ACET (Philippines University Entrance Tests) key terms

A conclusion reached from evidence and reasoning rather than from an explicit statement. In reading passages, you infer meaning by combining stated details with general knowledge and context.

The central point a passage or paragraph is built to convey. Every other sentence supports, explains, or illustrates it, so identifying it helps you answer comprehension questions quickly.

A specific fact, example, statistic, or reason that explains or proves the main idea. Detail questions ask you to locate or distinguish these from opinions and unrelated information.

Information surrounding an unfamiliar word, such as a definition, example, contrast, or cause-effect relationship, that lets you work out the word's meaning without a dictionary.

The emotional or cultural association a word carries beyond its literal meaning. Words like 'thrifty' and 'stingy' share a meaning but differ sharply in connotation, affecting tone and attitude.

The direct, literal, dictionary meaning of a word, stripped of emotional shading. Distinguishing denotation from connotation helps you judge an author's attitude and word choice.

The author's attitude toward the subject, revealed through word choice, sentence structure, and details. Tone may be ironic, nostalgic, critical, or neutral and is often asked about directly.

The grammatical rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person. Intervening phrases, collective nouns, and indefinite pronouns often complicate agreement in exam sentences.

The relationship between a pronoun and the noun it stands for. Ambiguous or missing antecedents make a sentence unclear, a common error tested in grammar sections.

The use of matching grammatical forms for items in a list or comparison. Faulty parallelism, such as mixing verbs with nouns, is a frequent error in sentence correction questions.

A word, phrase, or clause that describes another element in a sentence. A dangling or misplaced modifier attaches to the wrong word and distorts meaning.

A word with a meaning opposite to another word, such as 'scarce' and 'abundant'. Antonym questions test vocabulary range and precision of meaning.

A word that means nearly the same as another word, such as 'brief' and 'concise'. Recognizing synonyms helps you answer vocabulary and paraphrase questions accurately.

A comparison of two quantities by division, often written as a fraction or with a colon. Ratios allow scaling between parts and wholes in proportion problems.

An equation stating that two ratios are equal. Proportions are solved by cross-multiplication and are used for scaling, unit conversion, and mixture problems.

A number expressed as a fraction of one hundred. Percentage problems involve finding a part, a whole, or a rate of change from a given relationship.

The arithmetic mean, found by dividing the sum of a set of values by the number of values. Averages let you reason about totals when individual values are unknown.

A whole number greater than one whose only positive divisors are one and itself. Primes such as 2, 3, 5, and 7 are central to factorization and divisibility questions.

A number that divides another number exactly, leaving no remainder. Factors are used to simplify fractions and to solve divisibility and factorization problems.

The smallest positive number that is a multiple of two or more given numbers. It is used to find common denominators and to solve problems about repeating events.

An equation in which every variable appears to the first power, producing a straight-line graph. Solving it means isolating the variable using inverse operations.

An equation of degree two, usually written in the form ax squared plus bx plus c equals zero. It can be solved by factoring, completing the square, or the quadratic formula.

A measure of how steep a line is, equal to its rise divided by its run. Slope describes the rate of change between two variables on a graph.

A number between zero and one expressing how likely an event is, calculated as favorable outcomes divided by total equally likely outcomes. It underpins counting and chance questions.

An arrangement of items in which order matters, such as the finishing order of a race. Permutations are counted differently from combinations, where order is irrelevant.

A selection of items in which order does not matter, such as choosing a committee from a group. Combinations count distinct groups rather than sequences.

A testable, tentative explanation for an observation that can be supported or refuted by experiment. A good hypothesis predicts a specific, measurable outcome.

Any factor in an experiment that can change. The independent variable is manipulated, the dependent variable is measured, and controlled variables are held constant.

The group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment being tested, providing a baseline for comparison. Differences between it and the experimental group reveal the treatment's effect.

Mass per unit volume of a substance, calculated as mass divided by volume. Density explains why some objects float in water while others sink.

The amount of matter in an object, measured in grams or kilograms and unchanged by location. Mass differs from weight, which depends on gravitational pull.

The amount of three-dimensional space an object or substance occupies, often measured in liters or cubic centimeters. Volume appears in density and gas-law calculations.

The process by which green plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make glucose and release oxygen. It converts light energy into chemical energy stored in food.

The process by which cells break down glucose to release usable energy, consuming oxygen and producing carbon dioxide and water. It is essentially the reverse of photosynthesis.

A community of living organisms interacting with one another and with the nonliving environment, such as soil, water, and climate. Energy flows through it while matter is recycled.

A sequence showing how energy passes from producers to consumers through feeding relationships. Arrows point in the direction of energy transfer, ending with top predators or decomposers.

A relationship of similarity between two pairs of items, such as part to whole or cause to effect. Solving analogies requires identifying the precise link in the first pair and matching it.

An ordered series in which items or numbers follow a rule, such as adding a constant or doubling. Finding the rule lets you predict the next element.

A regular, repeating arrangement of shapes, numbers, or symbols governed by a rule. Recognizing the rule allows you to complete or extend the series.

Grouping items that share a common property and excluding those that do not. Odd-one-out questions test whether you can identify the defining attribute of a set.

The ability to visualize and manipulate shapes in two or three dimensions, including rotation, reflection, and folding. It is tested through figure rotation and paper-folding problems.

Turning a figure around a fixed point by a given angle without changing its size or shape. Tracking the orientation of features helps solve rotation questions.

A mirror image of a figure across a line, reversing its orientation while preserving size and shape. Reflections flip left and right relative to the mirror line.