PECT Cheat Sheet 2026

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

1. Under IDEA Part C, early intervention services are designed for children in which age range? → Birth through age 2 (0–3)
2. Which professional is most qualified to conduct a formal assistive technology assessment for a student with a physical disability? → An AT specialist, often in collaboration with an OT and SLP
3. Why is self-assessment beneficial for students? → Encourages reflection and goal-setting
4. A parent disagrees with the IEP team's evaluation results. Which option are they entitled to under IDEA? → An independent educational evaluation (IEE) at public expense
5. Which approach best resolves conflict between a parent and the school team during an IEP meeting? → Active listening and seeking common ground focused on the child
6. A small group of students struggles with a foundational concept while others are ready to extend. The teacher's best move is to: → Pull the struggling group for reteaching while others do extension tasks
7. In a co-teaching model where one teacher leads while the other circulates to assist, the approach is called: → One teach, one assist
8. A first grader can now mentally reverse operations, understanding that 4+3=7 means 7-3=4. This signals entry into which stage? → Concrete operational
9. Which professional is primarily responsible for providing sensory integration therapy and fine motor skill support in a school setting? → The occupational therapist (OT)
10. Maslow's hierarchy suggests that before a child can focus on learning, the school should first ensure: → Basic physiological and safety needs are met
11. If a student shows no response after several weeks of a well-implemented Tier 2 intervention, the next step is to: → Intensify support or consider Tier 3 and possible evaluation
12. What is a key characteristic of play-based learning? → Encourages creativity and problem-solving
13. A teacher gives a pre-assessment before a unit primarily to: → Identify students' current readiness and plan differentiation
14. A 'compactor' or contract is most often used to differentiate for which learners? → Advanced or gifted students who have shown mastery
15. What is a key characteristic of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? → Providing multiple means of engagement and representation
16. Providing a student with a graphic organizer to plan a paragraph before writing is an example of which type of support? → Scaffolding
17. Which is the strongest indicator that a reading fluency intervention is effective? → Increased words-correct-per-minute on grade-level text
18. Self-regulation in young children is best fostered when teachers: → Model calm strategies and provide predictable routines
19. A physical therapist (PT) on an IEP team is most likely to address which area of student functioning? → Gross motor skills, mobility, and physical access to the school environment
20. What is the least restrictive environment (LRE) principle in special education? → Educating students with disabilities in the most inclusive setting possible
21. A student in math intervention solves procedures but cannot explain why they work. Which approach builds conceptual understanding? → Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) sequence
22. A teacher records a mini-lesson so students can watch it at their own pace and rewatch as needed. This primarily differentiates by: → Pacing and process
23. Which of the following is a proactive (antecedent-based) intervention? → Pre-teaching expectations before a transition
24. A child with ADHD most commonly qualifies under which IDEA category? → Other Health Impairment
25. Under IDEA, how many disability categories qualify a child for special education services? → 13
26. A child who can sort blocks by color but not by both color and shape at once is likely operating in which Piagetian stage? → Preoperational
27. What is the maximum age through which IDEA Part B guarantees a free appropriate public education? → 21
28. Flexible grouping is most accurately described as: → Reorganizing student groups based on the task and ongoing data
29. A short, frequent assessment used during instruction to adjust teaching in real time is called: → Formative assessment
30. A student can add but struggles to know when to add versus subtract in word problems. The best intervention focuses on: → Teaching problem structure and key relationships