Sol Rising AFOQT Math Practice

Study guide

The shortcuts nobody teaches in class, and the facts that save you time on test day.

This topic All of Math tricks

Test strategy

  • Answer every question. A blank counts the same as a wrong answer, and there is no extra penalty for guessing, so never leave one empty.
  • Know your pace. Math Knowledge gives you about 53 seconds a question (25 in 22 minutes); Arithmetic Reasoning about 70 (25 in 29). If one is eating your time, make your best guess and move on.
  • Work backward. The answer is one of the five choices. Plug them in, starting from the middle one, and see which works.
  • Use easy numbers. When a question is all letters, pick small values (like x = 2), work out the answer, and see which choice matches.
  • Estimate first. A rough answer often rules out three choices before you do any real work.
  • Check the units and the question. Many wrong choices are the right number for a different question: the width instead of the area, the discount instead of the sale price.