PMA Cadet Entrance Test flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Order of operations

The agreed sequence for evaluating expressions: grouping symbols first, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right.

Percent change formula

Percent change equals the difference between new and old values divided by the old value, then multiplied by 100; increases are positive and decreases negative.

Slope of a line

The rise over run between two points, computed as (y2 minus y1) divided by (x2 minus x1); a horizontal line has slope zero.

Quadratic formula

For ax squared plus bx plus c equals zero, x equals negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4ac, all divided by 2a.

Pythagorean theorem

In a right triangle the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the two legs, written a squared plus b squared equals c squared.

Mean, median, mode

Mean is the sum divided by the count, median is the middle value of an ordered list, and mode is the value appearing most often.

Combined work rate

When workers labor together, their rates add; if one finishes a job in 6 hours and another in 3, together they finish in 2 hours.

Subject-verb agreement

A verb must match its subject in number; intervening prepositional phrases do not change the subject, as in 'the box of tools is heavy.'

Its versus it's

Its shows possession, as in 'the dog wagged its tail,' while it's is the contraction of 'it is' or 'it has.'

Dangling modifier

A descriptive phrase that fails to attach to the noun it modifies; fix it by placing the actual actor immediately after the opening comma.

Parallel structure

Items in a list or comparison must share the same grammatical form, such as all gerunds or all infinitives, to read smoothly.

Comma splice

Two independent clauses joined by only a comma; repair with a semicolon, a period, or a coordinating conjunction such as 'and' or 'but.'

Affect versus effect

Affect is normally a verb meaning to influence, while effect is normally a noun meaning the result or outcome of an action.

Active versus passive voice

Active voice places the doer as the subject, as in 'the cadet raised the flag'; passive voice makes the receiver the subject.

Newton's second law

Force equals mass times acceleration; the same force produces greater acceleration on a lighter object than on a heavier one.

Speed and velocity

Speed is distance divided by time and is a scalar; velocity is displacement divided by time and includes direction, so it is a vector.

Kinetic energy

Kinetic energy equals one half times mass times velocity squared, so doubling speed quadruples the energy of a moving object.

Ohm's law

Voltage equals current times resistance; for a fixed resistance, increasing voltage increases current proportionally through the circuit.

Density and floating

Density is mass divided by volume; an object floats in a fluid when its average density is lower than that of the fluid.

Photosynthesis

Plants use light energy and chlorophyll to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose, releasing oxygen as a by-product of the reaction.

DNA base pairing

In DNA, adenine pairs with thymine and guanine pairs with cytosine; the two strands are complementary and held by hydrogen bonds.

pH scale

A scale from 0 to 14 where 7 is neutral; values below 7 indicate acids and values above 7 indicate bases or alkalis.

Number series strategy

Test successive differences first, then ratios, then alternating patterns where two separate sequences interleave at odd and even positions.

Alphabet position rule

Letters map to numbers A equals 1 through Z equals 26, so a plus-three pattern runs A, D, G, J across the series.

Fold-and-punch counting

Each fold doubles the holes punched through the folded region when unfolded, and holes mirror across every fold line created.

Mirror versus water image

A mirror image reverses left and right while keeping top and bottom fixed; a water image reverses top and bottom instead.

Analogy transformation

In 'A is to B as C is to D,' identify the exact change from A to B, then apply that same change to C to find D.

PMA location

The Philippine Military Academy stands at Fort del Pilar in Baguio City, and its cadets are traditionally called cavaliers.

AFP branches

The Armed Forces of the Philippines comprises the Army, the Navy including the Marine Corps, and the Air Force under a unified command.

Branches of government

The Philippine government divides power among the executive, the bicameral legislative branch, and the judiciary, which checks the other two.

ASEAN founding

ASEAN was created by the Bangkok Declaration in 1967, and the Philippines is one of its five founding member states.

Philippine flag colors

Blue stands for peace and justice, red for patriotism and valor, white for liberty, and three stars mark Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.