How to Prepare for the Accuplacer

Many colleges require freshmen to take a placement test before registering for classes, and the Accuplacer is one of the most common. Prepared by The College Board, the same group that developed the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT, the Accuplacer measures learning in math, reading and language.

Why prepare

The Accuplacer is meant to examine your current knowledge and give an objective score that allows the college to place you in the proper class to help ensure your success in college. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't study. If it has been a year or more since you last had a math class, for instance, you might have forgotten some of the basics. It would certainly be better to spend a little time reviewing those concepts than spend extra time and money taking preparatory classes in school.

Who needs to take the Accuplacer

The college will tell you what portion or portions of the Accuplacer you have to take. Their decision may be based upon a combination of factors, usually the classes you took in high school, the grades you got in them, and the scores of other tests like the ACT. Now you know what to prepare for.

Sentence skills

The writing portion of the Accuplacer includes questions about sentence structure. One section gives a sentence and asks you to indicate which portion has a grammatical problem. Sitting, standing, and to walk can all be painful positions might be one of the sentences, and the prompt would ask what part was incorrect.

The other portion gives one sentence and asks which of the following sentences have the same meaning.

Some colleges also include the Writeplacer portion of the placement test which requires you to write a short essay, so be prepared.

Reading

The reading section of the Accuplacer also has two major portions. One asks you to choose the main idea from a paragraph. The second requires you to indicate the relationship between sentences. For instance, you might need to indicate if one sentence restates the first, or if it gives more explanation about the first.

Math

The math portion is the part students most often need to prepare for. It is made up of two major sections.

The first is arithmetic, which covers the basics like addition and division; fractions; estimating; decimals; percents; measurement; and some basic geometry.

The Elementary Algebra portion is next. It includes questions on absolute value, polynomials, square roots, word problems, inequalities and graphing. If you have taken any algebra classes in high school, the test will probably start you with this portion, so don't waste your time studying for the arithmetic section.

How to prepare

Using the general information above, find the terms that don't sound familiar or the ideas you know you have struggled with. Then find some textbooks and/or websites that have such information for you to study with. Contact local high schools to see if instructors have some books you can borrow. Many libraries, especially college libraries, have texts to loan. Don't forget about the interlibrary loan service, too. If you have some kind of tutoring center in your area, check with them for books and other materials. To find web sites, just plug the term you are working on into a search engine. For writing help, a university OWL is a good choice.

After you have prepared a while, try some practice tests. You can find general tests all over the web, and some sites are set up specifically for Accuplacer assistance. Studyguidezone.com, schools.com, and collegeboard.com each have some practice tests.

If you don't do well on the sample tests, don't give up. Find some other materials to prepare with (sometimes one book won't make much sense to you while another will). Find a tutor. Many cities have free services through the library, but you can probably find someone through a nearby college or a local high school who could help you study. You can always put an ad in the paper asking for short-term assistance.

The day of the test

Follow the testing center's procedures carefully. You don't want to be all flustered when you take the test. Be sure to bring your ID as well as a student ID or student number if you have one. The test will be given on the computer, and it is multiple choice except for the Writeplacer portion.

The test gives you questions based upon how you answered the previous one. In other words, if you miss a question or two, the program will give you an easier one. More difficult questions won't come unless you start getting them correct. In the math portion, a calculator will come up on the screen if you are allowed to use one.

The aftermath

Taking the Accuplacer can be daunting for anyone, especially someone who has been out of school for some time. If you prepare well for the exam, the experience itself will be easier as well as the first couple semesters of college. Keep in mind that if you don't do well on the Accuplacer, it's not the end of the world. Most colleges will allow you to retake the test, so you can prepare some more and try again. It will be easier if you are more familiar and more comfortable with the test.

The worst that can happen is that you end up taking some preparatory classes before you can enroll in the college level courses. However, prepare vigilantly before taking the Accuplacer and you should get the best results.

References

"Accuplacer." Collegeboard.com.