Iowa Assessments cheat sheet

Main idea: the sentence that covers the whole passage, not one detail; detail questions point to one line, main-idea questions point to the whole text.

Inference is a conclusion forced by the text plus common knowledge; if the passage never supports it, it is not an inference.

Author's purpose choices are usually persuade, inform, entertain, or explain; match the verb to the whole passage's effect.

Fact vs. opinion: a fact can be checked; opinion words include should, best, worst, beautiful, and seems.

Context clues: definition (is, means), example (such as), contrast (but, unlike), and cause-effect (because, so) signals reveal an unknown word.

Sequence questions: look for first, then, next, finally, and dates; the answer must respect the order stated in the passage.

Compare/contrast: look for both, unlike, similarly, however; the answer must state a relationship, not just two facts.

Tone words: humorous, serious, critical, admiring, hopeful; tone is the writer's attitude, mood is the reader's feeling.

Subject-verb agreement: singular subject takes singular verb; ignore phrases between them (The box of pens is heavy).

Pronoun case: use I/we/he/she for subjects, me/us/him/her for objects, and who for subjects, whom for objects.

Comma rules: separate items in a series, set off introductory phrases, and join two independent clauses only with a conjunction.

Its = possessive; it's = it is. Their = possessive; there = place; they're = they are.

Run-on fix: split into two sentences, add a semicolon, or add a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so).

Apostrophes: singular possessive adds 's (girl's); plural possessive adds s' (girls'); plural nouns never take 's.

Modifiers should sit next to the word they describe; a dangling modifier has no logical subject in the sentence.

Parallel structure: items joined by and, or, or a list must share the same grammatical form (running, jumping, swimming).

Area: rectangle = length × width; triangle = ½ × base × height; circle = πr²; circumference = 2πr.

Percent change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100; a 20% discount means multiply by 0.80.

Order of operations: parentheses, exponents, multiply/divide left to right, add/subtract left to right.

Slope = (y₂ − y₁) ÷ (x₂ − x₁); slope-intercept form is y = mx + b, where m is slope and b is y-intercept.

Mean = sum ÷ count; median = middle value when ordered; mode = most frequent value.

Probability of an event = favorable outcomes ÷ total outcomes; values range from 0 to 1.

Fractions: to add or subtract, find a common denominator; to divide, multiply by the reciprocal.

Unit rate: divide to get a per-one quantity, then multiply to scale; ratio a:b compares two quantities of the same kind.

Scientific method order: question, hypothesis, experiment, data, conclusion; a hypothesis must be testable.

Independent variable is changed by the experimenter; dependent variable is measured; constants stay the same.

Cell basics: plant cells have a cell wall and chloroplasts; animal cells do not; both have a nucleus and membrane.

Photosynthesis: plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make glucose and release oxygen.

States of matter: solid (fixed shape), liquid (fixed volume, no fixed shape), gas (no fixed shape or volume).

Newton's laws: inertia, F = ma, and every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Water cycle stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection; energy comes from the sun.

Food chain order: producer, consumer, decomposer; energy decreases at each higher level.

Three branches: legislative makes laws, executive enforces laws, judicial interprets laws; checks and balances limit each.

Bill of Rights: first ten amendments; the First covers speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

Map skills: latitude lines run east-west and measure north-south; longitude lines measure east-west from the prime meridian.

Supply and demand: when demand rises and supply is fixed, price rises; when supply rises and demand is fixed, price falls.

Absolute location uses coordinates; relative location uses direction and distance from a known place.

Types of government: democracy (people rule), monarchy (king or queen), dictatorship (one ruler), republic (elected representatives).

Push factors drive people away (war, famine); pull factors attract people (jobs, safety).

Timeline reading: BC counts backward to year 1; AD counts forward, so 500 BC is earlier than 200 BC.

Main idea: the sentence that covers the whole passage, not one detail; detail questions point to one line, main-idea questions point to the whole text.

Inference is a conclusion forced by the text plus common knowledge; if the passage never supports it, it is not an inference.

Author's purpose choices are usually persuade, inform, entertain, or explain; match the verb to the whole passage's effect.

Fact vs. opinion: a fact can be checked; opinion words include should, best, worst, beautiful, and seems.

Context clues: definition (is, means), example (such as), contrast (but, unlike), and cause-effect (because, so) signals reveal an unknown word.

Sequence questions: look for first, then, next, finally, and dates; the answer must respect the order stated in the passage.

Compare/contrast: look for both, unlike, similarly, however; the answer must state a relationship, not just two facts.

Tone words: humorous, serious, critical, admiring, hopeful; tone is the writer's attitude, mood is the reader's feeling.

Subject-verb agreement: singular subject takes singular verb; ignore phrases between them (The box of pens is heavy).

Pronoun case: use I/we/he/she for subjects, me/us/him/her for objects, and who for subjects, whom for objects.

Comma rules: separate items in a series, set off introductory phrases, and join two independent clauses only with a conjunction.

Its = possessive; it's = it is. Their = possessive; there = place; they're = they are.

Run-on fix: split into two sentences, add a semicolon, or add a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, so).

Apostrophes: singular possessive adds 's (girl's); plural possessive adds s' (girls'); plural nouns never take 's.

Modifiers should sit next to the word they describe; a dangling modifier has no logical subject in the sentence.

Parallel structure: items joined by and, or, or a list must share the same grammatical form (running, jumping, swimming).

Area: rectangle = length × width; triangle = ½ × base × height; circle = πr²; circumference = 2πr.

Percent change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100; a 20% discount means multiply by 0.80.

Order of operations: parentheses, exponents, multiply/divide left to right, add/subtract left to right.

Slope = (y₂ − y₁) ÷ (x₂ − x₁); slope-intercept form is y = mx + b, where m is slope and b is y-intercept.

Mean = sum ÷ count; median = middle value when ordered; mode = most frequent value.

Probability of an event = favorable outcomes ÷ total outcomes; values range from 0 to 1.

Fractions: to add or subtract, find a common denominator; to divide, multiply by the reciprocal.

Unit rate: divide to get a per-one quantity, then multiply to scale; ratio a:b compares two quantities of the same kind.

Scientific method order: question, hypothesis, experiment, data, conclusion; a hypothesis must be testable.

Independent variable is changed by the experimenter; dependent variable is measured; constants stay the same.

Cell basics: plant cells have a cell wall and chloroplasts; animal cells do not; both have a nucleus and membrane.

Photosynthesis: plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make glucose and release oxygen.

States of matter: solid (fixed shape), liquid (fixed volume, no fixed shape), gas (no fixed shape or volume).

Newton's laws: inertia, F = ma, and every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Water cycle stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection; energy comes from the sun.

Food chain order: producer, consumer, decomposer; energy decreases at each higher level.

Three branches: legislative makes laws, executive enforces laws, judicial interprets laws; checks and balances limit each.

Bill of Rights: first ten amendments; the First covers speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

Map skills: latitude lines run east-west and measure north-south; longitude lines measure east-west from the prime meridian.

Supply and demand: when demand rises and supply is fixed, price rises; when supply rises and demand is fixed, price falls.

Absolute location uses coordinates; relative location uses direction and distance from a known place.

Types of government: democracy (people rule), monarchy (king or queen), dictatorship (one ruler), republic (elected representatives).

Push factors drive people away (war, famine); pull factors attract people (jobs, safety).

Timeline reading: BC counts backward to year 1; AD counts forward, so 500 BC is earlier than 200 BC.