ACCUPLACER AAF study guide
ACCUPLACER AAF · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
ACCUPLACER Advanced Algebra and Functions (AAF) is one of the placement tests in the ACCUPLACER suite, which College Board describes as helping "colleges and workforce training providers gauge student readiness for required coursework and identify areas where students may need additional support to succeed." It is typically taken by incoming college students who need to demonstrate readiness for advanced mathematics coursework, often after strong performance on earlier ACCUPLACER math sections. The AAF test is computer adaptive, so the difficulty of each question adjusts to your responses, and it is delivered as multiple-choice items. The ACCUPLACER AAF study guide has 8 sections and about 2,411 words.
01Linear Equations and Inequalities
A linear equation in one variable can always be reduced to the form ax + b = c. Isolate the variable by undoing operations in reverse order: first clear parentheses and fractions, then collect variable terms on one side and constants on the other, then divide by the coefficient.
328 words, about 2 min02Linear Applications and Graphs
Linear applications rest on the slope-intercept form y = mx + b, where m is the rate of change and b is the starting value. Word problems about cost, distance, or pay translate into this template: identify the fixed amount (b) and the per-unit amount (m).
301 words, about 2 min03Factoring and Quadratics
Factoring is the reverse of multiplication, and the standard sequence is: greatest common factor first, then patterns (difference of squares, perfect-square trinomials), then trinomial factoring into two binomials, then grouping for four-term polynomials. The zero-product property says a product is zero only if a factor is zero, which turns a factored quadratic into simple linear equations.
285 words, about 1 min04Rational Expressions and Equations
A rational expression is a quotient of polynomials. Simplifying means factoring numerator and denominator completely and canceling common factors, not canceling individual terms.
283 words, about 1 min05Radical Expressions and Equations
A radical expression involves roots, most often square roots. Simplifying means removing perfect-square factors from the radicand: sqrt(72) = 6 sqrt(2).
300 words, about 2 min06Polynomial Functions and Graphs
A polynomial function is a sum of terms with nonnegative integer exponents. Its degree controls the end behavior: even degree means both ends point the same way, odd degree means they point opposite ways, with the sign of the leading coefficient determining direction.
324 words, about 2 min07Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Exponential functions have the form f(x) = a b^x with b positive and not equal to 1; they model growth (b 1) and decay (0 < b < 1). Logarithms are inverses of exponentials: y = log b(x) means b^y = x.
305 words, about 2 min08Trigonometric Functions
Trigonometric functions connect angles to ratios. In a right triangle, sine is opposite over hypotenuse, cosine is adjacent over hypotenuse, and tangent is opposite over adjacent; the reciprocals are cosecant, secant, and cotangent.
285 words, about 1 min