UExcel Cheat Sheet 2026

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

1. Which sentence contains a dangling modifier? → Walking down the street, the trees looked beautiful.
2. What is a lurking variable? → An unmeasured variable that influences both the independent and dependent variables
3. A DNA virus is which of the following? → Calicivirus
4. What is cognitive dissonance? → The discomfort felt when holding two conflicting beliefs or acting against one's beliefs
5. What is the difference between denotation and connotation? → Denotation is the dictionary definition; connotation is the associated emotional meaning
6. What is the term for the tendency to attribute others' behavior to their character rather than the situation? → Fundamental attribution error
7. What does IQ stand for and how is it calculated? → Intelligence Quotient; mental age divided by chronological age, multiplied by 100
8. Which of the following is an example of a conflict of interest? → A purchasing officer selects their spouse's company for a contract without disclosure
9. Which of the diseases and germs listed below are mismatched? → Lyme disease – Yersinia pestis
10. What does coherence in writing refer to? → The logical flow and connection between ideas and sentences
11. What is parallelism in writing? → Using the same grammatical structure for elements in a series
12. Price-fixing between competitors is considered unethical and illegal because it: → Eliminates fair market competition and harms consumers by artificially inflating prices
13. Which term describes the lifelong process through which individuals learn the norms, values, and behaviors of their society? → Socialization
14. A corporate code of ethics primarily serves to: → Guide employee behavior and establish organizational values
15. Which of the following statements about Staphylococcus aureus is false? → Staphylococcus aureus does not make coagulase
16. Which of the following is an example of a primary source? → The original text of a historical speech
17. Which of the diseases and germs on this list are mismatched? → Yersinia enterocolitica – Diptheria
18. Which stage of sleep is most associated with vivid dreaming? → REM sleep
19. Which of the structures below contains enzyme and antibiotic resistance genes? → Plasmid
20. The citric acid cycle includes: → All of the above
21. A bribe differs from a legitimate business gift because: → A bribe is intended to improperly influence a business decision
22. What is a Type I error in hypothesis testing? → Rejecting a true null hypothesis
23. Which of the following best describes a social norm? → A shared expectation or informal rule that guides behavior within a group or society
24. Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement? → The committee has reached a decision.
25. In shock, impaired tissue perfusion leads to cellular injury primarily through: → Hypoxia and anaerobic metabolism resulting in lactic acidosis and cell death
26. The DSM-5 is used by mental health professionals to: → Classify and diagnose mental disorders
27. Which of the following bacteria is incorrectly matched to the proper isolation media? → Neisseria gonorrhoeae – Pink colonies media
28. What is the phenomenon where the presence of others improves performance on simple tasks? → Social facilitation
29. In a frequency distribution, relative frequency is calculated as: → Frequency divided by total number of observations
30. Which theoretical perspective emphasizes that society is characterized by inequality and that conflict between competing groups drives social change? → Conflict theory