Title: Welcome to the Accuplacer Workshop
1Welcome to the Accuplacer Workshop
- Tutoring and Learning Center
- University of Texas at El Paso
2The Accuplacer Workshop
- This workshop provides a quick introduction to
the Accuplacer, the test used at UTEP for course
placement and to satisfy the requirements of the
Texas Success Initiative. - It has been designed for students who are about
to take the Accuplacer for the first time and who
have time to study and prepare before actually
taking the test. - Attendees will learn about the test format, the
types of material that will be covered on the
test, test taking strategies, and resources that
can assist students preparing for the test. - Students may also wish to enroll other Accuplacer
workshops offered by the Tutoring and Learning
Center Math 0300 (formerly BASK 0306), Math
0301 (formerly Math 0300), Math 0310, Math 0311,
Math 1508/1320, Writing, and Reading.
3Testing Protocols
- First - All incoming freshmen students at UTEP
must take the Accuplacer test first, unless the
Admissions Office has determined otherwise. - Your Accuplacer scores are used to meet the Texas
Success Initiative pre-enrollment assessment
requirement for entering students. - If you do not pass all portions of Accuplacer the
first time you take it, then you will continue to
take it until you have passed all portions or
until it has been determined by UTEPs Academic
Advising Center that you are compliant with the
Texas Success Initiative. - Should you decide to also take classes at EPCC,
then your UTEP Accuplacer scores will count at
both institutions. This way you dont have to
retest. - Your Accuplacer scores are also used to determine
into which courses you place at UTEP (or EPCC).
4Procedures
- Apply for admission to UTEP. The Office of
Admissions will determine which Accuplacer tests
you need to take. Only the Office of Admissions
can determine if you are exempt from taking the
Accuplacer tests. - Reserve a seat online at http//testing.utep.edu,
or in person at the Student Assessment and
Testing Office, Education Building Room 210, or
by calling the Test Reservation line at (915)
747-5009. - Report to the Student Assessment and Testing
Office at least 15 minutes early to check in. If
you are late, you will not be allowed to take the
test. - You must present an acceptable form of
identification.
5Acceptable Forms of ID
- US Drivers License
- UTEP ID Card
- Passport
- US Military ID Card
- US Alien Registration Card
- US Department of Public Safety ID Card
- Notarized letter with notary stamp on the
document photo - US High School Yearbook
- NO OTHER FORMS OF ID WILL BE ACCEPTED
6Register Early!!!!!
- IMPORTANT!
- Register early space is limited. If you have
not pre-registered, you may test on a standby
basis but you will be admitted only if space is
available.
7Test Placement
- Your Accuplacer scores will determine into which
courses you will place. - Know This/Believe This You need to take the
Accuplacer tests seriously and do your very best
work as your test results will impact on how much
your college education costs and how much time it
takes to complete your degree.
8Test Placement
- Reading
- Depending on your Accuplacer reading score you
may place into one of the following courses - READ 0307 a pre-college reading course taught
by EPCC (formerly BASK 0323). - READ 0308 a pre-college reading course taught
by EPCC. - ENGL 0310 Reading Communication Skills. A
student who places at this level or below is not
eligible to take reading-intensive courses, for
example HIST 1301, PSYC 1301, POLS 2310.
9Test Placement
- Writing
- Depending on your Accuplacer writing score you
may place into one of the following courses - ENGL 0300 a pre-college writing course taught
by EPCC (formerly BASK 0303). - ENGL 0311 Basic English Composition.
- ENGL 1311 Expository English Composition AND
ENGL 0111 Expository Composition Workshop. - ENGL 1311 Expository English Composition.
10Test Placement
- Math
- The Elementary Algebra test is administered first
to determine which math placement test the
student will take. - If your Elementary Algebra score is 20-62 you
will take the Arithmetic Test. - If your Elementary Algebra score is 63-120 you
will take the College Level Math Test.
11Test Placement
- Math
- Depending on your Accuplacer math score you may
place into one of the following courses - Math 0300 a pre-college math course taught by
EPCC (formerly BASK 0306) - MATH 0301 a pre-college math course taught by
EPCC (formerly Math 0300) - MATH 0310 Introductory Algebra.
- MATH 0311 Intermediate Algebra.
- MATH 1320 Math for Social Sciences or
MATH 1508 Precalculus. - MATH 2301 Math for Social Sciences II or
MATH 1411 Calculus I.
12The Texas Success Initiative
- Reading students who score 78-120 have satisfied
the requirements of the Texas Success Initiative. - Writing students who score 6-8, and those who
score 5 combined with a Sentence Skills score of
80-120, have satisfied the requirements of the
Texas Success Initiative. - Math students who score 63 or higher on the
College Level Math section have satisfied the
requirements of the Texas Success Initiative.
13Talk to Your Academic Advisor
- For specific questions about your scores, class
placement, and requirements of the Texas Success
Initiative, contact your academic advisor. - The Academic Advising Center is located in the
Academic Services Building, Room 201
Telephone
(915) 747-5290 www.utep.edu/advising/
14Taking the Test
- The Accuplacer Test
- The only section that is timed is the essay for
the writing test. You will have one hour. - For all other sections which are multiple choice,
you take as much time as you need. - You take the test on computer.
- You branch to harder or easier questions
depending on the answers you give. - You may use a standard four-function calculator
which will be supplied by the testing office.
15Pre-Test Resources
- Know This The language used in the study guides,
the test bulletins, and on the tests themselves
is generally very formal, very academic sounding,
and very intimidating. If youre familiar with
the language before you test, then youve already
dealt with these issues, and youre ready to do
your best on the test. - Websites
- www.utep.edu/testing - offers sample test
questions for you to review and information about
registration and costs. - http//www.milwaukee.tec.wi.us/profile/studentserv
/admiss/Accu_Sample_Questions.htm - a sample
test. - http//www.Accuplacer.nesinc.com - offers another
sample test for you to take - http//www.tlc.utep.edu/fallmathworkshops.htm -
offers a Quick Basic Math Review - www.mymathtest.com offers help with preparing
for standardized math tests - Study Guides
- The Official TASP Test Study Guide by NES
- Any study guide for the SAT or ACT tests
- Software
- The Princteon Review Inside the SAT ACT 2003
Deluxe
16Practice Venues
- The Tutoring and Learning Center (Library 300)
- Computer Access
- If you dont have a computer at home, you can
come to the TLC and use one of the computers in
the Learning Assistance Lab (Room 326). You can
access the Web sites in this manner. - We also have some SAT software that you can work
with if you wish. - Practice Accuplacer Tests
- You can come to the TLC and take a practice
diagnostic Accuplacer test. We will then grade
it or let you grade it. - Once you know the areas on which you need to
work, then you can go to either the Math Room or
the Writing Room and ask for help with the
specific problems that you got wrong. - Study Guides
- If you dont wish to buy a study guide, then you
may come to the TLC and work with one of ours. - If you have questions, then you can go to the
Writing Room or the Math Room and ask for help. - Note Check in with the front desk and get a
temporary ID if you arent a registered UTEP
student.
17Before the Test
- Do not party the night before. Get a decent
nights rest. - Eat something before the test. A nutritious
breakfast would be best, but something in your
stomach is better than nothing. - Dont overdo the caffeine before the test.
- Allow plenty of time to get to the Testing
Center. Arriving late will mean that you are not
allowed to enter and take the test. - Do not buy a study guide the night before the
test and try to cram 600 pages of information
into your brain. Youll just make yourself a
nervous wreck.
18During the Test Anxiety Control
- Spend a couple of minutes monitoring your
breathing In through your nose for the count of
five and out through your mouth for the count of
five. - Try some isometric exercises in your seat.
Tighten various muscle groups throughout your
body starting with your feet for a count of five,
then release.
19General Test Taking Strategies
- Read the directionseven if you think you know
what they say. Read them anyway. - Since the Accuplacer is a computer adaptive test,
there is no test to write on. But you can use
scratch paper to jot down key words, make notes,
work out problems, and so on. - Do double check your answers before you submit
them.
20More Test Taking Strategies
- If you dont know an answer, then GUESS. Guess
smart, but guess. Accuplacer is computer
adaptive. This means that you must answer each
question in order to move on and once you have
moved on you cannot go back. - If you dont KNOW the correct answer to a
question, try to eliminate the obviously wrong
answers. Use the process of elimination to make
it easier for you to make an educated guess.
21Testing Room Rules
- The majority of national and institutional tests
(including Accuplacer) discourage test-takers
from leaving the testing room. You are allowed
to leave the test room only under the most urgent
of circumstances. - If you do leave the room, be sure not to take any
of your scratch papers with you. - Also, you MUST receive the room proctors
permission before leaving the room. Be sure to
follow the rules about where you may go and where
you may not go. You dont want to get kicked out
of the test just because you felt the need to
stretch your legs.
22More Testing Room Rules
- Leave and re-enter the room quietly so as not to
disturb the others taking the test. - Do not bring pagers, beepers, cell phones, CD
players, or other electronics into the Testing
Room. Be sure to turn off any noise makers on
your watch. - Try not to not leave the room if you can possibly
help it as it is usually a form of avoidance.
Most people do NOT come back more focused and
better able to perform. - Know This Are these all of the rules associated
with Accuplacer? No, there are many more. Pay
attention to your room proctor.
23Accuplacer Reading Comprehension
- The Skills
- Identify word or phrase meanings through the
context in which they are presented - Understand literal and interpretive meaning
- Understand the writers assumptions, opinions,
and tone - The Format
- You will read either sentences or short reading
selections and then answer questions based on the
information read.
24Sample Questions for Sentence Skills
- Question 1 Select the best version of the
underlined part of the sentence. The first
choice is the same as the original. - 1. Ms. Rose planning to teach a course in
biology next summer. - a) planning
- b) are planning
- c) with a plan
- d) plans
25Question 2 You are asked to rewrite a sentence
in your mind. You will be told how to begin your
new sentence. Your new sentence should be well
written and should have essentially the same
meaning as the original sentence.
- Being a female jockey, she was often interviewed.
- Rewrite, beginning with She was often
interviewed - The next words should be
- a) on account of she was
- b) by her being
- c) because she was
- d) being as she was
26Question 3 Reading Comprehension. You will read
a statement or passage and then choose the best
answer to the question. Answer the question on
the basis of what is stated or implied in the
passage
- There are two types of pottery that I do.
There is production pottery mugs, tableware
the kinds of things that sell easily. These pay
for my time to do the other work, which is more
creative and satisfies my needs as an artist. -
-
27- The author of the passage implies that
- a) artists have a tendency to waste valuable
time - b) creativity and mass production are
incompatible - c) most people do not appreciate good art
- d) pottery is not produced by creative artists
28 4. In other questions, two underlined sentences
are followed by a question or
statement. Choose the best answer to the
question, or the best completion of the
statement.
- The Midwest is experiencing its worst drought
in fifteen years. - Corn and soybean prices are expected to be
very high this year. - What does the second sentence do?
- a) It restates the idea found in the first.
- b) It states an effect.
- c) It gives an example.
- d) It analyzes the statement made in the first.
29Accuplacer Essay Section
- The Skills
- Demonstrate knowledge about using standard forms
of written English - Connect ideas appropriately
- Maintain consistency in writing
- The Five Characteristics
- Focus Keep your main idea clear
- Organization Your essay should follow a logical
sequence and structure - Development and Support Elaborate and provide
supporting details - Sentence Structure Sentences should be
effective - Mechanical Conventions Your writing should be
free from mistakes in usage and mechanics
30The Essay Section
- The essay
- Must be multi-paragraph
- Will always be persuasive
-
- DO NOT skip the essay portion. Some people think
that the Math and Reading Sections are all that
they have to worry about. WRONG! - If you pass the Writing Section of the
Accuplacer, then you will place into ENGL 1311
Expository English Composition. - The Accuplacer is not looking for the best piece
of writing you have ever done. It wants you to
show that you can create a competently written,
decently organized, nicely supported essay. Do
not try to get fancy. Do not get overly
creative. A plain Jane, by the book, five
paragraph essay works.
31Sample Essay Question
- Some schools require each student to participate
in an organized school sport chosen by the
student. People at these schools argue that
athletics is an important part of the educational
experience and that there should be a rule
requiring participation. Others argue that
students should be free to decide whether or not
they wish to participate in organized school
sports. - Write an essay for a classroom instructor in
which you take a position on whether or not
participation in organized school athletics
should be required. Be sure to defend your
position with logical arguments and appropriate
examples.
32Del Valles Six Steps for Passing Accuplacer Essay
- Analyze essay prompt. Identify SOAP elements and
all specific instructions. SOAP Subject,
Occasion, Audience, Purpose - Turn essay prompt into THESIS STATEMENT that
answers the prompt question. - Think of THREE POINTS to support thesis
statement. - Turn essay prompt into INTRODUCTION that includes
the thesis statement and demonstrates awareness
of SOAP elements. - Turn each point into a well-developed PARAGRAPH.
- Write a CONCLUSION which restates main point(s)
in different words. Do not introduce a new point
in the conclusion.
33Math Section
- The Accuplacer will test your knowledge
of - Basic Math
- Elementary Algebra
- College Level Math
-
34- Know This
- Standardized tests are heavy on word problems.
You will be asked to demonstrate not only that
you can solve equations but that you can also
create equations based on the information
provided in a specific word problem. Your
reading skills will be very important when taking
this section of the test. - The test makers are tricky. For each question,
they figured out the common mistakes that
students make and included those wrong answers
among the possible answers. Just because you can
create an equation that delivers an answer that
is listed as a possible answer, does not mean
that you are then ready to cruise on to the next
question. Be sure to double check that your
answer is truly correct.
35Sample Question for Arithmetic
- 1. 10 3
- a) 7
- b) 13
- c) 30
- d) 40
36Elementary Algebra Skills
- The Skills
- Demonstrate your knowledge of algebraic
operations - - factoring
- - squaring binomials
- - factoring polynomials
- Find the solutions of equations and inequalities
- Demonstrate your knowledge of basic geometry
- Demonstrate your knowledge of applications in
statistics, probability, and data interpretation
37Sample Question for Elementary Algebra
- 2. 2x 3x y
- a) 6x
- b) 5x y
- c) 5(x y)
- d) 6x y
38Sample Question for College Level Math Skills
- 3. If the 1st and 3rd terms of a geometric
sequence are 3 and 27 respectively, then the 2nd
term could be - a) 6
- b) 9
- c) 15
- d) 18
39FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- How long will it take to get my scores from the
Accuplacer Test? - Your scores will be available in about
twenty minutes. - How much does it cost to retake the Accuplacer?
- Math retake 20
- Writing retake 20
- Reading retake 10
- When can I retake the Accuplacer?
- Tests cannot be taken more than twice in 120
days. You must present the score reports from
previous tests in order to retake Accuplacer.
40GOOD LUCK!!
- Visit the Tutoring Learning Center
- 300 Library
- http//academics.utep.edu/tlc