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This linear equation assesses comfort with isolating a variable when a fraction is involved—very typical of PERT Mathematics competencies. Start by undoing the addition: subtract 5 from both sides to keep the equation balanced, yielding x3=6\dfrac{x}{3} = 6. Now clear the denominator. Because x/3x/3 means “xx divided by 3,” multiply both sides by 3 to reverse that operation: x=18x = 18. Always verify by substituting back into the original: 18/3+5=6+5=1118/3 + 5 = 6 + 5 = 11, which matches perfectly. The main pitfalls students encounter here are (1) adding or subtracting on only one side, breaking balance; (2) multiplying only the numerator or only one side by 3 when clearing the fraction; and (3) forgetting to check the solution. On the PERT, nearly identical structures appear with decimals or negative constants: the solution strategy is identical—undo addition/subtraction first, then undo multiplication/division. If the fraction had been 2x3\frac{2x}{3}, a neat variant would be to multiply both sides by 3 immediately to eliminate denominators in one step. Mastering these inverse operations speeds up later equation work, including multi-step problems with parentheses, distribution, or variables on both sides.