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- 34-page printable PDF
- 180 terms with examples
- 43 practice questions, answers explained
- 2-page cram sheet and study plans
← CLEP College Mathematics course
CLEP® Study Guide
Printable PDF · 34 pages
CLEP College Mathematics Study Guide
Everything the CLEP College Mathematics exam tests, in one PDF you can print. Built from the College Board's official outline, heaviest topics first.
- 180 key terms, each with an example
- 43 practice questions with every answer explained
- A 2-page cram sheet for the night before
- 2-, 4- and 8-week study plans built from the exam weights
Last updated 2026 · exam details checked against the College Board's published exam information in 2026
Look inside the guide
Real pages from the 34-page PDF.
What you get for $5
One chapter for each official content area, in the order the exam weighs them.
- 📘34pages, printable
- 🧭7chapters, heaviest first
- 🔑180terms with examples
- ✍️43practice questions, answers explained
- ⚠️21exam traps to avoid
- 📄2page cram sheet
Try 10 free College Mathematics questions
In the style of the real exam, from all 7 areas. About 15 minutes, with every answer explained and a score by area.
10 questions
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Question 1 · Algebra and Functions
A theater sold 200 tickets for a total of $1,784. Adult tickets cost $12 each and child tickets cost $5 each. How many adult tickets were sold?
Show the answer
Answer: B. 112. Let a + c = 200 and 12a + 5c = 1,784. Substituting c = 200 − a gives 7a + 1,000 = 1,784, so a = 112 adult tickets. Check: 12(112) + 5(88) = 1,344 + 440 = 1,784.
The trap: 88 is the number of child tickets, which answers a different question. 105 comes from dividing the total by the sum of the prices, which ignores the 200-ticket count.
Let a + c = 200 and 12a + 5c = 1,784. Substituting c = 200 − a gives 7a + 1,000 = 1,784, so a = 112 adult tickets. Check: 12(112) + 5(88) = 1,344 + 440 = 1,784.
The trap: 88 is the number of child tickets, which answers a different question. 105 comes from dividing the total by the sum of the prices, which ignores the 200-ticket count.
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Question 2 · Financial Mathematics
A share's price rises 15% one year and then falls 15% the next year. Compared with the start, the price is
Show the answer
Answer: A. 2.25% lower. Multiply the factors: 1.15 × 0.85 = 0.9775, which is 2.25% below the start.
The trap: Unchanged is tempting because +15% and −15% look like they cancel, but the 15% decrease applies to the larger, increased amount.
Multiply the factors: 1.15 × 0.85 = 0.9775, which is 2.25% below the start.
The trap: Unchanged is tempting because +15% and −15% look like they cancel, but the 15% decrease applies to the larger, increased amount.
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Question 3 · Data Analysis and Statistics
Every value in a data set is multiplied by 2 and then increased by 5. The original set had mean 12, median 11 and range 9. Which describes the new set?
Show the answer
Answer: C. Mean 29, median 27, range 18. Multiply then add: mean 2(12) + 5 = 29 and median 2(11) + 5 = 27. The added 5 does not change spread, but multiplying by 2 doubles it: range 18.
The trap: Range 23 applies both operations to the range. Adding a constant shifts every value equally, so the gap between largest and smallest does not change.
Multiply then add: mean 2(12) + 5 = 29 and median 2(11) + 5 = 27. The added 5 does not change spread, but multiplying by 2 doubles it: range 18.
The trap: Range 23 applies both operations to the range. Adding a constant shifts every value equally, so the gap between largest and smallest does not change.
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Question 4 · Logic and Sets
A professor says: "If a student passes the final, then the student earns credit." Which statement is logically equivalent to it?
Show the answer
Answer: D. If a student does not earn credit, then the student did not pass the final.. The contrapositive swaps and negates both parts, so it always has the same truth value as the original.
The trap: "If a student earns credit, then the student passed the final" is the converse, which can be false (credit might come another way).
The contrapositive swaps and negates both parts, so it always has the same truth value as the original.
The trap: "If a student earns credit, then the student passed the final" is the converse, which can be false (credit might come another way).
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Question 5 · Counting and Probability
A password has 3 different letters from A–Z, followed by 2 digits, where the digits may repeat. How many passwords are possible?
Show the answer
Answer: C. 1,560,000. Letters cannot repeat: 26 · 25 · 24 = 15,600. Digits may repeat: 10 · 10 = 100. By the multiplication rule, 15,600 · 100 = 1,560,000.
The trap: 1,757,600 lets letters repeat (26³ · 100), but the stem says the letters are different. 260,000 uses a combination for the letters, treating their order as unimportant.
Letters cannot repeat: 26 · 25 · 24 = 15,600. Digits may repeat: 10 · 10 = 100. By the multiplication rule, 15,600 · 100 = 1,560,000.
The trap: 1,757,600 lets letters repeat (26³ · 100), but the stem says the letters are different. 260,000 uses a combination for the letters, treating their order as unimportant.
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Question 6 · Geometry
A 13-foot ladder leans against a wall with its base 5 feet from the wall. How high up the wall does the ladder reach?
Show the answer
Answer: D. 12 feet. The ladder is the hypotenuse: height = √(13² − 5²) = √144 = 12 feet.
The trap: 8 feet subtracts the lengths (13 − 5); sides of a right triangle are related through their squares.
The ladder is the hypotenuse: height = √(13² − 5²) = √144 = 12 feet.
The trap: 8 feet subtracts the lengths (13 − 5); sides of a right triangle are related through their squares.
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Question 7 · Numbers
Which of the following numbers is irrational?
Show the answer
Answer: B. √20. 20 is not a perfect square, so √20 ≈ 4.4721… has a decimal that never ends or repeats. The others are rational: √0.25 = 0.5, the repeating decimal equals 4/33, and 22/7 is a fraction.
The trap: 22/7 is tempting because it approximates π. But it is a quotient of integers, so it is rational.
20 is not a perfect square, so √20 ≈ 4.4721… has a decimal that never ends or repeats. The others are rational: √0.25 = 0.5, the repeating decimal equals 4/33, and 22/7 is a fraction.
The trap: 22/7 is tempting because it approximates π. But it is a quotient of integers, so it is rational.
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Question 8 · Algebra and Functions
Which of the following is the solution set of −3(x − 2) ≥ 12?
Show the answer
Answer: A. x ≤ −2. Distribute: −3x + 6 ≥ 12, so −3x ≥ 6. Dividing by −3 reverses the inequality, giving x ≤ −2.
The trap: x ≥ −2 results from dividing by −3 without reversing the inequality sign.
Distribute: −3x + 6 ≥ 12, so −3x ≥ 6. Dividing by −3 reverses the inequality, giving x ≤ −2.
The trap: x ≥ −2 results from dividing by −3 without reversing the inequality sign.
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Question 9 · Financial Mathematics
A shop buys a lamp for $80 and marks it up 40% of cost. In a sale it sells the lamp for 25% off the marked price. What is the sale price?
Show the answer
Answer: C. $84.00. The marked price is 80 × 1.40 = $112. The sale price is 112 × 0.75 = $84.
The trap: $92.00 nets the percents (40% − 25% = 15% over cost), but the 25% discount applies to the marked price, not to cost.
The marked price is 80 × 1.40 = $112. The sale price is 112 × 0.75 = $84.
The trap: $92.00 nets the percents (40% − 25% = 15% over cost), but the 25% discount applies to the marked price, not to cost.
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Question 10 · Data Analysis and Statistics
A circle graph shows how 480 students are divided among majors. The Science sector has a central angle of 90°. How many students are in Science?
Show the answer
Answer: D. 120. The sector is 90°/360° = 1/4 of the circle, and 1/4 of 480 = 120 students.
The trap: 432 treats 90° as 90%, taking 90% of 480. The angle is out of 360°, not out of 100.
The sector is 90°/360° = 1/4 of the circle, and 1/4 of 480 = 120 students.
The trap: 432 treats 90° as 90%, taking 90% of 480. The angle is out of 360°, not out of 100.
The CLEP College Mathematics exam at a glance
The CLEP College Mathematics exam is a 90-minute, computer-based test from the College Board with about 60 multiple-choice questions. A score of 50 on the 20–80 scale earns an ACE credit recommendation of 3 semester hours, though each college sets its own policy. The exam covers 7 content areas; the heaviest is Algebra and Functions at 20%.
- Questions
- About 60multiple choice
- Time
- 90 minabout 2 minutes a question
- Passing score
- 50on a 20–80 scale
- ACE credit
- 3semester hours
- Exam fee
- $97paid to College Board
- Calculator
- Yeson-screen calculator provided
What the exam covers
7 areas, heaviest first. The guide's chapters follow this order.
- Algebra and Functions20%
- Financial Mathematics20%
- Data Analysis and Statistics15%
- Logic and Sets15%
- Counting and Probability10%
- Geometry10%
- Numbers10%
How it works
- 1Buy once, $5Secure checkout. No subscription needed.
- 2Download the PDFFrom your TransferCredit.org account, right away and any time later.
- 3Study the heaviest areas firstFollow the 2-, 4- or 8-week plan, then read the cram sheet the night before.
Questions students ask
What's in the full CLEP College Mathematics study guide?
34 pages: 7 chapters, one per official content area, heaviest first. 180 terms, each with a plain-English definition and an example, common traps and memory tricks, 43 practice questions with an answer key that explains every answer, question tactics, 2-, 4- and 8-week study plans and a 2-page cram sheet.
How much is the full CLEP College Mathematics study guide?
The full 34-page PDF is $5, a one-time payment. The 10 practice questions on this page are free, with no account.
What does the $29 plan include?
$29 a month gives you all 28 CLEP subjects: every CLEP study guide plus the full prep course for each subject, and you can cancel anytime. If you only need this exam, the guide on its own is a one-time $5.
How do I get the full guide?
Choose Buy this guide ($5) and check out. Then sign in to your TransferCredit.org account, then open the course and its Download Your Study Guide lesson. The PDF is yours to keep, and you can download it again from your account at any time.
Can I print the guide or use it on my phone?
Yes. It's a PDF, so it opens on phones, tablets and computers, and printing is allowed. Its tick boxes and answer bubbles work in PDF readers that support forms. Copying and editing are turned off.
Is this an official CLEP study guide?
No. CLEP® is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in producing this guide and does not endorse it. TransferCredit.org is independent. We built the guide from the official exam outline, and the exam details were checked against the College Board's published exam information in 2026.
Why is this study guide better than a generic review?
It follows the official outline area by area and spends the most pages on what the exam weighs most. Every term comes with an example, each chapter names the traps the exam sets, and the answer key explains why the most tempting wrong answer is wrong, not just which answer is right. It ends with a 2-page cram sheet for the night before.
What is the CLEP College Mathematics exam?
The CLEP College Mathematics exam is a 90-minute, computer-based test from the College Board with about 60 multiple-choice questions. A score of 50 on the 20–80 scale earns an ACE credit recommendation of 3 semester hours, though each college sets its own policy. The exam covers 7 content areas; the heaviest is Algebra and Functions at 20%.
More questions about the CLEP College Mathematics exam (21)
How many questions are on the CLEP College Mathematics exam, and how long is it?
It has approximately 60 questions to be answered in 90 minutes, and some are pretest questions that will not be scored.
What is the passing score for CLEP College Mathematics?
The passing score is 50 on a 20–80 scale. At 50 or above, the American Council on Education (ACE) recommends 3 semester hours. Each college sets its own passing score and credit award, so check your school's policy before you book.
How much does the CLEP College Mathematics exam cost?
The exam fee is $97, paid to the College Board. Test centers may add their own administration fee. Eligible U.S. military service members can usually test for free through DANTES.
How many college credits is CLEP College Mathematics worth?
ACE recommends 3 semester hours for a passing score of 50. Your college decides how many credits it awards and which course they replace. Check your college's policy.
Can I use a calculator on the CLEP College Mathematics exam?
A scientific (nongraphing) calculator, the TI-30XS MultiView, is integrated into the exam software and available during the entire testing time.
Is there a penalty for guessing on CLEP College Mathematics?
No. Your score counts only correct answers, so a wrong answer costs nothing. Never leave a question blank: rule out what you can and pick your best guess.
What topics are on the CLEP College Mathematics exam?
7 content areas, from the official outline: Algebra and Functions (20%); Financial Mathematics (20%); Data Analysis and Statistics (15%); Logic and Sets (15%); Counting and Probability (10%); Geometry (10%); Numbers (10%).
Which CLEP College Mathematics topics should I study first?
Start with the three heaviest: Algebra and Functions (20%), Financial Mathematics (20%) and Data Analysis and Statistics (15%). Together they are about 55% of the exam, roughly 33 of 60 questions. The guide's chapters run in that order, heaviest first.
Is the CLEP College Mathematics exam hard?
It depends on what you already know. No single area dominates: the largest, Algebra and Functions, is 20% and the smallest, Numbers, is 10%, so broad coverage matters more than deep expertise in one topic. Take the free diagnostic above to see where you stand in about 15 minutes.
What kinds of questions are on the CLEP College Mathematics exam?
The guide sorts them into 5 types: “Routine calculation”, “Set up the model”, “Sets and Venn diagrams”, “Logic and statements” and “Data and concepts”. Every question has 4 answer choices. Try the 10 free questions above to see the style.
How long should I study for CLEP College Mathematics?
Use the diagnostic to decide. If you already know most areas, two weeks of daily review is often enough; if the subject is new to you, plan on eight. The full guide has 2-, 4- and 8-week plans built from the exam weights.
How should I pace myself on the CLEP College Mathematics exam?
On average you have about 2 minutes per question (90 minutes for 60 questions). Be past question 20 a third of the way through and past question 40 two-thirds through. If a question takes more than about 3 minutes, pick your best guess, mark it and come back.
What happens if I don't pass CLEP College Mathematics?
You can retake a CLEP exam after three months. Use the wait to work through the areas the score report and the diagnostic show you missed.
Do colleges accept CLEP College Mathematics for credit?
CLEP exams are accepted at more than 2,900 U.S. colleges and universities, but each school decides which exams it accepts, the score it requires and the credit it gives. Look up your college's CLEP policy before you book.
How is the guide different from the CLEP College Mathematics course?
The guide is a 34-page PDF for review and self-testing. The CLEP College Mathematics course is a full online course with lessons, quizzes and a practice exam, for $19 with lifetime access. Many students use the guide first, then take the course for the areas the diagnostic flags.
How up to date is this CLEP College Mathematics guide?
Last updated 2026. The exam details were checked against the College Board's published exam information in 2026. Exams change, so confirm the details on the official exam page before you register.
What should I do the night before the exam?
Read the cram sheet once, slowly. Check your test time, the location or remote-proctoring setup, and the ID you need. Then sleep: a rested brain recalls more than a crammed one. In the morning, skim the memory tricks and common traps, then stop studying.
Which financial math formulas should I know for CLEP College Mathematics?
Know simple interest (I = Prt), compound interest (A = P(1 + r/n)^nt), continuous compounding (A = Pe^rt) and percent change, and how to work with present value, future value, effective annual yield and APR. Financial Mathematics is 20% of the exam, tied with Algebra and Functions as the largest area.
How much statistics is on CLEP College Mathematics?
Data Analysis and Statistics is 15% of the exam: reading tables and graphs, and finding the mean, median, mode and range. Standard deviation and the normal distribution appear as conceptual questions only, so you won't need to calculate a standard deviation by hand.
Is geometry on CLEP College Mathematics?
Yes, it's 10% of the exam. Know perimeter, area and similarity of triangles and quadrilaterals, the Pythagorean theorem, parallel and perpendicular lines, and circle circumference, area, central and inscribed angles and sectors.
Is CLEP College Mathematics easier than College Algebra?
Usually, yes. College Mathematics surveys many topics at a basic level; College Algebra goes deeper into functions and equations and is aimed at students heading to precalculus or calculus. Check which your program requires.
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CLEP® is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in producing this guide and does not endorse it. TransferCredit.org is independent and not affiliated with the College Board. © 2026 UPI Globale Edu Inc.