TASC: Expert Guides and Resources

You will probably encounter questions on the TASC Math exam that involve exponential functions. If the problems appear in the form of a graph or a table, the following instructions will help you navigate through them. An exponential function is when the independent variable is in the exponent of a constant. The base of the function must be greater than 0 and not equal to 1.

Numbers come in all shapes, sizes, and forms, such as fractions, decimals, and percentages. When a TASC Math question asks you to compare numbers or put a set of numbers in a certain order, it's easiest to do when they're all in the same form. Converting fractions to decimals. To convert a fraction to a decimal, divide the numerator by the denominator.

If you encounter a scatter plot on the TASC Math exam, you’ll probably be asked to show how the two variables in the chart are related to each other—or whether a relationship exists between them at all.A scatter plot shows the relationship between two variables. When looking at a scatter plot, you look at the correlation, which gauges the strength of the relationship and the direction.

If you encounter a problem on the TASC Math exam that involves conversion of units, it's important that you keep track of the relationships between measurements.For instance, it's common knowledge that there are 12 inches in 1 foot, which is called a unit factor. Unit factors are made up of two measurements that describe the same thing.

While most questions on the TASC Math exam require you to deal with real numbers, you'll probably run into one or two problems that involve complex numbers.The first time most people encounter complex numbers is in algebra, when they find out that it's possible to take the square root of negative numbers. The important thing to remember here is thatThis means, for example, thatComplex numbers aren't just numbers that occur when taking the square root of negative numbers, though.

If you're given the standard form of a quadratic equation on the TASC Math exam, the equation provides valuable information when you're asked to graph it. A quadratic function is a polynomial in which the highest degree is two. The shape of the graph representing the quadratic function is called a parabola, which is a U shape.

If a question from the TASC Math exam asks you to solve for the solution to a system of equations, one useful approach is to graph the system of equations.Graphically, the solution is the point or points where the lines or curves intersect. This means to solve a system of equations (linear, quadratic, and so on) by graphing, you follow these steps: Graph each function independently but on the same coordinate plane.

If you run across a system of equations problem on the TASC Math exam, two ways to solve it—if you decide to avoid graphing—are through substitution and elimination. Using the substitution method To solve a system of two variables using the substitution method, follow these steps: Solve one or both equations for one of the variables.

Some questions on the TASC Math exam involve linear functions. A linear function represents a relationship between two variables in which one variable influences the other.In a linear function, x is usually considered to be the independent variable and y to be the dependent variable (x influences y). The independent variable (x) runs horizontally, while the dependent variable (y) runs vertically.