GENERAL HINTS for Praxis Test

1) No penalty for guessing. GUESS!!!
2) Use the graphing calculator as often as possible.
3) Sometimes you can just plug-in each option to see
which one is correct.
4) More difficult problems could be solved by
looking at a more simplified form.

5) If you have no idea, then choose the one

that is most likely!
OPTIONS: 1/2, -1/2, 5, -5, 4

Since 3 options are positive and 3 are whole numbers,

then pick the POSITIVE 5 since there are two 5's!

6) If the question asks for the largest, then pick the

one OPTION that has the largest ABSOLUTE VALUE!

OPTIONS: -5, -4, -2, 3, and 4 CHOOSE -5

LINK: Back to Contents

INVERSE FUNCTIONS

All functions have the property where each x has one y-partner.
(Graphically: It passes the "VERTICAL LINE TEST".)
If a certain function also has each y with only one x-partner
(Thus, passing a "HORIZONTAL LINE TEST"), it has an INVERSE!

Prefixes like INV or ARC are sometimes used to denote inverse.
Another form looks like f to the -1 power(Not to be confused with RECIPROCAL).



You might say that the INVERSE
undoes what the orginal function did!

To find the inverse of a function f(x)
switch x and y and THEN solve for y.


f(x) = x cubed
switch
x = y cubed
solving for y
y = cube root of x
y = x raised to 1/3 power

(We had to invent the symbols for cube root and 1/3 power.)
The graph of the inverse of f(x) we can graph f(x) and then
rotate this graph through y = x (thus, switching x and y)

Inverse Trig:

INVERSE TRIG:

How to find the partners

for 22 degrees.

TRIGONOMETRY - Temperature in Cincinnati

Take the xy-plane and
draw a circle of radius ONE.
The equation for this circle is
x^2 + y^2 = 1.
If you wish to use the graphing
calculator to draw the circle you
will need to split it into two
functions. (It is not a function itself!)
y1 = ( 1 - x^2)^(1/2)
y2 = (-1)( 1 - x^2)^(1/2)
*******************************
Draw an angle "SMILE" in a
STANDARD POSITION
(start with a side along the x-axis and then rotate
counter-clockwise a certain number of degrees).
The side along the x-axis is called the initial side
and the other side is the terminal side.
The TERMINAL SIDE will intersect the unit circle
at an ordered pair.
This ordered pair is by definition:
the COSINE and SINE of the ANGLE drawn.
Thus, a 30 degree angle will intercept
the circle at the ordered pair (.5, .8660254).