FTCE General Knowledge Practice Test.
Free practice exam — 61 verified questions, instant feedback.

Answer: C
Distributing each term carefully, including applying the negative sign to both terms inside the second parentheses, gives 4x plus 12 minus 2x plus 2, which correctly combines to 2x plus 14; failing to distribute the negative sign to the second term inside the parentheses, treating it as addition instead of subtraction, produces the incorrect 2x plus 10 distractor.

Answer: C
Finding the car's unit rate of 30 miles per gallon and then dividing the new distance by that rate gives the correct amount of gasoline needed; multiplying instead of dividing, or using an incorrect rate calculated from the wrong pair of numbers, produces each of the other results.

Answer: C
Since one kilometer equals 1,000 meters, converting requires multiplying the given distance by 1,000, which correctly gives 5,500 meters; multiplying by only 100 instead of 1,000, as if converting to a different metric unit, produces the smaller incorrect distractor.

Answer: C
The Pythagorean theorem states that the sum of the squares of the two legs equals the square of the hypotenuse, so squaring 6 and 8, adding the results, and taking the square root correctly gives 10 centimeters; simply adding the two leg lengths together instead of applying the theorem produces the incorrect 14 centimeter distractor.

Answer: B
Finding a fractional part of a total requires multiplying the total by the fraction, so multiplying 480 by 3/8 correctly gives 180 fiction books; dividing the total by 3 instead of first dividing by 8 and then multiplying by 3 produces one of the other incorrect totals.

Answer: B
Each term in this pattern is produced by doubling the previous term and then adding one, so doubling 31 and adding 1 correctly gives 63; assuming the pattern instead follows a simple increasing arithmetic difference between terms leads to one of the other incorrect values.

Answer: D
A markup is calculated by adding a percentage of the original price to that original price, so adding 25% of $40, which is $10, to the original $40 correctly gives a retail price of $50; adding a flat, rounded dollar amount instead of calculating the exact percentage produces one of the other incorrect prices.

Answer: B
Solving this equation requires first adding 3 to both sides to isolate the term with the variable, and then multiplying both sides by 4 to fully solve for y, which correctly gives 32; stopping after the first step, once y/4 equals 8, without completing the final multiplication leaves an incomplete and incorrect answer.

Answer: B
Since 45% of the 200 teachers teach elementary school, the remaining 55% do not, and calculating 55% of 200 correctly gives 110 teachers; reporting the number of teachers who do teach elementary school instead of those who do not is the common mix-up that produces the incorrect 90 distractor.

Answer: B
The volume of a rectangular prism is found by multiplying its length, width, and height together, so multiplying 5 by 4 by 3 correctly gives 60 cubic inches; adding the three dimensions together instead of multiplying them produces the much smaller incorrect distractor.

Answer: A
Converting every value to decimal form before comparing shows that 3/10 equals 0.3, 1/3 is approximately 0.333, and the remaining two values are already decimals, giving the correct order of 3/10, 1/3, 0.35, and 0.4; confusing 1/3 with a value close to 0.3 due to their similar-looking digits causes the ordering errors found in the other choices.

Answer: B
When a plural noun ending in s shows possession, the apostrophe goes after the s rather than before it, so a lounge shared by multiple teachers needs the plural possessive form. Omitting the apostrophe entirely or placing it as if only one teacher owns the lounge both misrepresent who the lounge belongs to.

Answer: A
A collective noun like committee names a single unit acting together, so it takes a singular verb and a matching singular pronoun. The tempting distractor pairs the correct singular verb with a plural pronoun, creating a pronoun-antecedent mismatch that formal writing does not allow.

Answer: C
With neither...nor, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it, and here that closer subject is plural, so a plural verb is required. A common error is matching the verb to the first-listed subject instead of the nearer one, or swapping the required nor for a plain or, which breaks the correlative pair.

Answer: C
Its without an apostrophe shows possession, while it's is a contraction meaning it is, so a sentence describing a policy belonging to the company needs the possessive form without the apostrophe. The tempting distractors insert an apostrophe where possession is intended, confusing the contraction with the possessive.

Answer: B
A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are joined only by a comma, and one correct fix is a semicolon paired with a transitional word like however to show contrast. Removing the comma entirely creates a run-on instead of fixing it, and pairing a semicolon with a coordinating conjunction like and is redundant punctuation.

Answer: D
Who functions as a subject pronoun performing the action of the verb, which fits a question asking who is doing something, while whom is reserved for object positions such as after a preposition. The final distractor further confuses whose, the possessive form, with who's, the contraction for who is.

Answer: D
An introductory phrase like running late for class must be followed by the person actually performing that action, but a backpack cannot run late, so the sentence needs a human subject placed right after the comma. Simply relocating the phrase or adding extra clauses around the backpack does not fix the underlying mismatch between the modifier and what it describes.

Answer: C
Items joined in a series should share the same grammatical form, and using the -ing gerund form for all three activities keeps the list balanced and easy to follow. The other versions mix gerunds with infinitives or with a bare noun, breaking the parallel pattern the reader expects.

Answer: C
Fewer is used with countable nouns that can be numbered individually, such as students, while less is reserved for uncountable quantities like enthusiasm or amount. The distractors either apply less to a countable noun or apply fewer to an uncountable one, reversing the rule.

Answer: D
Between is the conventional choice when exactly two people or items are involved, as with the two department heads here, while among is used for groups of three or more. The other sentences reverse this pattern by using among for only two parties or between for an entire committee of many members.

Answer: A
Concise writing removes words that repeat the same idea, such as pairing final with outcome or together with in unison, since outcome and agreed already carry that meaning on their own. The other versions stack multiple redundant phrases that add length without adding new information.

Answer: C
Good has an irregular comparative form, better, which already expresses the comparison on its own without an additional word like more. Adding more or most in front of an already-comparative or already-superlative irregular form creates a double comparison that standard grammar does not allow.

Answer: A
A compound modifier that comes directly before the noun it describes, such as well-known before author, is joined with a hyphen to show the two words function together as a single descriptive unit. Leaving the hyphen out entirely, hyphenating every word in the phrase including the noun itself, or placing the hyphen in the wrong spot all misapply this punctuation rule.

Answer: A
Affect is most commonly used as a verb meaning to influence, which fits a policy influencing departments, while effect is the noun form referring to a result. The other sentences reverse this pattern by using effect as a verb or affect where the noun effect describing a result is needed.

Answer: C
The main idea should capture the passage as a whole, and the passage lists several reasons for the trend, including fresh produce, community connection, green space, and education, rather than focusing on just one. Each distractor isolates a single detail, such as vacant lots or schools, and mistakenly treats it as the entire point of the passage.

Answer: B
The urgent call to action, must act now, combined with a warning about consequences, signals that the writer wants readers to support a specific position rather than simply informing or entertaining them. There is no historical background, personal story, or schedule description offered, so those purposes do not fit the text.

Answer: C
A statement that expresses a personal judgment, such as calling something the best improvement ever, cannot be checked against objective records and therefore counts as an opinion. The other statements describe countable, verifiable details, such as the number of labs or workstations, that could be confirmed by checking school records.

Answer: D
The surrounding context describes neither side being willing to compromise, which points to a stalemate where no progress can be made, matching the meaning of a deadlock. The other choices, such as agreement or celebration, contradict the described situation of a stalled negotiation.

Answer: D
The repeated watch-checking, gathering of folders, and anxious glance toward the door together suggest Maria is anticipating an arrival or deadline, which supports an inference about waiting and anxiety rather than boredom or dislike. None of the other options are directly supported by the specific behaviors described in the passage.

Answer: C
Word choices like dragged its feet and excuse after excuse convey clear disapproval of the delay, revealing an attitude of frustration rather than a neutral or celebratory stance. Nothing in the passage's word choice suggests humor or pride, since the description centers on damage caused by inaction.

Answer: C
This sentence adds one specific additional benefit of recess without restating or contradicting the passage's overall claim, which makes it a supporting detail rather than the central point itself. It does not oppose the main idea, so it cannot be a counterargument, and there is no signal that it wraps up the passage as a conclusion.

Answer: A
The sequence words first, next, and finally mark the order of events, and the word finally directly precedes the description of students practicing the words in pairs, identifying it as the last step. The other activities are marked as occurring earlier in the sequence by the words first and next, and the grammar lecture is never mentioned at all.

Answer: C
The passage examines two methods side by side, pointing out how each differs from the other in time and materials, which is the defining feature of a compare-and-contrast structure. There is no sequence of time-ordered steps, no single problem being solved, and no described cause leading to a resulting effect.

Answer: A
The sweeping generalization every teacher agrees, combined with the source being the company selling the product, points to a self-interested claim rather than neutral, evidence-based reporting. No study, statistic, or comparison to other methods is cited, so the statement cannot be treated as objective or balanced.

Answer: A
An effective summary condenses the passage's key actions and outcome, capturing the student-run program and the resulting waste reduction without adding unsupported details. None of the other statements, such as a new building, a legal requirement, or paid volunteers, appear anywhere in the described passage.

Answer: D
None of the three sentences states the main idea outright, but together the shut windows, indoor jackets, and rattling heater that never warms the room all point to an unstated conclusion that the classroom was cold because the heating was inadequate. The other choices either misread a single detail or offer a generic fact about winter that the passage never actually addresses.

Answer: A
Since 27 only has whole-number divisors of 1, 3, 9, and 27, the largest divisor that is 6 or fewer is 3 students per row, and dividing 27 by 3 correctly gives 9 rows as the smallest possible number that still keeps every row equal; assuming any number up to 6 students per row works without checking whether it evenly divides 27 leads to the other incorrect, non-whole-number results.

Answer: A
Translating this statement into the equation x plus 15 equals 3x and then solving algebraically, by subtracting x from both sides and dividing by 2, correctly gives 7.5; dividing 15 by 3 instead of correctly isolating and solving for the variable produces the incorrect 5 distractor.

Answer: B
Applying the distributive property means multiplying both terms inside the parentheses by 3 before combining like terms with the remaining 5x, which yields 11x minus 12; forgetting to multiply the constant term inside the parentheses by 3 leaves an incorrect constant, and failing to combine the x-terms at all leaves the expression only partially simplified.

Answer: C
Converting 40% to the decimal 0.40 and multiplying it by the total of 250 respondents gives the correct count; using a rounded or approximate percentage instead of the exact 40% figure leads to the other incorrect totals.

Answer: A
Isolating the variable requires subtracting 2x from both sides and then adding 5 to both sides, which correctly yields x equals 12; making a sign error while moving a term across the equals sign is a frequent mistake that produces a negative value instead.

Answer: D
The probability that an event does not occur equals one minus the probability that it does occur, and since 5 of the 20 marbles are blue, the probability of not drawing blue is 15 out of 20, which simplifies to 3/4; calculating the probability of drawing blue itself instead of its complement produces the incorrect 1/4 result.

Answer: C
Subtracting fractions requires first rewriting them with a common denominator, so 1/3 becomes 2/6, and 5/6 minus 2/6 correctly equals 3/6, which simplifies to 1/2; subtracting the numerators directly without first finding a common denominator produces the incorrect 4/6 distractor.

Answer: B
A semicolon can stand between two complete, independent clauses without any conjunction between them, which is exactly the relationship here. Placing a semicolon before a dependent clause that starts with because is a misuse, and pairing the semicolon with a coordinating conjunction like and duplicates the semicolon's own joining function.

Answer: A
Standard English pairs a single negative word, such as doesn't, with a neutral quantifier like any rather than stacking a second negative word such as no, hardly, or nothing onto the same clause. Each distractor combines two negative elements, which cancels the intended meaning or is considered nonstandard in formal writing.

Answer: D
Although all four words can describe someone who refuses to give up, stubborn carries a negative connotation suggesting unreasonable inflexibility, while the other three words carry a more neutral or admiring tone. Recognizing connotation requires noticing the emotional shading a word adds beyond its literal, or denotative, meaning.

Answer: B
Finding the median requires arranging all seven scores in numerical order and selecting the single middle value, which is 88 once the data set is sorted; mistaking the most frequently occurring score, 90, for the median is a common error since that value happens to appear twice in this set.

Answer: A
The mean is calculated by adding all five values together and dividing the sum by the number of values, which correctly gives 22; identifying the middle, or median, value of the sorted data set instead of computing the average produces the incorrect 20 distractor.

Answer: B
Two independent clauses running together with no punctuation form a run-on sentence, and a comma followed by a coordinating conjunction like and correctly links them. Simply relocating the comma or inserting a transitional word such as therefore without any preceding punctuation still leaves the clauses improperly joined.

Answer: D
When one past action is completed before another past event, the earlier action should be expressed in the past perfect tense, which is what pairing had already finished with the simple past rang accomplishes. The other versions mix present or future tense with a clearly past-time signal, creating an inconsistent timeline.

Answer: B
A colon should follow a complete independent clause, and phrasing the introduction as the following creates that complete clause before the list begins. Placing a colon directly after a linking verb like are, or in the middle of the subject and verb, breaks the sentence apart in a way standard punctuation rules do not permit.

Answer: D
The sentence structure signals that the bridge closure is the cause, introduced by the word because, and the resulting delays commuters experienced are the effect that followed. Restating the cause itself, or introducing details about alternate routes or completed repairs that the sentence never mentions, does not correctly identify the effect.

Answer: C
A topic sentence should be broad enough to introduce every supporting detail that follows in the paragraph, and only this sentence is general enough to cover physical, social, and emotional benefits at once. The other options describe a single specific example or fact rather than framing the paragraph's overall scope.

Answer: A
Consequently signals that the idea following it is a direct result of what came before, marking a cause-and-effect relationship between the two ideas. Meanwhile signals simultaneous timing, similarly signals a comparison, and nevertheless signals contrast, none of which indicate that one idea caused another.

Answer: A
Basing a call to cancel an entire program on the experience of just one student after only two sessions is a hasty generalization, since a single limited case cannot reliably represent the program's overall effectiveness. There are no complex statistics, no authority figure being cited, and cost is simply not mentioned, so those are not the argument's actual weakness.

Answer: A
The passage first names a specific difficulty, overcrowded classrooms, and then explains the actions taken to resolve it, which is the defining pattern of a problem-and-solution structure. There is no comparison between two separate items, no simple listing of descriptive details, and the focus is on addressing an issue rather than tracking events strictly by time.

Answer: D
The rest of the sentence directly describes the student talking through the entire lesson without pausing, which is a context clue that reveals loquacious means talkative. Rereading the whole passage without focusing on that clue, examining only a single syllable, or guessing an opposite meaning like quiet are all less direct and less reliable strategies.

Answer: D
Following the standard order of operations, the parentheses are resolved first to get 4, then multiplication and division are performed left to right to get 16 divided by 2 equals 8, and finally addition gives 8 plus 8 equals 16. Performing the operations strictly left to right while ignoring the required order, such as adding before multiplying, produces one of the other incorrect totals.

Answer: B
Percent increase is found by dividing the amount of change by the original value and converting the result to a percent, so the 60-student increase divided by the original 400 students gives 15%. Mistaking the amount of change itself for the percent, or dividing by the new total instead of the original value, produces each of the other incorrect results.

Answer: B
Finding the walkway's area requires calculating the area of the larger rectangle formed by the garden plus the walkway on every side, then subtracting the area of the garden itself; forgetting that the walkway width must be added to each dimension twice, once per side, results in an outer rectangle that is too small and produces the lower incorrect area.