Core Academic Skills Assessment Cheat Sheet 2026

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

1. A map uses a scale of 1 inch = 50 miles. Two cities are 3.8 inches apart on the map. What is the actual distance? → 190 miles
2. When an author uses irony in a text, the intended effect is typically to: → Express a meaning that contrasts with or is opposite to what is literally stated
3. Find the LCM of 10, 15, 18. → 90
4. What does the statistics and probability domain involve? → Calculating chance, interpreting distributions, and using descriptive statistics
5. A descriptive essay about a childhood home would MOST likely emphasize: → Sensory details that evoke the setting
6. What is the slope of the line passing through (−1, 4) and (3, −4)? → −2
7. The phrase 'the economy is a ticking time bomb' is an example of which literary device? → Metaphor
8. A conjunction that connects one adverb or adjective to another → Correlative conjunction
9. What is the value of x if 3(x − 4) = 2x + 1? → 13
10. Which sentence uses passive voice, which writers are often advised to minimize in persuasive writing? → The proposal was rejected by the board.
11. Which subject is an important part of ACT assessments? → Science
12. What do cross-cutting concepts do in science education? → Link separate fields of science and promote transfer of knowledge
13. In a normal distribution, approximately what percentage of data falls within one standard deviation of the mean? → 68%
14. A student reads three articles about minimum wage increases. Two support increases and one opposes them. To write an integrated summary, the student should: → Present all three perspectives and evaluate the evidence offered by each
15. Which of the following is an example of inductive reasoning? → Every crow I have observed is black; therefore, all crows are probably black.
16. A student reads two articles on the same topic and finds they present different statistics. What should the student do FIRST? → Identify the sources of each statistic and evaluate their credibility
17. A bag contains 4 red, 3 blue, and 5 green marbles. What is the probability of randomly drawing a blue marble? → 3/12
18. What are the science practices in the core academic skills curriculum? → The design and use of experiments for scientific argumentation and modeling
19. Two consecutive prime numbers whose difference is 2 are called → Twin primes
20. Evaluate: 4 + 3² × 2 − (6 ÷ 3) → 20
21. A jacket originally costs $120 and is on sale for $84. What is the percent discount? → 30%
22. A student is asked to identify the theme of a short story. The theme is BEST described as: → The central, underlying message or insight about life conveyed by the story
23. In a persuasive text, an author's 'tone' is best described as: → The author's attitude toward the subject and audience as conveyed through language
24. When a passage from a historical document is compared to a modern analysis of the same event, readers should recognize that the historical document: → Reflects the perspective and limitations of its time period
25. Solve: What is 40% of 85? → 34
26. Solve for x: 3(2x − 4) = 18 → x = 5
27. If 2^x = 32, what is x? → 5
28. According to the text, why is language for learning and communication included as a core academic skill? → To cover knowledge about how language functions in a range of school and work contexts
29. Which Native American tribe gave Indiana its name? → Miami
30. What is the focus of the ACT College and Career Readiness Standards? → ELA and mathematics