Free ACET Exam Flashcards

Do not treat third-party section lists, weights, question counts, score cutoffs, or timing claims as official unless Ateneo publishes them for the relevant cycle. Use current admissions instructions for administration facts and use broad academic review as preparation support.

It contains 2 admissions/evidence-boundary cards and 12 cards each for quantitative reasoning, language precision, reading analysis, and logical reasoning. These are balanced college-readiness categories, not official ACET sections or weights.

Evaluate grouping symbols first, then exponents, then multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right. At the same level, work left to right rather than assuming multiplication always comes first.

Rewrite the fractions with a common denominator, then add the numerators. For example, 1/3 + 1/4 becomes 4/12 + 3/12, which equals 7/12. A denominator describes the size of a part, so it cannot simply be added.

A ratio compares quantities. In a 2:3 ratio, there are five total equal parts, so the first quantity is 2/5 of the total and the second is 3/5. Make sure the quantities use compatible units before comparing them.

Percent change = (new value − original value) ÷ original value × 100%. The original value is the reference base. An increase followed by an equal percentage decrease does not generally return to the starting amount.

A proportion says two ratios are equal. If a/b = c/d, then ad = bc, as long as denominators are not zero. Cross-multiplication is useful only after confirming that the ratios compare like quantities.

Use inverse operations to isolate the variable while preserving equality on both sides. For 3x + 5 = 20, subtract 5 from both sides, then divide both sides by 3. Substitute the result back to check it.

Reverse the inequality when multiplying or dividing both sides by a negative number. For example, −2x > 8 becomes x < −4 after division by −2. Adding or subtracting the same number does not reverse it.

Distance = rate × time; rate = distance ÷ time; and time = distance ÷ rate. Track units at every step: kilometres per hour multiplied by hours produces kilometres.

The arithmetic mean is total value ÷ number of values. To find an unknown value, first reconstruct the total from the average, then add or subtract the known values. An average does not reveal how spread out the values are.

For equally likely outcomes, probability = favourable outcomes ÷ total outcomes. The result is between 0 and 1, or can be written as a fraction, decimal, or percentage. Define the event before counting outcomes.

Area = 1/2 × base × perpendicular height. The height must meet the chosen base at a right angle; a slanted side is not automatically the height.

Slope = change in y ÷ change in x. For points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2), use (y2 − y1)/(x2 − x1). A positive slope rises left to right, a negative slope falls, and a horizontal line has slope zero.

A verb agrees with its true subject, not with a nearby noun. In “The list of requirements is complete,” the singular subject is “list,” so the singular verb “is” is correct.

A misplaced modifier is placed so that it appears to describe the wrong word. Put a descriptive phrase next to the word it modifies: “She almost completed every problem” differs from “She completed almost every problem.”

A pronoun should point unmistakably to one suitable noun. If “it,” “they,” or “this” could refer to more than one idea, repeat or name the intended noun to remove ambiguity.

Parallel structure uses the same grammatical form for items with the same role. “To analyse, to compare, and to explain” is parallel; mixing forms can make a sentence harder to follow and obscure equal ideas.

Verb tenses locate actions in time. Use a consistent timeline, and use perfect forms when one action was completed before another reference point. Time markers such as “by the time” or “since” often signal the needed relationship.

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction when it joins two independent clauses: “The data were incomplete, so the team repeated the survey.” Do not use a comma alone to join complete sentences; that creates a comma splice.

Concise writing communicates the needed meaning with no unnecessary words. Prefer direct verbs and concrete nouns, and remove repeated ideas or inflated phrases without deleting an important qualification.

Use nearby definitions, examples, contrasts, cause-and-effect statements, and grammar to infer a word's meaning. Then check whether the candidate word fits the sentence's logic, tone, and part of speech.

Near-synonyms can differ in strength, register, connotation, or typical use. “Mitigate” means make less severe, while “eliminate” means remove completely. Choose the word that preserves the sentence's exact meaning.

State the relationship in a short phrase, then test it in both directions. The relationship may be category, part-whole, function, cause-effect, degree, or sequence. Reject choices that share a topic but not the same relationship.

Transitions show how ideas connect: “however” signals contrast, “therefore” a result, “for example” an illustration, and “similarly” a comparison. They are clues to the writer's reasoning, not decorative fillers.

Denotation is a word's direct dictionary meaning. Connotation is its association or emotional colouring. “Childlike” and “childish” point to similar ideas but normally carry very different connotations.

Find the central claim that the important details develop. A main idea is broad enough to include the passage's key points but specific enough to reflect its focus; it is not necessarily the first sentence or a vivid example.

A supporting detail is a fact, example, reason, or explanation that develops a larger point. Ask which claim it supports to distinguish it from a minor illustration or an unrelated fact.

A justified inference follows from the passage's evidence with minimal extra assumptions. It may not be stated word for word, but it must be more than merely possible or personally plausible.

Look at the writer's overall goal: to explain, describe, compare, argue, evaluate, or persuade. The structure, selected evidence, and conclusion together reveal purpose better than any isolated sentence.

Tone is the writer's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed by word choice, detail, syntax, and emphasis. It may be cautious, critical, admiring, humorous, urgent, or neutral; do not confuse it with the topic.

Evidence supports a claim when it is relevant and the reasoning connects it to the conclusion. Data, examples, testimony, and explanations do not prove a point automatically; ask what they actually establish and what they leave uncertain.

A premise is a reason offered in support of an argument. A conclusion is the claim the writer wants the reader to accept. Words such as “because” may introduce premises, while “therefore” often introduces conclusions.

Sequence tells what happened first and next. Causation claims that one event produced another. Do not assume that because one event followed another, it was caused by it; the passage must supply a causal basis.

Scope is the proper range of a claim. Avoid answers that turn “some” into “all,” add a new group or cause, or make a stronger conclusion than the passage supports.

They show similarities, differences, or both between subjects. Track the basis of comparison and whether the author is describing, evaluating, or arguing; a difference in one feature does not establish an overall preference.

Interpret a metaphor, simile, or idiom by the comparison it makes in context, not literally. Ask which quality is transferred: calling an idea a “seed” may suggest potential for growth, not an actual plant.

The right meaning is the one that fits the passage's grammar, logic, and tone. A word can have several dictionary senses, so replace it mentally with a candidate meaning and test whether the sentence still makes sense.

Describe what changes from one term or figure to the next before predicting the result. Check quantity, direction, position, shape, shading, order, and operation; a stated rule should explain every transition, not just one.

An arithmetic sequence changes by a constant difference, such as +4 each time. A geometric sequence changes by a constant factor, such as ×3 each time. Compare consecutive terms to identify the rule.

Many rules can fit the first two terms by coincidence. A valid rule must account for every given transition and yield the next term consistently. Test it before committing to an answer.

It guarantees that P is sufficient for Q: whenever P occurs, Q must occur. It does not guarantee the reverse, “if Q, then P,” because Q may have other causes.

A necessary condition must be present for an outcome, but it may not be enough by itself to produce that outcome. In “a valid ticket is required for entry,” a ticket is necessary, though other conditions may also apply.

Use only the relationships stated. From “All A are B” and “All B are C,” conclude “All A are C.” Do not reverse a statement or assume that two groups sharing a category must overlap in another way.

Translate each rule into a simple notation or grid, place fixed relationships first, and eliminate positions that violate a rule. Recheck all conditions together; a placement that fits one clue may contradict another.

Use it when you can disprove choices faster than you can construct the answer. Remove options that violate a condition, use impossible units, contradict the stimulus, or fail a quick estimate—then verify the best remaining choice.

Rotation changes orientation but preserves size, shape, angles, relative connections, and handedness. Track a distinctive corner or feature to distinguish rotation from reflection, which reverses the figure.

Check rows and columns separately for a repeatable relation: addition or removal of features, rotation, alternation, count, position, or combination. A good rule should explain both directions, not only one row.

A counterexample is one valid case that disproves a universal claim. If a statement says “all,” “always,” or “never,” a single exception is enough to show the statement is false.

Verification catches sign, unit, transcription, and assumption errors. Substitute a value into the original equation, re-read the condition in a logic problem, or check whether an estimated magnitude is reasonable before finalising a response.