one supporting detail. Test the summary sentence against the passage as a whole; if it only covers one paragraph or one example, it's too narrow to be the main idea.

The main idea is broad enough to cover the entire passage; a supporting detail is a specific fact, example, or statistic used to prove that main idea. If an answer choice is true but only describes one paragraph, it is a detail, not the main idea.

An inference is a logical conclusion based on evidence in the text plus reasoning - it is NOT stated directly. The correct answer must be strongly supported by clues in the passage, not just plausible in the real world.

Answer choices that require outside knowledge or a big logical leap beyond the passage's evidence are wrong, even if they sound reasonable. The safest inference is the smallest, most directly supported step beyond what the text states.

Do not rely on a word's dictionary definition alone. Reread the sentence and mentally substitute each answer choice in place of the word in the original sentence; the correct choice must fit the surrounding tone and logic, since many PERT words have multiple meanings.

Look for contrast clues ("although," "but," "however") that signal an opposite meaning, and restatement clues (commas, dashes) that redefine the word nearby. These surrounding signals reveal meaning even without knowing the word.

Denotation is a word's literal dictionary meaning; connotation is its emotional association (positive, negative, or neutral). PERT vocabulary questions often hinge on connotation - e.g., "stubborn" (negative) vs. "persistent" (positive) for similar behavior.

Every passage is written to inform, persuade, entertain, or describe. Identify the purpose by asking what the author wants the reader to think, feel, or do after reading - not just what topic is discussed.

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject, shown through word choice (e.g., critical, admiring, neutral, skeptical). Purpose is the goal of the writing (to inform, persuade, etc.). A passage can have a persuasive purpose with a respectful or an urgent tone.

Common organizational patterns include cause-and-effect, compare-and-contrast, problem-and-solution, chronological/sequence, and description. Recognizing the pattern helps you predict what information comes next and answer structure questions.

Ask you to identify the correct chronological order of steps or events described in a passage, which may not match the order they're mentioned in the text. Look for time-signal words ("first," "after," "finally") rather than sentence order alone.

A fact can be proven true or false with evidence (dates, statistics, verifiable events). An opinion expresses a belief, judgment, or preference and often includes words like "best," "should," or "clearly." Passages can mix both.

Words like "best," "worst," "should," "clearly," "obviously," and superlatives usually mark an opinion, even inside an otherwise factual passage. A sentence can start with a verifiable fact and end with an opinion-based conclusion.

Some PERT Reading items present two short passages on a related topic and ask how they agree, disagree, or differ in focus or tone. Read each passage's main idea separately first, then compare them directly against the question.

Look for passages that reach different conclusions from similar information, or that emphasize different evidence. State each passage's stance in one sentence before comparing them - this makes the point of disagreement easy to spot quickly.

Includes similes, metaphors, and idioms used non-literally. Questions ask what a figurative phrase means in context - translate the image into a literal statement about the subject before choosing an answer.

A simile directly compares two unlike things using "like" or "as" (busy as a bee). An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning differs from its literal words (break the ice). Both require translating the phrase into its intended literal meaning.

Ask: is there a complete, independent thought? If NO, it's a FRAGMENT. If YES and two complete thoughts have no punctuation between them, it's a RUN-ON. If YES and they're joined by only a comma, it's a COMMA SPLICE. Naming the error correctly points you to the right fix.

A dangling modifier describes a word that isn't actually in the sentence, usually because a descriptive phrase opens the sentence with no logical subject right after it. Incorrect: "Rushing to catch the bus, my coffee spilled everywhere." Correct: "Rushing to catch the bus, I spilled my coffee everywhere." A misplaced modifier sits too far from the word it describes and creates an unintended meaning.

Keep verb tense consistent within a sentence or passage unless the timeline genuinely shifts. Incorrect: "Yesterday she reviews her notes and then studies for two hours." Correct: "Yesterday she reviewed her notes and then studied for two hours."

A pronoun must match its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number. Incorrect: "Every student must submit their essay by Friday" mixes a singular antecedent ("every student") with a plural pronoun. On the PERT, prefer "his or her" or rewrite as plural: "All students must submit their essays."

Subjective pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) act as the subject of a verb; objective pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) act as the object of a verb or preposition. Test a compound pronoun by removing the other person: "The tutor helped Maria and ME" (not "and I"), since you would say "the tutor helped me."

Adjectives modify nouns; adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and often end in -ly. Incorrect: "She completed the exam quick." Correct: "She completed the exam QUICKLY" (adverb modifying the verb "completed"), not the adjective "quick."

A verb must match its subject in number, even when other words come between them or the subject is an indefinite pronoun. Ignore interrupting phrases: "The results of the survey ARE clear" (subject is "results," not "survey"). Indefinite pronouns like each, either, and neither are always singular: "Neither of the answers IS correct."

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) only when it joins two independent clauses. Use a semicolon to join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction. Incorrect: "The essay was strong, however it needed a stronger conclusion." Correct: "The essay was strong; however, it needed a stronger conclusion."

Capitalize proper nouns, specific titles used with a name, the first word of a sentence, and specific course or place names - but not seasons, general directions, or common nouns used generically. Incorrect: "I am registering for Biology 101 this Fall." Correct: "I am registering for Biology 101 this fall."

Watch for words that are frequently misspelled or swapped in academic writing: DEFINITELY (not "definately"), SEPARATE (not "seperate"), RECEIVE (i before e except after c), and A LOT (always two words, never "alot"). These errors show up often enough on placement tests to be worth memorizing individually.

Items joined by "and," "or," or compared to each other must share the same grammatical form. Incorrect: "The course teaches students to read, to write, and analyzing texts." Correct: "The course teaches students to read, to write, and to analyze texts."

A unified paragraph stays focused on one controlling idea - every sentence should support it, and a sentence that strays off-topic should be revised or removed. A strong thesis states a clear, specific, and arguable main point that the rest of the passage supports, not just a broad announcement of the topic.

Use COORDINATION (comma + FANBOYS, or a semicolon) when two ideas are equally important. Use SUBORDINATION (a subordinating conjunction like although, because, since) when one idea depends on or is less important than the other. Choosing the wrong one can bury an important idea.

Before picking a transition word, identify the relationship between the two ideas: adding on (furthermore, also), contrasting (however, on the other hand), cause-and-effect (therefore, as a result), or sequence (next, finally). The right CATEGORY of transition matters more than any single word.

College-level writing avoids contractions (don't, it's, can't), slang, and casual phrasing. When a PERT Writing item asks for the "best" revision of an informal sentence, that revision usually removes contractions and casual word choices while keeping the original meaning.

PERT Writing items use several formats: choosing the word or phrase that correctly completes a sentence, picking the sentence that is written correctly, identifying which sentence does NOT belong in a paragraph, and choosing the best order for a set of sentences. Read the entire sentence or passage before answering, since surrounding context often determines the right choice.

Not every sentence or answer choice in an editing-style question contains an error. Before assuming something is wrong, check whether the original wording is already grammatically correct and clearly stated - treating a correct sentence as broken is a common mistake.

Distribute any parentheses, combine like terms on each side, then use inverse operations to isolate the variable. Example: 4(x - 1) + 3 = 15 -> 4x - 4 + 3 = 15 -> 4x - 1 = 15 -> 4x = 16 -> x = 4.

Solve exactly like an equation, but FLIP the inequality sign whenever you multiply or divide both sides by a negative number. Example: -3x + 5 <= 20 -> -3x <= 15 -> x >= -5 (the sign flipped because both sides were divided by -3).

A literal equation has more than one variable, such as a formula. Isolate the requested variable using the same inverse-operation steps as a regular equation, treating the other letters as constants. Example: solve A = (1/2)bh for h: multiply both sides by 2, then divide by b, giving h = 2A/b.

Replace every instance of the variable with its given value, then follow order of operations to simplify. Example: evaluate 2a^2 - 3a + 1 when a = -2: 2(-2)^2 - 3(-2) + 1 = 2(4) + 6 + 1 = 15. Substitute FIRST, then compute.

Always factor out the greatest common factor (GCF) first. Then, for a trinomial x^2 + bx + c, find two numbers that multiply to c and add to b. Example: 4x^2 + 20x = 4x(x + 5); and x^2 + 7x + 10 = (x + 2)(x + 5), since 2 and 5 multiply to 10 and add to 7.

To multiply two binomials, use FOIL (First, Outer, Inner, Last) and combine like terms. To add or subtract polynomials, combine only terms with the same variable and exponent. Example: (x + 5)(x - 3) = x^2 - 3x + 5x - 15 = x^2 + 2x - 15.

Work in this order: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (left to right), Addition and Subtraction (left to right). Example: 3 + 2 x (8 - 5)^2 = 3 + 2 x 3^2 = 3 + 2 x 9 = 3 + 18 = 21.

Product rule: a^m * a^n = a^(m+n) (add exponents, same base). Quotient rule: a^m / a^n = a^(m-n). Power rule: (a^m)^n = a^(mn). Negative exponent: a^(-n) = 1/a^n - a reciprocal, not a negative number.

Every percent problem relates three quantities: part = percent * whole. Example: what is 15% of 80? part = 0.15 x 80 = 12. To find the whole: if 12 is 15% of a number, whole = 12 / 0.15 = 80.

Try factoring first when the coefficients look like they'll produce clean integer factors. Use the quadratic formula when it won't factor easily. Use the square-root method (x^2 = k) when there is no linear (bx) term at all - it's faster than the other two methods for that shape.

Two common methods: SUBSTITUTION (solve one equation for one variable, then plug it into the other) and ELIMINATION (add or subtract the equations, after matching coefficients, so one variable cancels). Example by elimination: x + y = 10 and x - y = 2 -> add the equations: 2x = 12, so x = 6, then y = 4.

Factor the numerator and denominator completely, then cancel any factors that appear in both - never cancel individual terms. Example: (x^2 - 9)/(3x + 9) = [(x+3)(x-3)] / [3(x+3)] = (x-3)/3, for x not equal to -3.

Find the slope of the given line. For a PARALLEL line, use the SAME slope. For a PERPENDICULAR line, use the NEGATIVE RECIPROCAL slope. Then plug the new point and that slope into point-slope form: y - y1 = m(x - x1).

Squaring both sides of a radical equation, or multiplying a rational equation by a variable expression, can introduce solutions that satisfy the transformed equation but not the original one. Always substitute every candidate solution back into the ORIGINAL equation to confirm it actually works.

To check whether a point solves a system or a set of inequalities, substitute it into EVERY original equation or inequality - it only counts as a solution if it satisfies ALL of them, not just one.

d = r * t (distance = rate * time). Solve for whichever variable is unknown by rearranging: r = d/t or t = d/r. Set up the equation with matching units before solving.