The Ultimate Praxis Core Math Formula Cheat Sheet
TL;DR: Every formula you should know for the Praxis Core Math test (code 5732). The Praxis provides an on-screen calculator but no formula reference, so these formulas need to be in your head before the 85-minute, 56-question section starts.
Key takeaways:
- Praxis Core Math (5732) is 56 selected-response questions in 85 minutes.
- An on-screen four-function calculator is provided on every question.
- Praxis Core does NOT provide a formula reference sheet.
- Memorize area, volume, slope, percent change, the Pythagorean theorem, and statistics basics.
- Geometry and statistics carry roughly 40% of the test combined — those formulas matter most.
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
The middle value in the list (which must be sorted)
Example: median of
\( \{3,10,9,27,50\} = 10\)
Example: median of
\( \{3,9,10,27\}=\frac{(9+10)}{2}=9.5 \)
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 are:
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 the power of 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.
\(x^0= 1\)
The Best Books to Ace the Praxis Core Math Test
Recommended EffortlessMath Books
For a full workbook that pairs with every formula in this cheat sheet, the Praxis Core Math for Beginners walks through each topic with worked examples. For complete credential-exam prep with multiple full-length practice tests, see the Praxis Core Math Test Prep Bundle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Praxis Core provide a formula sheet?
No. The Praxis Core Math (test code 5732) does not provide a formula reference. You need to walk in with every formula memorized. The on-screen calculator handles basic arithmetic, but it won’t tell you the slope formula or the area of a circle.
What’s the slope formula?
\(m=(y_2-y_1)/(x_2-x_1)\). Subtract the y-coordinates for the numerator and the x-coordinates for the denominator. Positive slope rises left-to-right, negative slope falls, horizontal line has slope 0, vertical line is undefined.
How do I find the area of common shapes?
Rectangle: \(A=lw\). Triangle: \(A=\frac{1}{2}bh\). Parallelogram: \(A=bh\). Trapezoid: \(A=\frac{1}{2}(b_1+b_2)h\). Circle: \(A=\pi r^2\). For perimeter of a rectangle: \(P=2l+2w\). Circumference of a circle: \(C=2\pi r\).
What’s the volume formula for common 3D shapes?
Rectangular prism: \(V=lwh\). Cylinder: \(V=\pi r^2 h\). Cone: \(V=\frac{1}{3}\pi r^2 h\). Sphere: \(V=\frac{4}{3}\pi r^3\). Pyramid: \(V=\frac{1}{3}\text{(base area)}h\). The cone and pyramid are 1/3 of their cylinder/prism counterparts.
What’s the Pythagorean theorem?
\(a^2+b^2=c^2\), where \(a\) and \(b\) are the two legs of a right triangle and \(c\) is the hypotenuse. Use it to find a missing side when you know the other two. Common Pythagorean triples to memorize: 3-4-5, 5-12-13, 8-15-17, 7-24-25.
How do I calculate percent change?
\(\text{percent change} = \frac{\text{new}-\text{old}}{\text{old}}\times 100\). If a value goes from \$200 to \$240, the change is \((240-200)/200\times 100=20\%\) increase. If it drops from 50 to 35, the change is \((35-50)/50\times 100=-30\%\) (a 30% decrease).
What statistics do I need for the Praxis Core?
Mean: sum divided by count. Median: middle value of sorted data. Mode: most-frequent value. Range: max minus min. Simple probability: favorable / total. For data displays, know how to read bar charts, line graphs, scatterplots, box plots, and basic two-way tables.
Is the quadratic formula on the Praxis Core?
The Praxis Core occasionally has a quadratic problem, usually solvable by factoring rather than by the quadratic formula. Still, having \(x=\frac{-b\pm\sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}\) memorized gives you a backup if factoring doesn’t come out cleanly.
What exponent rules show up on Praxis Core?
Product: \(x^a\cdot x^b=x^{a+b}\). Quotient: \(x^a/x^b=x^{a-b}\). Power of a power: \((x^a)^b=x^{ab}\). Zero exponent: \(x^0=1\). Negative exponent: \(x^{-a}=1/x^a\). The Praxis usually keeps exponents at integer levels — no heavy fractional exponents.
How should I use this cheat sheet alongside my Praxis prep?
Print or save it as a single-page reference. Quiz yourself on each formula until you can write all of them from memory cold. Then take the linked free Praxis Core Math practice test under timed conditions to see whether the formulas come back when the pressure’s on.
Related EffortlessMath Lessons
If a topic on this page feels rusty, these short lessons go deeper:
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