COMPASS English Placement Test
The English Placement Test covers reading and writing skills.
Reading Placement Test
The Reading Placement Test will give you passages to read and will ask you questions about those passages. You will be tested on vocabulary in the passage, finding the main idea, locating specific information, drawing inferences, and making organizational changes.
Preparation Tips
Read at least 30 minutes a day every day from now until the day of the test. You need to "absorb" and get a feel for the way written English carries meaning for a reader, as well as simply gain knowledge about the world and what is happening in the world. The best way to do this is to read a lot and to read a wide variety of materials over a long period of time - say thirty minutes a day for six months or more. When you come across a word you don't know, try to figure out what it might mean by looking at how it is used in the sentence. Then look up the new word you've read in a dictionary so you can expand your vocabulary.
If you want to see what a multiple choice reading comprehension test is like, go to a bookstore and browse through some test preparation books. Usually these books are in the reference section or a special college information section. Anything that prepares a person for the SAT or ACT would probably give you a good idea of what kinds of questions the test might ask. You don't have to buy the book. It's okay to find a place to sit down in the bookstore and read. Or go to a computer store and look for computerized SAT or ACT preparation programs. Keep in mind that these programs were not designed to prepare you specifically for the COMPASS placement test and what you see in them might not directly relate to COMPASS.
Read questions and statements carefully. For example, if you see "absolute" words such as all, always, never, or none, you should be extra careful. They can change the meaning of statement significantly. Qualifiers such as some, many, most, or often can also alter the meaning of a question or answer. Make sure you know what the statements really mean.
Use the process of elimination. Read and examine your choices carefully. Read ALL the choices. Eliminate the choices you know are incorrect so that you can see the correct one more easily. Often, you can eliminate at least two answers on a four-choice test item.
Read the questions before reading the passage. If you read the questions before you read the passage, you will know what information to look for in the passage. This helps particularly if you are taking a timed test. The COMPASS test is untimed, but previewing by reading the questions first will still make you more alert to what you are reading, so this strategy may still be helpful.
Base your answer on information that is in the passage. Don't rely on your general knowledge to answer questions about the passage. You are being tested on how well you read the passage. Find the proof for your answer in the passage.
Look for key words that identify the requested information in the test question. Skim the passage to locate the key words when you are answering the questions. Sometimes the questions will simply reword information in the passage. Sometimes the answers will be the information in the passage reworded.
If you draw a blank and can't answer the question, stay calm. Stop; then read each of the answers separately and thoughtfully. Read the question repeatedly with each separate answer. Which answer makes the most sense? Restate the question in your own words and look at your possible answers again.
You should try to use what you have already learned from other questions in the test to help you answer more difficult questions, that you come back to after you have finished the easier questions.
Proofread your answers before hitting the key that tells the computer to accept your answers.
For sample Reading Placement questions, see the Related Links section.
Writing Placement Test
The Writing Placement Test will test you on your ability to correct grammatical and mechanical problems in a passage. You will also be asked questions that show whether you understand how to organize a passage effectively and maintain focus.
You may be asked to fix problems like fragments, run-ons, verb form errors, subject-verb disagreements, shifts in person, shifts in verb tense, modifier problems, pronoun misreferences and disagreements, and errors in punctuation, capitalization, and word usage. You don't have to know the technical name for the error; but you will need to be able to recognize and fix them.
Preparation Tips
Go to the Guide to Grammar and Writing website and review the basic grammatical rules. Take the quizzes. You will get a score on your quizzes immediately. This review might help refresh your memory about basic grammar. You don't have to know the names of grammatical errors in the COMPASS test; you just have to be able to read a sentence and fix it if something is wrong with it. See "Guide to Grammar and Writing" under the Related Links section.
For sample Writing Placement questions, see the Related Links section.
