The Ultimate ParaPro Math Formula Cheat Sheet
TL;DR: Use this ParaPro Math formula cheat sheet for the 30-question math section. You get an on-screen four-function calculator, no paper formula sheet, and a 420-480 scaled-score target. Memorize fractions, percents, area and perimeter, and basic algebra rules so you can move quickly.
Key takeaways:
- ParaPro Math has 30 questions; you get the on-screen four-function calculator.
- No paper formula sheet is provided, so you’ll want these formulas memorized.
- Scaled scores run 420-480; most states set the cutoff at 460 or higher.
- Focus your prep on fractions, percents, ratios, basic algebra, perimeter and area.
- About 30% of the test is word problems, so translation skills matter as much as arithmetic.
Decimals
Is a fraction written in a special form? For example, instead of writing \(\frac{1}{2}\) you can write \(0.5\).
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: \(a \frac{c}{b}=a+\frac{c}{b}= \frac{ab+ c}{b}\)
Factoring Numbers
Factor a number means breaking it up into numbers that can be multiplied together to get the original number. Example:\(12=2×2×3\)
Integers
\( \{…,-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,…\} \)
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.) (\(\sqrt{2},\sqrt{3},π\), etc.)
Order of Operations
PEMDAS
(parentheses/ exponents/ multiply/ divide/ add/ subtract)
Absolute Value
Refers to the distance of a number from, the distances are positive as the absolute value of a number cannot be negative. \(|-22|=22\)
or \(|x| =\begin{cases}x \ for \ x≥0 \\x \ for \ x < 0\end{cases} \)
\(|x|<n⇒-n<x<n\)
\(|x|>n⇒x<-n or x>n\)
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 \(=\frac{percent}{100}×whole\)
Proportional Ratios
A proportion means that two ratios are equal. It can be written in two ways:
\(\frac{a}{b}=\frac{c}{d}\), \(a: b = c: d \)
Percent of Change
\(\frac{New \ Value \ – \ Old \ Value}{Old Value}×100\%\)
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
\(a(b+c)=ab+ac\)
Equations
The values of the two mathematical expressions are equal.
\(ax+b=c\)
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 \(90^° \) 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:
\(\frac{y_{2}- y_{1}}{x_{2} – x_{1} }=\frac{rise}{run}\)
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:
\(y=mx+b\).
Factoring:
“FOIL”
\((x+a)(x+b)\)
\(=x^2+(b+a)x +ab\) “Difference of Squares”
\(a^2-b^2= (a+b)(a-b)\)
\(a^2+2ab+b^2=(a+b)(a+b) \)
\(a^2-2ab+b^2=(a-b)(a-b)\) “Reverse FOIL”
\(x^2+(b+a)x+ab=\) \((x+a)(x+b)\)
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 \(x^2+bx+c=0\), 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 y=3-x, so the second equation becomes \(4x-(3-x)=2 ⇒ 5x-3=2\) \(⇒ x=1,y=2\).
Exponents:
Refers to the number of times a number is multiplied by itself.
\(8 = 2 × 2 × 2 = 2^3\)
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:
\(5×10^0\)
\(-2.5×10^4\)
\(5×10^{-1}\)
\(2,122456×10^3\)
Square:
The number we get after multiplying an integer (not a fraction) by itself. Example: \(2×2=4,2^2=4\)
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: \(A=\frac{1}{2}bh\) 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: \(180°\)
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 “base” angles (the ones opposite the two sides) are equal (see the \(45^\circ\) triangle above).
Circles
Area \(=πr^2\)
Circumference \(=2πr\)
Full circle \(=360^\circ\)
Rectangles
(Square if l=w)
Area=lw
Parallelogram
(Rhombus if 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:
\(A =\frac{1}{2} h (b_{1}+b_{2})\)
Surface Area and Volume of a rectangular/right prism:
\(SA=ph+2B\)
\(V=Bh\)
Surface Area and Volume of a Cylinder:
\(SA =2πrh+2πr^2\)
\(V =πr^2 h \)
Surface Area and Volume of a Cone
\(SA =πrs+πr^2\)
\(V=\frac{1}{3} \ πr^2 \ h\)
Surface Area and Volume of a Sphere
\(SA =4πr^2\)
\(V =\frac{4}{3} \ πr^3\)
(p \(=\) perimeter of base B; \(π ~ 3.14 \))
Simple interest:
\(I=prt\)
(I = interest, p = principal, r = rate, t = time)
mean:
mean: \(\frac{sum \ of \ the \ data}{of \ data \ entires}\)
mode:
value in the list that appears most often
range:
largest value \(-\) smallest value
Median
Middle value in the list (which must be sorted)
Example: median of
\( \{3,10,9,27,50\} = 10\)
Example: median of
\( \{3,9,10,27\}=\frac{(9+10)}{2}=9.5 \)
Average
\( \frac{sum \ of \ terms}{number \ of \ terms}\)
Average speed
\(\frac{total \ distance}{total \ time}\)
Probability
\(\frac{number \ of \ desired \ outcomes}{number \ of \ total \ outcomes}\)
The probability of two different events A and B both happening is:
P(A and B)=p(A).p(B)
as long as the events are independent (not mutually exclusive).
Powers, Exponents, Roots
\(x^a.x^b=x^{a+b}\)
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b} = x^{a-b}\)
\(\frac{1}{x^b }= x^{-b}\)
\((x^a)^b=x^{a.b}\)
\((xy)^a= x^a.y^a\)
\(x^0=1\)
\(\sqrt{xy}=\sqrt{x}.\sqrt{y}\)
\((-1)^n=-1\), if n is odd.
\((-1)^n=+1\), if n is even.
If \(0<x<1\), then
\(0<x^3<x^2<x<\sqrt{x}<\sqrt{3x}<1\).
Simple Interest
The charge for borrowing money or the return for lending it.
Interest = principal \(×\) rate \(×\) time
OR
\(I=prt\)
Powers/ Exponents
\(x^a×x^b=x^{a+b}\)
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b}=x^{a-b}\)
\((x^a)^b=x^{ab}\)
\(x^0=1\)
\(x^{-a}=\frac{1}{x^a}\)
\(x^{\frac{1}{n}}=\sqrt[n]{x}\)
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 \(=8!=\)
\(8×7×6×5×4×3×2×1=40,320\)
5 factorial \(=5!=\)
\(5×4×3×2×1=120\)
2 factorial \(=2!=2× 1=2\)
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 power of a power: you multiply the exponents.
\((x^a)^b=x^{(ab)}\)
Dividing Powers
\(\frac{x^a}{x^b} =x^a x^{-b}= x^{a-b}\)
The Zero Exponent
Anything to the 0 power is 1.
\(x^0= 1\)
More from Effortless Math for ParaPro Test …
Can’t find the free ParaPro math test sample practice questions?
We give you the good news that you do not need to search any further!: ParaPro Math FREE Sample Practice Questions
Have not memorized ParaPro math test formulas and are now worried?
We understand your concerns and have come up with a solution: The Ultimate ParaPro Math Formula Cheat Sheet
Do you not know how to interpret the ParaPro test scores, and this has bothered you?
We know the solution to this problem: How is the ParaPro Test Scored?
The Perfect Prep Books for the ParaPro Math Test
Do you have any questions about the ParaPro Test?
Write your questions about the ParaPro or any other topics below, and we’ll reply!
Recommended EffortlessMath Books
For a structured workbook to pair with this cheat sheet, the ParaPro Math for Beginners walks through every test topic with worked examples at the right level. For full timed practice before test day, see the ParaPro Math Test Prep Bundle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many math questions are on the ParaPro Assessment?
The ParaPro Math section has 30 multiple-choice questions. You take it as part of the broader ParaPro Assessment, which also includes Reading (30 questions) and Writing (30 questions). The whole test is computer-delivered at ETS-approved testing centers.
Is a calculator allowed on the ParaPro Math?
Yes. ETS provides an on-screen four-function calculator for the math section. You can’t bring your own calculator. The on-screen tool handles only addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division — no fractions, exponents, or square roots — so plan to handle those by hand.
What’s a passing score on the ParaPro?
ParaPro scores range from 420 to 480 on each section. ETS doesn’t set a single national passing score — each state and school district picks its own cutoff. Most states require 460 or higher; check your state’s exact requirement before you test. The score report comes out about two weeks after your test date.
How long is the ParaPro Math section?
The math section is part of the 2.5-hour ParaPro Assessment. You get 150 minutes to complete all three sections combined (90 questions total), and most test-takers spend roughly 50 minutes on math. That works out to about 1 minute 40 seconds per math question.
What topics are on the ParaPro Math?
Number sense and basic algebra make up about half the test: whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, proportions, and one-variable equations. Geometry and measurement cover perimeter, area, volume, and unit conversions. Data analysis questions ask you to read bar graphs, line graphs, and tables.
Is the ParaPro test computer-adaptive?
No. The ParaPro is fixed-form, so every test-taker sees a comparable mix of questions. You can flag a tough item, move on, and come back to it later as long as you stay within the section’s time budget.
Can I retake the ParaPro?
Yes. ETS requires a 21-day wait between attempts. Your highest score is the one most districts accept. There’s no cap on how many times you can take it across your career, but each sitting costs the full fee.
How long should I study for the ParaPro Math?
If you remember middle-school arithmetic and basic algebra, 2-4 weeks of focused review is usually enough. If math is rusty, plan 6-10 weeks at 30 minutes a day. Start with a full-length diagnostic to find your weakest topic, then drill that first before moving to mixed timed practice.
What’s the difference between ParaPro and Praxis Core?
ParaPro is for paraprofessional aides — classroom assistants and support staff. Praxis Core is for teacher candidates entering a certification program. ParaPro is shorter and easier; Praxis Core covers more advanced algebra, geometry, and statistics.
Where can I get more ParaPro Math practice?
EffortlessMath has a free ParaPro Math practice test, the ParaPro Math for Beginners workbook covering every test topic, and the ParaPro Math Test Prep Bundle with multiple full-length timed practice tests.
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If a topic on this page feels rusty, these short lessons go deeper:
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