CMAS Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CMAS facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. On a CMAS math performance task, what should a student do if they are unsure of the final answer? → Show all work and reasoning for partial credit consideration
2. In what year did Colorado become a U.S. state? → 1876
3. A table shows that a plant grew 2 cm in week 1, 4 cm in week 2, 6 cm in week 3, and 8 cm in week 4. What type of pattern does this represent? → Linear (arithmetic) pattern
4. What is the purpose of a concluding paragraph in an informative essay on CMAS? → To restate the thesis and summarize key points without just copying the introduction
5. Denver is located at approximately 5,280 feet above sea level, earning it which famous nickname? → The Mile High City
6. Which of the following moons of Jupiter is the closest to the planet? → Io
7. Which of the following is a true statement? → The above passage explains how and why the leaves change colors in fall.
8. Which testing vendor currently delivers the CMAS assessments in Colorado? → DRC (Data Recognition Corporation)
9. What is a key strategy for managing time during the CMAS computer-based test? → Flag difficult questions and return to them after completing easier ones
10. Which of the following is an integer? → -3
11. What is the purpose of a 'works cited' or 'bibliography' page at the end of a research report? → To provide a complete list of sources used so readers can verify the information
12. What is the significance of Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado? → It preserves ancient cliff dwellings built by the ancestral Puebloans
13. How are CMAS scores typically reported to families? → Through a score report mailed home or sent through the school
14. What does the interquartile range (IQR) measure in a data set? → The spread of the middle 50% of the data
15. What does the term 'checks and balances' mean in the U.S. government? → Each branch has powers that limit the other branches
16. What does CMAS stand for? → Colorado Measures of Academic Success
17. Colorado shares its borders with how many other U.S. states? → Seven
18. What is the primary cause of population growth along Colorado's Front Range corridor (Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs)? → Access to outdoor recreation, a growing tech industry, and quality of life
19. A scatter plot shows points generally moving from the lower-left to the upper-right. What type of correlation does this show? → Positive correlation
20. What is the primary purpose of the First Amendment? → Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition
21. The Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 was a tragic event in which U.S. Army troops attacked a peaceful village of which Native American peoples? → Cheyenne and Arapaho
22. When evaluating a source for a research project, which question helps determine if it is reliable? → Is the source from a credible author or organization with expertise in the topic?
23. Which type of graph would best display the proportion of a school's budget allocated to different departments? → Pie chart
24. Which geographic feature is most commonly associated with the location of early civilizations? → Rivers
25. Which federal law requires Colorado to administer the CMAS assessments annually? → Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
26. What does it mean to use 'text evidence' in a CMAS written response? → Quoting or paraphrasing specific information from the provided passage(s)
27. What are the three levels of government in Colorado? → Federal, state, and local
28. What is the supreme law of the United States? → The Constitution
29. A student records the daily high temperatures for a week: 72, 75, 68, 80, 77, 73, 79. What is the range of this data? → 12
30. The Ancestral Puebloans who built the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings eventually abandoned the site around 1300 CE. What do most researchers believe caused this? → A prolonged drought and environmental pressures led to migration