Hints will display for most wrong answers; explanations for most right answers. You can attempt a question multiple times; it will only be scored correct if you get it right the first time.
I used the official objectives and sample test to construct these questions, but cannot promise that they accurately reflect what’s on the real test. Some of the sample questions were more convoluted than I could bear to write. See terms of use. See the MTEL Practice Test main page to view questions on a particular topic or to download paper practice tests.
MTEL General Curriculum Mathematics Practice
Question 1 |
The prime factorization of n can be written as n=pqr, where p, q, and r are distinct prime numbers. How many factors does n have, including 1 and itself?
\( \large3\) Hint: 1, p, q, r, and pqr are already 5, so this isn't enough. You might try plugging in p=2, q=3, and r=5 to help with this problem. | |
\( \large5\) Hint: Don't forget pq, etc. You might try plugging in p=2, q=3, and r=5 to help with this problem. | |
\( \large6\) Hint: You might try plugging in p=2, q=3, and r=5 to help with this problem. | |
\( \large8\) Hint: 1, p, q, r, pq, pr, qr, pqr. |
Question 2 |
Which of the following inequalities describes all values of x with \(\large \dfrac{x}{2}\le \dfrac{x}{3}\)?
\( \large x < 0\) Hint: If x =0, then x/2 = x/3, so this answer can't be correct. | |
\( \large x \le 0\) | |
\( \large x > 0\) Hint: If x =0, then x/2 = x/3, so this answer can't be correct. | |
\( \large x \ge 0\) Hint: Try plugging in x = 6. |
Question 3 |
AHint: \(\frac{34}{135} \approx \frac{1}{4}\) and \( \frac{53}{86} \approx \frac {2}{3}\). \(\frac {1}{4}\) of \(\frac {2}{3}\) is small and closest to A. | |
BHint: Estimate with simpler fractions. | |
CHint: Estimate with simpler fractions. | |
DHint: Estimate with simpler fractions. |
Question 4 |
If x is an integer, which of the following must also be an integer?
\( \large \dfrac{x}{2}\) Hint: If x is odd, then \( \dfrac{x}{2} \) is not an integer, e.g. 3/2 = 1.5. | |
\( \large \dfrac{2}{x}\) Hint: Only an integer if x = -2, -1, 1, or 2. | |
\( \large-x\) Hint: -1 times any integer is still an integer. | |
\(\large\sqrt{x}\) Hint: Usually not an integer, e.g. \( \sqrt{2} \approx 1.414 \). |
Question 5 |
In the triangle below, \(\overline{AC}\cong \overline{AD}\cong \overline{DE}\) and \(m\angle CAD=100{}^\circ \). What is \(m\angle DAE\)?

\( \large 20{}^\circ \) Hint: Angles ACD and ADC are congruent since they are base angles of an isosceles triangle. Since the angles of a triangle sum to 180, they sum to 80, and they are 40 deg each. Thus angle ADE is 140 deg, since it makes a straight line with angle ADC. Angles DAE and DEA are base angles of an isosceles triangle and thus congruent-- they sum to 40 deg, so are 20 deg each. | |
\( \large 25{}^\circ \) Hint: If two sides of a triangle are congruent, then it's isosceles, and the base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal. | |
\( \large 30{}^\circ \) Hint: If two sides of a triangle are congruent, then it's isosceles, and the base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal. | |
\( \large 40{}^\circ \) Hint: Make sure you're calculating the correct angle. |
Question 6 |
Use the table below to answer the question that follows:
Gordon wants to buy three pounds of nuts. Each of the stores above ordinarily sells the nuts for $4.99 a pound, but is offering a discount this week. At which store can he buy the nuts for the least amount of money?
Store AHint: This would save about $2.50. You can quickly see that D saves more. | |
Store BHint: This saves 15% and C saves 25%. | |
Store C | |
Store DHint: This is about 20% off, which is less of a discount than C. |
Question 7 |
The Americans with Disabilties Act (ADA) regulations state that the maximum slope for a wheelchair ramp in new construction is 1:12, although slopes between 1:16 and 1:20 are preferred. The maximum rise for any run is 30 inches. The graph below shows the rise and runs of four different wheelchair ramps. Which ramp is in compliance with the ADA regulations for new construction?

AHint: Rise is more than 30 inches. | |
BHint: Run is almost 24 feet, so rise can be almost 2 feet. | |
CHint: Run is 12 feet, so rise can be at most 1 foot. | |
DHint: Slope is 1:10 -- too steep. |
Question 8 |
There are six gumballs in a bag — two red and four green. Six children take turns picking a gumball out of the bag without looking. They do not return any gumballs to the bag. What is the probability that the first two children to pick from the bag pick the red gumballs?
\( \large \dfrac{1}{3}\) Hint: This is the probability that the first child picks a red gumball, but not that the first two children pick red gumballs. | |
\( \large \dfrac{1}{8}\) Hint: Are you adding things that you should be multiplying? | |
\( \large \dfrac{1}{9}\) Hint: This would be the probability if the gumballs were returned to the bag. | |
\( \large \dfrac{1}{15}\) Hint: The probability that the first child picks red is 2/6 = 1/3. Then there are 5 gumballs in the bag, one red, so the probability that the second child picks red is 1/5. Thus 1/5 of the time, after the first child picks red, the second does too, so the probability is 1/5 x 1/3 = 1/15. |
Question 9 |
The equation \( \large F=\frac{9}{5}C+32\) is used to convert a temperature measured in Celsius to the equivalent Farentheit temperature.
A patient's temperature increased by 1.5° Celcius. By how many degrees Fahrenheit did her temperature increase?
1.5°Hint: Celsius and Fahrenheit don't increase at the same rate. | |
1.8°Hint: That's how much the Fahrenheit temp increases when the Celsius temp goes up by 1 degree. | |
2.7°Hint: Each degree increase in Celsius corresponds to a \(\dfrac{9}{5}=1.8\) degree increase in Fahrenheit. Thus the increase is 1.8+0.9=2.7. | |
Not enough information.Hint: A linear equation has constant slope, which means that every increase of the same amount in one variable, gives a constant increase in the other variable. It doesn't matter what temperature the patient started out at. |
Question 10 |
Use the expression below to answer the question that follows:
\( \large \dfrac{\left( 7,154 \right)\times \left( 896 \right)}{216}\)
Which of the following is the best estimate of the expression above?
2,000Hint: The answer is bigger than 7,000. | |
20,000Hint: Estimate 896/216 first. | |
3,000Hint: The answer is bigger than 7,000. | |
30,000Hint: \( \dfrac{896}{216} \approx 4\) and \(7154 \times 4\) is over 28,000, so this answer is closest. |
Question 11 |
Below are front, side, and top views of a three-dimensional solid.
Which of the following could be the solid shown above?
A sphereHint: All views would be circles. | |
A cylinder | |
A coneHint: Two views would be triangles, not rectangles. | |
A pyramidHint: How would one view be a circle? |
Question 12 |
A biology class requires a lab fee, which is a whole number of dollars, and the same amount for all students. On Monday the instructor collected $70 in fees, on Tuesday she collected $126, and on Wednesday she collected $266. What is the largest possible amount the fee could be?
$2Hint: A possible fee, but not the largest possible fee. Check the other choices to see which are factors of all three numbers. | |
$7Hint: A possible fee, but not the largest possible fee. Check the other choices to see which are factors of all three numbers. | |
$14Hint: This is the greatest common factor of 70, 126, and 266. | |
$70Hint: Not a factor of 126 or 266, so couldn't be correct. |
Question 13 |
On a map the distance from Boston to Detroit is 6 cm, and these two cities are 702 miles away from each other. Assuming the scale of the map is the same throughout, which answer below is closest to the distance between Boston and San Francisco on the map, given that they are 2,708 miles away from each other?
21 cmHint: How many miles would correspond to 24 cm on the map? Try adjusting from there. | |
22 cmHint: How many miles would correspond to 24 cm on the map? Try adjusting from there. | |
23 cmHint: One way to solve this without a calculator is to note that 4 groups of 6 cm is 2808 miles, which is 100 miles too much. Then 100 miles would be about 1/7 th of 6 cm, or about 1 cm less than 24 cm. | |
24 cmHint: 4 groups of 6 cm is over 2800 miles on the map, which is too much. |
Question 14 |
Use the problem below to answer the question that follows:
T shirts are on sale for 20% off. Tasha paid $8.73 for a shirt. What is the regular price of the shirt? There is no tax on clothing purchases under $175.
Let p represent the regular price of these t-shirt. Which of the following equations is correct?
\( \large 0.8p=\$8.73\) Hint: 80% of the regular price = $8.73. | |
\( \large \$8.73+0.2*\$8.73=p\) Hint: The 20% off was off of the ORIGINAL price, not off the $8.73 (a lot of people make this mistake). Plus this is the same equation as in choice c. | |
\( \large 1.2*\$8.73=p\) Hint: The 20% off was off of the ORIGINAL price, not off the $8.73 (a lot of people make this mistake). Plus this is the same equation as in choice b. | |
\( \large p-0.2*\$8.73=p\) Hint: Subtract p from both sides of this equation, and you have -.2 x 8.73 =0. |
Question 15 |
The expression \( \large {{7}^{-4}}\cdot {{8}^{-6}}\) is equal to which of the following?
\( \large \dfrac{8}{{{\left( 56 \right)}^{4}}}\) Hint: The bases are whole numbers, and the exponents are negative. How can the numerator be 8? | |
\( \large \dfrac{64}{{{\left( 56 \right)}^{4}}}\) Hint: The bases are whole numbers, and the exponents are negative. How can the numerator be 64? | |
\( \large \dfrac{1}{8\cdot {{\left( 56 \right)}^{4}}}\) Hint: \(8^{-6}=8^{-4} \times 8^{-2}\) | |
\( \large \dfrac{1}{64\cdot {{\left( 56 \right)}^{4}}}\) |
Question 16 |
Here is a student's work solving an equation:
\( x-4=-2x+6\)
\( x-4+4=-2x+6+4\)
\( x=-2x+10\)
\( x-2x=10\)
\( x=10\)
Which of the following statements is true?
The student‘s solution is correct.Hint: Try plugging into the original solution. | |
The student did not correctly use properties of equality.Hint: After \( x=-2x+10\), the student subtracted 2x on the left and added 2x on the right. | |
The student did not correctly use the distributive property.Hint: Distributive property is \(a(b+c)=ab+ac\). | |
The student did not correctly use the commutative property.Hint: Commutative property is \(a+b=b+a\) or \(ab=ba\). |
Question 17 |
Which of the following is equal to one million three hundred thousand?
\(\large1.3\times {{10}^{6}}\)
| |
\(\large1.3\times {{10}^{9}}\)
Hint: That's one billion three hundred million. | |
\(\large1.03\times {{10}^{6}}\)
Hint: That's one million thirty thousand. | |
\(\large1.03\times {{10}^{9}}\) Hint: That's one billion thirty million |
Question 18 |
Elena is going to use a calculator to check whether or not 267 is prime. She will pick certain divisors, and then find 267 divided by each, and see if she gets a whole number. If she never gets a whole number, then she's found a prime. Which numbers does Elena NEED to check before she can stop checking and be sure she has a prime?
All natural numbers from 2 to 266.Hint: She only needs to check primes -- checking the prime factors of any composite is enough to look for divisors. As a test taking strategy, the other three choices involve primes, so worth thinking about. | |
All primes from 2 to 266 .Hint: Remember, factors come in pairs (except for square root factors), so she would first find the smaller of the pair and wouldn't need to check the larger. | |
All primes from 2 to 133 .Hint: She doesn't need to check this high. Factors come in pairs, and something over 100 is going to be paired with something less than 3, so she will find that earlier. | |
All primes from \( \large 2\) to \( \large \sqrt{267}\).Hint: \(\sqrt{267} \times \sqrt{267}=267\). Any other pair of factors will have one factor less than \( \sqrt{267}\) and one greater, so she only needs to check up to \( \sqrt{267}\). |
Question 19 |
Use the samples of a student's work below to answer the question that follows:
This student divides fractions by first finding a common denominator, then dividing the numerators.
\( \large \dfrac{2}{3} \div \dfrac{3}{4} \longrightarrow \dfrac{8}{12} \div \dfrac{9}{12} \longrightarrow 8 \div 9 = \dfrac {8}{9}\) \( \large \dfrac{2}{5} \div \dfrac{7}{20} \longrightarrow \dfrac{8}{20} \div \dfrac{7}{20} \longrightarrow 8 \div 7 = \dfrac {8}{7}\) \( \large \dfrac{7}{6} \div \dfrac{3}{4} \longrightarrow \dfrac{14}{12} \div \dfrac{9}{12} \longrightarrow 14 \div 9 = \dfrac {14}{9}\)Which of the following best describes the mathematical validity of the algorithm the student is using?
It is not valid. Common denominators are for adding and subtracting fractions, not for dividing them.Hint: Don't be so rigid! Usually there's more than one way to do something in math. | |
It got the right answer in these three cases, but it isn‘t valid for all rational numbers.Hint: Did you try some other examples? What makes you say it's not valid? | |
It is valid if the rational numbers in the division problem are in lowest terms and the divisor is not zero.Hint: Lowest terms doesn't affect this problem at all. | |
It is valid for all rational numbers, as long as the divisor is not zero.Hint: When we have common denominators, the problem is in the form a/b divided by c/b, and the answer is a/c, as the student's algorithm predicts. |
Question 20 |
Use the expression below to answer the question that follows.
\( \large 3\times {{10}^{4}}+2.2\times {{10}^{2}}\)
Which of the following is closest to the expression above?
Five millionHint: Pay attention to the exponents. Adding 3 and 2 doesn't work because they have different place values. | |
Fifty thousandHint: Pay attention to the exponents. Adding 3 and 2 doesn't work because they have different place values. | |
Three millionHint: Don't add the exponents. | |
Thirty thousandHint: \( 3\times {{10}^{4}} = 30,000;\) the other term is much smaller and doesn't change the estimate. |
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