YOUR GED STUDY COMPANION
The Ultimate GED Math Formula Cheat Sheet for 2027!
Keep the main ideas close by, then practice choosing and using the right formula.

TL;DR: The GED gives you an on-screen formula sheet for the math test, but five common formulas are missing. This cheat sheet shows every formula on the sheet plus the five you should memorize.
Quick answer: Yes, the GED gives you a formula sheet on screen during the math test. It lists area, perimeter and circumference (including circles and triangles), surface area and volume of prisms, cylinders, pyramids, cones and spheres, mean and median, slope and line equations, the quadratic formula, the Pythagorean theorem, simple interest, d = rt and total cost. It does not list the distance or midpoint formulas, percent change or exponent rules.
Key takeaways:
- GED Math is 115 minutes long with 46 questions, and the passing score is 145.
- An on-screen TI-30XS scientific calculator is available for questions 6 through 46.
- The official sheet includes area, perimeter, volume, slope, and the Pythagorean relation.
- The sheet does NOT include the distance formula, midpoint, percent change, or exponent rules, but it does list the quadratic formula and simple interest.
- GED Math is fixed-form, not adaptive, so every test-taker sees the same kind of question mix.
If you’ve been studying for the GED Math test, you already know there’s a lot to keep track of. Fractions one minute, slope formulas the next, then surface area of a cylinder, and somewhere in the middle, your brain just wants a clean list of everything that’s actually going to show up on test day.
That’s what this page is. It’s the formula cheat sheet I wish someone had handed me when I was prepping students for their first GED Math attempt. Every formula below is one you’ll genuinely use, written the way you’ll see it on the test, not buried inside paragraphs of theory.
Here’s the most useful way to work through it: skim the whole sheet first so your eyes know what’s coming, then go back and circle (or copy into a notebook) the five or six formulas that feel shakiest. Those are your weak spots. Practice those, then come back here in a few days and skim again. Each pass gets easier. I promise.
One quick heads-up before you start: the GED gives you a formula sheet on test day, but it doesn’t include everything you’ll need (things like the order of operations, exponent rules, and basic algebra are assumed knowledge). The list below covers both, what they give you and what they expect you to remember on your own.
The GED Math Formula Cheat Sheet
Mixed Numbers
A number is composed of a whole number and a fraction. Example: \(2 \frac{2}{ 3}\) Converting between improper fractions and mixed numbers: \(a \frac{c}{b}=a+\frac{c}{b}= \frac{\text{ ab }+ c}{b}\)
Factoring Numbers
Factor a number means breaking it up into numbers that can be multiplied together to get the original number. Example:\(12=2ร2ร3\)
Integers
\( \{โฆ,-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,โฆ\} \)
Includes: zero, counting numbers, and the negative of the counting numbers
Real Numbers
All numbers that are on a number line. Integers plus fractions, decimals, and irrationals, etc.) (\(\sqrt{2},\sqrt{3},ฯ\), etc.)
Order of Operations
PEMDAS
(parentheses/ exponents/ multiply/ divide/ add/ subtract)
Absolute Value
Refers to the distance of a number from \(0\) on the number line. The distances are positive as the absolute value of a number cannot be negative. \(|-22|=22\)
or \(|x| =\begin{\text{ cases }}x \ \text{ for } \ xโฅ0 \\x \ \text{ for } \ x < 0\end{\text{ cases }} \)
\(|x| < nโ-n < x < n\)
\(|x| > nโx < -n \text{ or x } > n\)
Ratios
A ratio is a comparison of two numbers by division.
Example: \(3: 5\), or \(\frac{3}{5}\)
Percentages
Use the following formula to find part, whole, or percent
part \(=\frac{\text{ percent }}{100}ร\text{ whole }\)
Proportional Ratios
A proportion means that two ratios are equal. It can be written in two ways:
\(\frac{a}{b}=\frac{c}{d}\), \(a: b = c: d ย \)
Percent of Change
\(\frac{\text{ New } \ \text{ Value } \ – \ \text{ Old } \ \text{ Value }}{\text{ Old Value }}ร100\%\)
Expressions and Variables
A variable is a letter that represents unspecified numbers. One may use a variable in the same manner as all other numbers: Addition: \(2+a\): \(2\) plus a
Subtraction: \(y-3\): \(y\) minus \(3\)
Division: \(\frac{4}{x}\): 4 divided by x
Multiplication: \(5a\): \(5\) times a
Distributive Property
\(a(b+c)=\text{ ab }+\text{ ac }\)
Equations
The values of the two mathematical expressions are equal.
\(\text{ ax }+b=c\)
Distance from A to B:
\(\sqrt{(x_{1}-x_{2})^2+(y_{1}-y_{2})^2 }\)
Parallel and Perpendicular lines:
Have equal slopes. Perpendicular lines (i.e., those that make a \(90^ยฐ \) angle where they intersect) have negative reciprocal slopes: \(m_{1}\).\(m_{2}=-1\).
Parallel Lines (l \(\parallel\) m)
Mid-point of the segment AB:
M (\(\frac{x_{1}+x_{2}}{2}, \frac{y_{1}+y_{2}}{2}\))
Slope of the line:
\(\frac{y_{2}- y_{1}}{x_{2} – x_{1} }=\frac{\text{ rise }}{\text{ run }}\)
Point-slope form:
Given the slope m and a point \((x_{1},y_{1})\) on the line, the equation of the line is
\((y-y_{1})=m \ (x-x_{1})\).
Slope-intercept form:
given the slope m and the y-intercept b, then the equation of the line is:
\(y=\text{ mx }+b\).
Factoring:
โFOILโ
\((x+a)(x+b)\)
\(=x^2+(b+a)x +\text{ ab }\) โDifference of Squaresโ
\(a^2-b^2= (a+b)(a-b)\)
\(a^2+2\text{ ab }+b^2=(a+b)(a+b) \)
\(a^2-2\text{ ab }+b^2=(a-b)(a-b)\) โReverse FOILโ
\(x^2+(b+a)x+\text{ ab }=\) \((x+a)(x+b)\)
You can use Reverse FOIL to factor a polynomial by thinking about two numbers a and b which add to the number in front of the x, and which multiply to give the constant. For example, to factor \(x^2+5x+6\), the numbers add to 5 and multiply to 6, i.e.: \(a=2\) and \(b=3\), so that \(x^2+5x+6=(x+2)(x+3)\). To solve a quadratic such as \(x^2+\text{ bx }+c=0\), first factor the left side to get \((x+a)(x+b)=0\), then set each part in parentheses equal to zero. For example, \(x^2+4x+3= (x+3)(x+1)=0\) so that \(x=-3\) or \(x=-1\).
To solve two linear equations in x and y: use the first equation to substitute for a variable in the second. E.g., suppose \(x+y=3\) and \(4x-y=2\). The first equation gives \(\color{blue}{y=3}\)-x, so the second equation becomes \(4x-(3-x)=2 โ 5x-3=2\) \(โ x=1,y=2\).
Exponents:
Refers to the number of times a number is multiplied by itself.
\(8 = 2 ร 2 ร 2 = 2^3\)
Scientific Notation:
It is a way of expressing numbers that are too big or too small to be conveniently written in decimal form.
In scientific notation all numbers are written in this form: \(m \times 10^n\)
Decimal notation:
5
\(-25,000\)
0.5
2,122.456
Scientific notation:
\(5ร10^0\)
\(-2.5ร10^4\)
\(5ร10^{-1}\)
\(2.122456ร10^3\)
Square:
The number we get after multiplying an integer (not a fraction) by itself. Example: \(2ร2=4,2^2=4\)
Square Roots:
A square root of \(x\) is a number r whose square is \(x: r^2=x\)
\(r\) is a square root of \(x\)
Pythagorean Theorem:
For any right triangle with legs \(a\) and \(b\) and hypotenuse \(c\): \(a^2+b^2=c^2\)
Solving for the hypotenuse: \(c=\sqrt{a^2+b^2}\)
Solving for a leg: \(a=\sqrt{c^2-b^2}\)
Common Pythagorean triples: \(3,4,5\); \(5,12,13\); \(8,15,17\); \(7,24,25\)
Triangles
Area: \(A=\frac{1}{2}\text{ bh }\) where \(b\) is the base and \(h\) is the height.
Perimeter: \(P=a+b+c\) (sum of all three sides).
Pythagorean Theorem (right triangles): \(a^2+b^2=c^2\) where \(c\) is the hypotenuse.
Sum of interior angles: \(180ยฐ\)
All triangles:
Area \(=\frac{1}{2}\) b. H
Angles on the inside of any triangle add up to \(180^\circ\).
The length of one side of any triangle is always less than the sum and more than the difference between the lengths of the other two sides.
An exterior angle of any triangle is equal to the sum of the two remote interior angles. Other important triangles:
Equilateral:
These triangles have three equal sides, and all three angles are \(60^\circ\).
Isosceles:
An isosceles triangle has two equal sides. The โbaseโ angles (the ones opposite the two sides) are equal (see the \(45^\circ\) triangle above).
Circles
Area \(=ฯr^2\)
Circumference \(=2ฯr\)
Full circle \(=360^\circ\)
Rectangles
(Square if \(\color{blue}{l=w}\))
Area=lw
Parallelogram
(Rhombus if \(\color{blue}{l=w}\))
Area=lh
Regular polygons are n-sided figures with all sides equal and all angles equal.
The sum of the inside angles of an n-sided regular polygon is
\((n-2).180^\circ\).
Area of a trapezoid:
\(A =\frac{1}{2} h (b_{1}+b_{2})\)
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Surface Area and Volume of a Rectangular/right prism:
\(\text{ SA }=\text{ ph }+2B\)
\(V=\text{ Bh }\)
Surface Area and Volume of a Cylinder:
\(\text{ SA } =2ฯ\text{ rh }+2ฯr^2\)
\(V =ฯr^2 h ย \)
Surface Area and Volume of a Cone
\(\text{ SA } =ฯ\text{ rs }+ฯr^2\)
\(V=\frac{1}{3} \ ฯr^2 \ h\)
Surface Area and Volume of a Sphere
\(\text{ SA } =4ฯr^2\)
\(V =\frac{4}{3} \ ฯr^3\)
(p \(=\) perimeter of base B; \(ฯ ~ 3.14 \))
Simple interest:
\(I=\text{ prt }\)
(I = interest, p = principal, r = rate, t = time)
mean:
mean: (frac{text{ sum } text{ of } text{ the } text{ data }}{\text{ number } \ \text{ of } \ \text{ data } \ \text{ entries }})
mode:
value in the list that appears most often
range:
largest value \(-\) smallest value
Median
The middle value in the list (which must be sorted)
Example: median of
\( \{3,10,9,27,50\} = 10\)
Example: median of
\( \{3,9,10,27\}=\frac{(9+10)}{2}=9.5ย \)
Average
\( \frac{\text{ sum } \ \text{ of } \ \text{ terms }}{\text{ number } \ \text{ of } \ \text{ terms }}\)
Average speed
\(\frac{\text{ total } \ \text{ distance }}{\text{ total } \ \text{ time }}\)
Probability
\(\frac{\text{ number } \ \text{ of } \ \text{ desired } \ \text{ outcomes }}{\text{ number } \ \text{ of } \ \text{ total } \ \text{ outcomes }}\)
The probability of two different events A and B both happening is:
\(\color{blue}{P(A \text{ and B })=p(A).p(B)}\)
as long as the events are independent.
Powers, Exponents, Roots
\(x^a.x^b=x^{a+b}\)
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b} = x^{a-b}\)
\(\frac{1}{x^b }= x^{-b}\)
\((x^a)^b=x^{a.b}\)
\((\text{ xy })^a= x^a.y^a\)
\(x^0=1\)
\(\sqrt{\text{ xy }}=\sqrt{x}.\sqrt{y}\)
\((-1)^n=-1\), if n is odd.
\((-1)^n=+1\), if n is even.
If \(0 < x < 1\), then
\(0 < x^3 < x^2 < x < \sqrt{x} < sqrt[3]{x} < 1\).
Simple Interest
The charge for borrowing money or the return for lending it.
\(\color{blue}{\text{ Interest } = \text{ principal }}\) \(ร\) rate \(ร\) time
OR
\(I=\text{ prt }\)
Powers/ Exponents
\(x^aรx^b=x^{a+b}\)
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b}=x^{a-b}\)
\((x^a)^b=x^{\text{ ab }}\)
\(x^0=1\)
\(x^{-a}=\frac{1}{x^a}\)
\(x^{\frac{1}{n}}=\sqrt[n]{x}\)
Positive Exponents
An exponent is simply shorthand for multiplying that number of identical factors. So \(4^3\) is the same as (4)(4)(4), three identical factors of 4. And \(x^3\) is just three factors of \(x\), \((x)(x)(x)\).
Negative Exponents
A negative exponent means to divide by that number of factors instead of multiplying.
So \(4^{-3}\) is the same as \( \frac{1}{4^3}\) and
\(x^{-3}=\frac{1}{x^3}\)
Factorials
Factorial- the product of a number and all counting numbers below it.
8 factorial \(=8!=\)
\(8ร7ร6ร5ร4ร3ร2ร1=40,320\)
5 factorial \(=5!=\)
\(5ร4ร3ร2ร1=120\)
2 factorial \(=2!=2ร 1=2\)
Multiplying Two Powers of the SAME Base
When the bases are the same, you find the new power by just adding the exponents
\(x^a.x^b=x^{a+b }\)
Powers of Powers
For the power of power: you multiply the exponents.
\((x^a)^b=x^{(\text{ ab })}\)
Dividing Powers
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b} =x^a x^{-b}= x^{a-b}\)
The Zero Exponent
Anything to the 0 power is 1.
\(x^0= 1\)
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How to Actually Study With This Sheet
Reading a cheat sheet isn’t studying. I know that sounds harsh, but I’ve watched too many students stare at a page like this for an hour and walk away with nothing locked in. Here’s what works instead.
Write each formula by hand, at least three times. Not typed. Not highlighted. Written. Your hand and your eyes have to move together. That’s what builds the memory.
Pair every formula with one quick example. Don’t just memorize \(A = \pi r^2\). Pick a radius (say, \(r = 5\)) and actually compute the area. The formula sticks because you used it, not because you read it.
Cover and recall. Cover the right column with your hand. Read the topic name (say, “Slope of a line”) and try to write the formula from memory. Then peek. If you missed it, do it again tomorrow. This is the single most effective trick for cheat-sheet learning.
Group formulas that go together. Slope, point-slope form, and slope-intercept form are the same idea wearing three different outfits. Learn them as a family, not as three separate strangers.
The Books That Pair Best With This Cheat Sheet
A cheat sheet works best when it sits next to a real study guide. If you’re starting from scratch, or coming back to math after a long time away, GED Math for Beginners walks you through every concept on this sheet, slowly, with examples and short practice sets after each one. It’s the book I recommend to students who feel like the formulas above are speaking a foreign language.
If you want everything in one place, prep book, workbook, and full-length practice tests, the Comprehensive GED Math Preparation Bundle has it all. It’s what most students use in the four-to-six weeks before test day.
What is on the official GED formula sheet, and what you must memorize
The GED Mathematical Reasoning formula sheet is available on screen during the test. Knowing what is on it saves study time, and knowing what is missing tells you what to memorize.
| On the official sheet | Not on the sheet (memorize these) |
|---|---|
| Area of a square, rectangle, parallelogram, triangle, trapezoid and circle | Distance between two points: d = โ((xโ โ xโ)ยฒ + (yโ โ yโ)ยฒ) |
| Perimeter of a square, rectangle and triangle; circumference C = 2ฯr or C = ฯd | Midpoint: ((xโ + xโ) รท 2, (yโ + yโ) รท 2) |
| Surface area and volume of rectangular and right prisms, cylinders, pyramids, cones and spheres | Percent change: (new โ old) รท old ร 100 |
| Mean and median | Mode, range and basic probability |
| Slope, slope-intercept form, point-slope form, standard form of a quadratic and the quadratic formula | Exponent rules and order of operations |
| Pythagorean theorem, simple interest (I = Prt), distance (d = rt), total cost | Unit conversions, such as 12 inches = 1 foot |
A good habit: practice with a printed copy of the official sheet beside you, so you know where each formula sits. Then drill the right-hand column until you can write each one from memory.
Frequently Asked Questions About the GED Math Formula Sheet
Does the GED math test give you a formula sheet?
Yes. The GED Mathematical Reasoning test shows an official formula sheet on screen, so you can open it any time during the test. It covers area, perimeter, circumference, surface area and volume, mean and median, slope and line equations, the quadratic formula, the Pythagorean theorem, simple interest, distance = rate ร time and total cost. You cannot bring your own sheet.
Is there a GED formula sheet PDF?
Yes. GED Testing Service publishes the Mathematical Reasoning formula sheet as a free PDF on GED.com, and it is worth printing for practice. Keep it next to you while you work practice questions so you learn where each formula sits, like the cone volume V = โ ฯrยฒh near the bottom. On test day you will use the on-screen version instead of paper.
Is there a new GED math formula sheet for 2026?
GED.com posts a 2026 revised copy of the Mathematics Formula Sheet, and its formulas match the long-standing version: geometry measurements, data formulas like mean and median, and the algebra list with slope, point-slope form and the quadratic formula. If you studied with an older printout, the content you learned still applies, but practicing with the current PDF is a good idea.
What should be on a GED math cheat sheet?
Put the formulas the official sheet leaves out. Those are the distance formula d = โ((xโ โ xโ)ยฒ + (yโ โ yโ)ยฒ), the midpoint formula ((xโ + xโ)/2, (yโ + yโ)/2), percent change = (new โ old) รท old ร 100, and exponent rules such as aยณ ร aโด = aโท. For example, a price rising from $50 to $65 is a 15 รท 50 = 30% increase.
What is on the GED math test?
The GED Mathematical Reasoning test has 46 questions in 115 minutes, and about half are algebra while the rest cover quantitative problem solving with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, geometry and data. An on-screen TI-30XS calculator is available for questions 6 through 46, so the first five are done by hand. The passing score is 145 out of 200.
Related EffortlessMath Lessons
If a specific topic on the cheat sheet feels rusty, these short lessons go deeper without overwhelming you:
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