Math Section in THEA

All about THEA Mathematics

Every student who lives in the state of Texas and is about to finish school, has to take the THEA , which stands for Texas Higher Education Assessment. This standardized test was introduced by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in the 1980s. The main idea behind developing this set of tests was to facilitate the admission process for both the applicants as well as for the various colleges and universities across Texas who offer diploma, certificate and graduation programs. The test is conducted in two main formats: Quick test, which is a paper-based format and the Internet-based test, which is in the online format; however, the structure of the test is similar for both the formats. There are three sections in the test: Reading, Writing and Math. This particular article discusses the Math section in detail along with some important points that you must know about this section.

Structure of this Section

Mathematics, in both the Quick test and the Internet-based test format, is composed of 50 questions. Each of these questions is objective and multiple-choice based. This means that you need to select one of the given four answer options for each question. There are four main areas that are tested under this particular section:

    • Problem Solving: These are simple word-problems in which you need to use your knowledge in the basic areas of mathematics.
    • Geometry: The questions from Geometry can be based on solid geometry (e.g. area, volume, surface area etc) or coordinate geometry (e.g. line equations, symmetry etc).
    • Algebra: Most of such questions will be about different equations – binomial theorems, quadratic equations, roots of equation etc.
  • Fundamental Mathematics: Such questions cover topics like number system, percentages, averages, ratio and proportion etc.

Important Points Regarding this section

Here a few important points regarding the Math section that you cannot afford to miss:

  • In the Internet-based format of the test, you will be given an online calculator to help you with lengthy calculations.
  • In the Math section in the Quick-test format, you can bring your own simple 4-function calculator that is non-programmable. This will help you in solving huge calculations in a short period of time. However, to be on the safe side, you must remember to bring extra batteries for the calculator to the exam.
    • You will also be given a reference sheet. This sheet will contain a brief list of all important formulae that you need to know for solving this section.

Basically, Mathematics is a part of this test because it can evaluate your ability to solve various mathematical operations and apply reasoning and problem-solving skills. All these concepts are tested across various freshman-level courses.

Preparation Guidelines for Math Section

Here are some useful tips that you can follow to prepare for this section:

    1. The first tip that you can use in your preparation would be to clarify the basic fundamentals of all the concepts tested in Mathematics. For this, you may consult your school books and practice the questions again.
    1. In case you are weak in a particular concept, you can talk to a teacher and consult him or her regarding that particular topic.
  1. You can also make use of  the self-study guides that are available for online purchase such as www.amazon.com. Most of these study guides contain a lot of practice questions and also contain a few practice tests.

Hence, it can be asserted at the end that this section is an important part of your assessment under THEA You need to put in a lot of hard work to pass this section. Also, you need to practice a lot for it, so that one can develop a good pace for solving mathematical problems. All the preparation that you put in will be subsequently useful in the courses that you take up in your college courses. So, start preparing for this right away!