The Ultimate SIFT Math Formula Cheat Sheet

The Ultimate SIFT Math Formula Cheat Sheet

TL;DR: Aiming for Army aviation? The SIFT Math Skills Test is 40 questions in 40 minutes, with no calculator and no reference sheet. That’s one minute per question, with no formula to look up. Every formula on this page is the difference between guessing and answering. Memorize them cold in the weeks before test day and you give yourself a real shot at finishing the section with time to check.

📇 Want to memorize these formulas? Drill them with our free SIFT Math Flashcards — flip each card, mark “Know it,” and restudy just the ones you missed.

Key takeaways:

  • SIFT Math Skills Test: 40 questions in 40 minutes — exactly 1 minute per question.
  • No calculator and no formula reference sheet provided.
  • Topics span algebra, geometry, and basic trigonometry.
  • Memorize area/volume, the Pythagorean theorem, slope, the quadratic formula, and right-triangle trig.
  • Mental arithmetic fluency matters as much as formula recall on this test.

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

Circ 1

Area \(=πr^2\)
Circumference \(=2πr\)
Full circle \(=360^\circ\)

Rectangles

H 2

(Square if l=w)
Area=lw

Jk

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; \(π ~ 3.14 \))

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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 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 \(x\), \((x)(x)(x)\).

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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 SIFT Math Test

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Recommended EffortlessMath Books

For a workbook that pairs with this cheat sheet, the SIFT Math for Beginners walks through every Math Skills Test topic with worked examples. For complete aviation-selection prep with multiple full-length practice tests, see the SIFT Math Test Prep Bundle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the SIFT provide a formula sheet?

No. The SIFT does not provide a formula reference on any subtest, including the Math Skills Test. Walk in with every formula in this cheat sheet memorized cold. There’s also no calculator allowed, so even basic computation has to be done by hand.

What formulas should I memorize for the SIFT?

Area and perimeter of standard shapes, volume of prism/cylinder/cone/sphere, the Pythagorean theorem \(a^2+b^2=c^2\), slope \(m=(y_2-y_1)/(x_2-x_1)\), the quadratic formula \(x=\frac{-b\pm\sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}\), exponent rules, and right-triangle trig (sin, cos, tan).

What trig formulas do I need for the SIFT?

For right triangles: \(\sin\theta=\text{opp}/\text{hyp}\), \(\cos\theta=\text{adj}/\text{hyp}\), \(\tan\theta=\text{opp}/\text{adj}\). The mnemonic SOHCAHTOA. Special right triangle ratios: 30-60-90 (\(1:\sqrt{3}:2\)) and 45-45-90 (\(1:1:\sqrt{2}\)). Pythagorean identity: \(\sin^2\theta+\cos^2\theta=1\).

What’s the quadratic formula?

\(x=\frac{-b\pm\sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}\), used to solve any equation of the form \(ax^2+bx+c=0\). The discriminant \(b^2-4ac\) tells you the number of real solutions: positive (two), zero (one), negative (none). Memorize it cold — the SIFT does use it.

What’s the formula for the area of a triangle?

\(A=\frac{1}{2}bh\), where \(b\) is the base and \(h\) is the perpendicular height (not the slanted side). For Heron’s formula (rarely needed on SIFT): \(A=\sqrt{s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)}\) where \(s=(a+b+c)/2\).

How do I find the volume of a cone?

\(V=\frac{1}{3}\pi r^2 h\), where \(r\) is the radius of the base and \(h\) is the perpendicular height. A cone is 1/3 the volume of a cylinder with the same base and height. Example: a cone with radius 3 and height 6 has volume \(\frac{1}{3}\pi(3)^2(6)=18\pi\).

What exponent rules show up on the SIFT?

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: \(x^{-a}=1/x^a\). Fractional: \(x^{1/n}=\sqrt[n]{x}\). All of these can appear in SIFT algebra questions.

What’s the distance formula?

\(d=\sqrt{(x_2-x_1)^2+(y_2-y_1)^2}\). The Pythagorean theorem applied to two points on the coordinate plane. The midpoint of the same two points is \(\left(\frac{x_1+x_2}{2}, \frac{y_1+y_2}{2}\right)\). Both come up on SIFT coordinate-geometry problems.

How do I calculate slope?

\(m=(y_2-y_1)/(x_2-x_1)\). Subtract y-values for the numerator and x-values for the denominator. Slope-intercept form: \(y=mx+b\). Parallel lines have equal slopes; perpendicular lines have slopes that multiply to \(-1\).

How should I use this cheat sheet for SIFT prep?

Print or save it as a single-page reference. Drill the formulas you don’t already know cold by working 5-10 problems on each. Then take a timed full-length SIFT Math practice test. The 1-minute-per-question pace means any formula that takes more than 2 seconds to recall is too slow.

Related EffortlessMath Lessons

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