MATHEMATICS FOR LIBERAL ARTS

Math for Liberal Arts is a course designed to build practical mathematical understanding for everyday life and informed citizenship. Rather than focusing on advanced formulas, the course emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and real-world applications of mathematics. Students explore topics such as logical reasoning, percentages, statistics, financial literacy, data interpretation, probability, and mathematical modeling as they appear in news, politics, personal finance, and social issues. The goal is to strengthen confidence with numbers, develop analytical skills, and help students make thoughtful, informed decisions using mathematics in academic, professional, and personal contexts.

MATH FOR LIBERAL ARTS EXAM INFORMATION

This exam covers topics such as real number systems; sets and logic; metric system, conversions and geometry; algebra, graphs and functions (as applied to real-life applications); linear systems and inequalities; exponents and logarithms, including financial literacy

and counting, probability theory and statistics. The exam contains 80 questions (75 scored and 5unscored) to be answered in 2 hours. The use of a non-programmable calculator is permitted in this exam.

Form Codes: SS300, ST300, SY300, SZ300

CREDIT RECOMMENDATIONS

The American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) has evaluated the DSST test development

process and content of this exam. It has made the following recommendations:

Area or Course Equivalent: Math for Liberal Arts

Level: Lower-level baccalaureate

Amount of Credit: 3 Semester Hours

Minimum Score: 400

Source: www.acenet.edu

EXAM CONTENT OUTLINE

The following is an outline of the content areas covered in the examination. The approximate percentage of the examination devoted to each content area is also noted.

I. Real Number Systems – 11%

a. Real numbers: Natural Numbers, Integers, Rational Numbers, Irrational Numbers, The real number line.

b. Fractions and reducing fractions; conversion between decimal numbers and fractions; between operations with fractions percentages.

c. d. e. Operations with real numbers and their properties. Prime and composite numbers; divisibility rules; prime factorization.

Rules of exponents including rational and negative exponents.

f. Scientific notation

II. Sets and Logic – 16%

a. b. c. Introduction to sets (set-builder notation) Subsets, Set Operations, Venn Diagramss. Logic (conjunction and disjunction; conditional and biconditional statements, Truth Tables)

Rev 1/2026III. IV. V. VI. Metric system, conversions and geometry – 13%

a. b. c. d. e. Introduction to metrics and U.S. customary unit systems. Conversions between metric and U.S. customary unit systems, including Dimensional Analysis. Properties of lines, angles and pairs of angles. Perimeter and area of 2D geometric objects. Surface area and volume of 3D solid objects.

Algebra, graphs and functions – 11%

a. b. c. Order of operations, simplifying expressions; evaluation of formulas. Problems involving linear equations with one variable and proportions. Linear functions and their graphs.

d. Quadratic equations and functions.

Linear Systems and Inequalities – 9%

a. b. c. Graph and solve Linear systems of equations in two variables including applications. Graph and solve Linear inequalities in one or two variables. Graph and solve systems of linear inequalities in two variables.

Exponents and Logarithms including Financial Literacy – 21%

a. Properties of Logarithms

b. Logarithmic and Exponential Functions

c. Simple and Compound Interest

d. Installment Buying including Student Loans and Home Buying

e. Investing in Stocks and Bonds

VII. Counting, Probability Theory and Statistics – 19%

a. Fundamentals of Probability including the Counting Principle

b. Permutations and Combinations

c. Simple and Compound Events

d. Odds and Conditional Probability

e. Mean, Median and Mode

f. Range, Variance and Standard Deviation

g. Graphical representation (including bar graph, pie chart, histogram, line graph, box plot and scatter plots).

Math for Liberal Arts