PERT math placement — scored 106 on reading but only 88 on math, what are my options?
Just got my PERT results and I'm frustrated. Reading came back at 106 which puts me into college-level English no problem, but math was 88 which means I'm stuck in developmental. I knew math was going to be my weak spot but I was hoping for at least a 97 to get into the lowest college-level course.
I've been out of school for 11 years so algebra is basically gone from my memory. I'm registered at Valencia College and they said I can retake the math section after a waiting period and some remediation work. I'm wondering what actually moved the needle for people in this situation — Khan Academy, a tutor, something else?
I found a PERT prep section that's been helpful for drilling specific question types, but I'm not sure how many hours of focused study I need before retaking. My score needs to jump 9 points minimum and ideally I'd like to hit 100+ for some breathing room going into the semester.
I was in almost the exact same spot two years ago — scored 91 and needed 97. I used Khan Academy's Algebra 1 section for about 6 weeks at 45 minutes a day and retook the test scoring 103. The key was actually understanding the concepts rather than memorizing steps.
Don't rush the retake. Valencia and most Florida colleges allow it after 30 days, but give yourself 8 weeks of solid prep rather than going back at 4 weeks and scoring the same thing.
The PERT math section focuses heavily on linear equations, inequalities, and basic function notation. If you master those three areas you're covering maybe 60% of what shows up. Geometry comes up less than you'd think.
A community college math tutor is worth the hourly rate if you can swing it — faster than self-study for most people.
Reading 106 is genuinely strong. The math will come back faster than you expect once you're in the rhythm of daily practice. Getting from 88 to 100 is totally doable in 6–8 weeks of focused work.
Quick update on my end — I just took a practice PERT math test last night and hit 94, which I honestly wasn't expecting after bombing the real one. I've been grinding through Khan Academy's pre-algebra section for about three weeks now and I think it's finally clicking. Still need a few more points but I can see the 97 from here.
I'm planning to retake the actual exam in about two weeks, right before the registration deadline for fall. If you're in a similar spot I'd say don't wait too long to schedule it, some testing centers fill up fast in the summer. Fingers crossed I can close that gap in time.
I was in almost the exact same spot as you six months ago, scored below 97 and had to retake it. The thing that actually moved the needle for me wasn't watching more YouTube videos or going through a textbook -- it was just drilling timed practice tests over and over until the question formats felt familiar. I used the pert math practice quiz 2 constantly and it helped me figure out where I was consistently losing points. Turns out I kept making stupid arithmetic mistakes on multi-step problems, not because I didn't know the concept but because I was rushing.
You're not as far off as it feels. 88 to 97 is a smaller gap than it looks, and math placement retakes are pretty common at Florida community colleges. Focus on integers, fractions, and basic algebra first since that's where most people bleed points. You've got this.