What a 12th grader learns in math and reading
12th grade · Precalculus · the Common Core skills, in plain words · updated 2026-11-02
This is the whole list: 16 math skills and 11 reading skills a 12th grader is expected to learn, with the Common Core code next to each one. In math, 12th grade is mostly n-vm, f-if, g-gpe. In reading, the weight is on language and literature.
Not sure where your child is? Teach Me runs a free 5-minute check and tells you which of these skills they have and which they still need. Then 15 minutes a day works on the gaps, with a hint before the answer. No ads, no account for the child.
Start the free checkMath: 12th grade (Precalculus)
F-BF
- Inverse functions F-BF.B.4 — f⁻¹(11) asks: what x makes f(x) = 11? Undo f step by step.
- Composing functions F-BF.A.1 — Work from the inside out. Do the inner function first, then put that answer in the outer one.
F-IF
- Finding asymptotes F-IF.C.7 — Vertical: where the bottom is 0. Horizontal: the x parts top over bottom when x is huge.
- Polynomial graphs F-IF.C.7 — y-intercept: put x = 0 in. x-intercepts: where each bracket is 0.
- End behavior F-IF.B.4 — When x is huge, the small added numbers stop mattering. Compare the biggest parts.
G-GPE
- Circle equations G-GPE.A.1 — (x − h)² + (y − k)² = r². The center is (h, k). Watch the signs.
- Parabola focus G-GPE.A.2 — x² = 4py. The number in front is 4p, so divide it by 4.
- Ellipse equations G-GPE.A.3 — a² is the bigger bottom number. The major axis is 2a. The focus is c from the center, c² = a² − b².
N-VM
- Adding vectors N-VM.B.4 — Add the x parts together and the y parts together. They do not mix.
- Vector length N-VM.A.1 — The x part and y part are the legs of a right triangle. The length is the hypotenuse.
- Matrix operations N-VM.C.8 — A ; ends a row. Adding: match spots. Multiplying: a row of A times a column of B.
- Matrix determinants N-VM.C.12 — Top-left times bottom-right, minus top-right times bottom-left.
N-CN
- Complex plane N-CN.B.6 — Real part across, imaginary part up. The distance from 0 is the hypotenuse.
F-TF
- Trig identities F-TF.C.8 — sin² θ + cos² θ = 1. The two fractions have the same bottom: think 3-4-5.
- Trig equations F-TF.B.7 — Get sin, cos or tan alone first. Then ask which special angle gives that value.
A-SSE
- Geometric series A-SSE.B.4 — Forever with ratio 1/2: the sum is twice the first term. Otherwise add them up.
Reading: 12th grade
Language
- Contested usage L.11-12.1b — Some usages are debated. Know the standard choice.
- Spelling patterns L.11-12.2b — Commonly misspelled words: know the pattern.
- Context clues L.11-12.4a — Determine the meaning from the whole text.
- Word origins L.11-12.4c — Latin, Greek, French and Germanic roots shape English.
- Figurative analysis L.11-12.5a — Interpret the figure in context.
Literature
- Theme and summary RL.11-12.2 — An objective summary leaves out your opinion.
- Structure and meaning RL.11-12.5 — Where the story starts and ends is a choice with meaning.
- Stated and meant RL.11-12.6 — Distinguish what is stated from what is meant.
Informational text
- Foundational documents RI.11-12.9 — Themes, purposes and rhetorical features of founding U.S. texts.
- Evaluating reasoning RI.11-12.8 — Premises, purposes, and the strength of the argument.
- Integrating sources RI.11-12.7 — Which source answers the question, and how do they agree?
Reading practice includes 30 short texts at this level, among them 6 science and 6 history passages, with questions that check understanding.
SAT: from 12th grade
From 7th grade, SAT practice can be turned on as a third subject on the same login: a 16-question diagnostic sets a projected score out of 1600, then 10 questions a day on the SAT skills worth the most points, with hints that stop before the answer and timed checks at SAT pace.
How Teach Me uses this list
The check asks a few questions from this grade and the ones around it to find where your child really is, which is often not the grade on the door. Each day's set then comes from the skills they have not got yet. A skill counts as known when they get it right on their own, more than once. Parents see which skills are open and which are solid, and can point the practice at any topic above.
Teach Me is free. It follows the Common Core State Standards for math and English language arts; high school math follows California's traditional pathway (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus).