SOL Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield SOL facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which of the following best sums up President Woodrow Wilson's approach to international affairs at the start of World War I? → Neutral
2. At the beginning of the 20th century, journalists who looked into wrongdoing in society and politics were called: → muckrakers
3. Martin Luther's ideas gained traction, resulting in the formation of: → Protestantism
4. When did the earliest Homo sapiens leave Africa? → 100,000 to 400,000 years ago
5. Which Virginia statesman delivered the famous 'Give me liberty, or give me death!' speech in 1775? → Patrick Henry
6. What purpose did the Bay of Pigs invasion want to achieve? → overthrow the communist government in Cuba
7. Which of the following elements played the biggest role in the urbanization of the early 20th century? → Industrialization in the North
8. Which Virginia-born president is known as the 'Father of the Constitution' for his role in drafting the U.S. Constitution? → James Madison
9. Solve for x: 3x + 7 = 22 → x = 5
10. What was a factor in the dependability of nomads? → wild plants and animals
11. Which document serves as the supreme law of the United States? → The U.S. Constitution
12. With the exception of, geography uses images captured by remote sensing equipment → calculating death rates
13. Which of the following was the foundation for a covenant community in colonial New England? → Mayflower Compact
14. What is the solution to the equation x^2 - 5x + 6 = 0? → x = 2 or x = 3
15. What time period is known for its emphasis on classical Greek and Roman texts? → Italian Renaissance
16. Simplify: (2x^3)(3x^2) → 6x^5
17. What was the Justinian code of laws' main objective? → To create a society that preserved the Greek and Roman traditions
18. What did the mandate system serve to accomplish? → It was intended to prepare territories for future independence
19. Why do most people in Mexico and Peru practice Catholicism? → Religion was spread in these areas by Spanish missionaries and colonists
20. What similarities did the Crusades share with the Islamic Jihad? → They attempted to militarily spread the message of their religion
21. The following are shared beliefs between the Christian and Islamic faiths: → A monotheistic god
22. Religious disagreements sparked a territorial dispute in the 20th century between: → Arabs and Israelis
23. What is the basic unit of structure and function in all living organisms? → The cell
24. Which document, written primarily by George Mason in 1776, influenced the Bill of Rights and declared inherent rights of citizens? → The Virginia Declaration of Rights
25. Which mountain range forms the western boundary between Virginia's Piedmont region and the Valley and Ridge region? → The Blue Ridge Mountains
26. Which of the following statements about sources is most accurate? → A primary source is preferred but in some cases a secondary can be better
27. The term "hunter-gatherers" is also used to refer to → nomads
28. What was the main purpose of Virginia's cash crop economy under the headright system? → To attract settlers by granting land in exchange for paying transportation costs
29. In what year was Jamestown founded as the first permanent English settlement in North America? → 1607
30. Which element had the biggest impact on the start of World War II? → Militarism in Germany