teas math

1. CONQUERING THE TEAS
Part 3:
Math Test

2. THE MATH TEST
 36 questions in 54 minutes: that’s 1 ½ minutes
per question.
 Each problem is stand alone.
 About 25% of the questions are arithmetic and
algebra problems.
 About 15%, although not true “word problems,”
are more than arithmetic, using tables or
graphs (mostly the coordinate system).
 About 60% are true “word problems”. So need
to practice word problems along with your
basic arithmetic and algebra skills.
 All questions are multiple choice.
 Preparation:
o Review basic math skills.
o Take practice tests.

3. MULTIPLE CHOICE STRATEGIES USUALLY
IRRELEVANT
 Because a math problem has a number answer
and so the choices are all numbers!
 So you have to do the problem, get the answer
and make the choice.
 Sometimes you can still use the procedure of
going through the choices one by one and
eliminating incorrect answers until you find the
correct one.
o This usually happens in a linear equation
problem:
 Find the y-intercept and eliminate those
that don’t have it.
 Then use slope to choose between the
remaining possibilities

4. o Very rarely a question might have word answers: One example
is “What is the result of dividing a positive integer X by a
positive number less than 1?” (two answers can be eliminated)
 A number greater than X
 A number less than X
 A negative number (may be eliminated: +/+ = +)
 An irrational number (eliminate: only a result of square
root)

5. BASIC MATH SKILLS NEEDED
 Operations with fractions
 Interchange between fractions,
decimals and percents (lots of
these)
 Operations with signed numbers
(integers)
 Find greatest common factor (GCF)
 Find least common multiple (LCM)
 Order of operations (PEMDAS)

6.  Arrange numbers from small to large (a list with positive numbers, negative
numbers, fractions and decimals, even square roots).
 Place value and rounding (for MOST problems: you pick the closest answer!)
 Some basic geometric formulas.
 A few basic conversion facts
o METRIC
o English
 Probably at least one scientific notation problem

7. BASIC ALGEBRA SKILLS NEEDED
 Change simple word statements into symbolic
expressions/equations.
 Evaluate an algebraic expression given value(s) to
substitute.
 Solve basic equations/inequalities.
o Combine like terms.
o Pull out GCF or distribute to remove parentheses
o Do the same thing to both sides to isolate the
variable:
 Add/subtract
 Multiply/divide
 Multiply fractional coefficients by reciprocal.
 Cross multiply in the case of a proportion.
 Be able to FOIL two binomials.

8. BASIC GRAPHING SKILLS NEEDED
 Linear equations: y = mx + b
 Identify the equation from the graph using
intercept and slope.
 Identify the equation from a set of (x, y)
coordinates:
o Look for a (0, y) and there’s your
intercept.
o Or find intercept by extending the
pattern of ordered pairs.
o Identify the slope by noting how much y
changes for a given change in x. (+
slope: “positive covariation”, - slope:
“negative covariation”)
Know difference between independent (x)
and dependent (y) variables.

9. BASIC STATISTICS SKILLS NEEDED
 Find the mean (average) of a set of numbers.
 Find the median (middle number) of a set of numbers.
 Find the mode (most common number) of a set of numbers.
 Perhaps identify a graphed data set as symmetrical, left skewed
or right skewed, unimodal, bimodal, uniform.
 Will not be any standard deviations, z-scores, etc.

10. WORD PROBLEMS: BASICS
 What is a word problem?
o Most math problems give the “set-up”: you just
do the mechanics of evaluating (expressions) or
solving (equations).
o A word problem makes you:
 READ
 THINK
 Come up with the expression or equation
(the HARD part).
 Then of course do the straightforward
mechanics of evaluating or solving (the
EASY part).
 It doesn’t tell you what to do. Once you accept
responsibility of thinking it out for yourself:
AMAZING, IT IS POSSIBLE, THESE CAN BE
DONE!

11. HOW TO DO A WORD PROBLEM
 Read the problem.
 What is being asked for? (usually one or two answers).
o Assign an algebraic expression to each answer being asked for
using the given relationship between them (e.g. “a number” = “x” and “5
more than the number” = “x + 5”).
o Write an equation with those algebraic expressions in it
 Often it’s just add the expressions and set them equal to a value
actually given in the problem (think: how would anyone calculate that
given value? – the equation is that calculation).
$10000 in two accounts, one 2.5%, the other 5%, total interest = $300
Interest in 2.5% account + interest in 5% account = total interest
.025x + .05(10000 – x) = 300

12.  Now solve the equation for
x: this is just mechanical,
like any problem that gives
you the set-up, only you
came up with this set-up!
o“x” = something and that
is one of the answers.
oIn the above example,
subtract that from 10,000
to get the other answer
(“10,000 - x”).

13. NOTE: SOME “WORD” PROBLEMS JUST REQUIRE SIMPLE ARITHMETIC
 No need to set up an equation.
o The unknown is already “by itself” and you are being given all the numbers
to calculate it!
 Imagine yourself in the problem:
o What would you naturally do in such a situation?
o Add? Subtract? Multiply? Divide?
o One step at a time!
 Cannot do it mechanically! You have to think and imagine what one would
naturally do in such a situation.
Plumber charges $50 to show up and $30/hour; what is the cost of a
5 hour job?
Flat rate + hourly cost x number of hours = cost of job
50 + 30(5) = 200

14. BASIC SET-UP SKILLS THATCAN BE
USED FOR WORD PROBLEMS
 Ratio and proportion (LOTS of these).
o Set up and solve a proportion
o Find the parts of a whole given a ratio
of parts and the total (MANY of
these).
 Conversions (LOTS of these)
o Unit cancellation
o Or by proportion if you prefer

15.  Percentage problems (LOTS of these)
o Given whole and percent, find the
part
o Given part and whole, find the
percent
o Given part and percent, find the
whole.
o Find percent increase or decrease.
 Rate problems:
o Distance = rate(time) (d = rt)
o Or r = d/t, or t = d/r
 But some word problems don’t easily fit
one of these categories.

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