PERT Mathematics: College Readiness Test Preparation
Why This Learning Experience?
This self-paced professional learning experience is designed by an experienced educator to help you learn on your own schedule. Participants complete practical activities, connect ideas to real classroom practice, and build confidence through application-focused learning — with instant, auto-graded feedback along the way.
Learning Experience Overview
PERT Mathematics is a comprehensive, self-paced test-preparation course designed to strengthen the mathematical skills associated with Florida’s Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT).
The course begins by rebuilding essential arithmetic skills where they support algebra and then progresses through expressions, equations, inequalities, applied problems, polynomials, quadratic equations, coordinate geometry, and systems of equations.
Rather than simply providing practice questions, the course emphasizes understanding the mathematics behind each answer. Learners work through step-by-step instruction, fully worked examples, common errors, test-taking strategies, practice sets with immediate feedback, graded lesson quizzes, and a cumulative final assessment.
The PERT is used within Florida’s college-readiness framework to help determine appropriate course placement. It is not a pass/fail examination. The current statewide PERT Mathematics college-readiness standard is 114.
Learning Outcomes
- Compute accurately with signed numbers and fractions and apply order of operations, exponent rules, roots, factors, and percent concepts.
- Evaluate algebraic expressions by substituting values accurately.
- Solve and verify one-variable linear equations, including equations involving distribution, variables on both sides, fractions, and decimals.
- Rearrange literal equations and formulas to isolate a specified variable.
- Solve linear and compound inequalities and represent their solution sets.
- Apply ratios, proportions, unit rates, percents, and algebraic modeling to applied problems.
- Add, subtract, multiply, divide, simplify, and factor polynomial expressions.
- Solve quadratic equations using factoring, square roots, and the quadratic formula and interpret solutions appropriately.
- Work with ordered pairs, slope, intercepts, and multiple forms of linear equations.
- Identify relationships between parallel and perpendicular lines.
- Solve systems of two linear equations using substitution, elimination, and graphing.
- Recognize one-solution, no-solution, and infinitely-many-solutions systems.
- Apply mathematical reasoning and error-checking strategies to PERT-style mathematics problems.
Who Should Participate?
This course is designed for learners who want structured preparation for the mathematics skills associated with the PERT, including:
- High school students preparing for college placement or readiness testing.
- Adult learners returning to college after time away from mathematics.
- Students who need to refresh foundational arithmetic and algebra skills.
- Learners who have taken the PERT Mathematics subtest previously and want additional preparation before retesting.
- Students who are exempt from required placement testing but elect to take the PERT or want to strengthen their mathematics skills before beginning college coursework.
