How to pass the ACCUPLACER tests and become a teacher?
If you thought that you’ll be set for success at the college or university of your choice once you’ve taken and gotten a good SAT score, this is sadly not the end of our worries as far as its test developers are concerned.
This is because many institutions require test-takers to take the ACCUPLACER test, especially those who want to start a career as an educator.
If the educational institution is offering a teaching program, then it is very likely that you will be required to have a good score at the ACCUPLACER exam before you are allowed to take a credit-bearing course.
Due to this, many students and aspiring educators prepare to pass ACCUPLACER practice tests because they are indicative of how their experience with the actual exam will fare.
Remember: if you didn’t meet the college’s minimum score, then you will have to take remediation classes in order to make up for the areas that you failed, thus increasing the workload that you have to endure as you try to start your journey into becoming a teacher.
While people may say that there is no failing score for the ACCUPLACER because it only measures your ability to take on college courses, you cannot afford to have the remediation classes weigh you down because they cost both time, money, and effort from you.
That being said, let’s go over a number of tips that can help you get an impressive score in the ACCUPLACER test.
- Take advantage of the fact that there is no time limit
Apart from the Writeplacer or the essay writing test, the reading, writing, and mathematics section of the ACCUPLACER test are all untimed, allowing you to gather your thoughts and analyze each question with confidence.
While this may sound like common sense knowledge, you will not believe the number of test-takers that got pressured into finishing their ACCUPLACER exam earlier than they wanted because a majority of the participants have already left the assessment room.
When you take this assessment, know that there is no penalty for you taking your time and there is nothing to be ashamed of if you take it a little slow with the subjects or questions that you are having trouble with.
Another reason why you should do this is because you cannot return to previous questions if you suddenly want to change your answer.
This means that if you are going to select an answer, you will need to commit to it every time.
- Study for the three main subjects of the math exam
The ACCUPLACER math exam contains three major subtests:
- The Arithmetic Subtest
- Decimal
- Comparisons and Equivalents
- Whole Number Operations
- Fractions
- Percentages
- The Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics (QAS) Subtest
- Rational numbers
- Ratio and Proportional Relationships
- Exponents
- Algebraic Expressions
- Linear Equations
- Linear Applications and Graphs
- Probability Sets
- Descriptive Statistics
- Geometry Concepts
- The Advanced Algebra and Functions (AAF) Subtest
- Linear Equations
- Linear Applications and Graphs
- Factoring
- Quadratics
- Functions
- Radical and Rational Equations
- Polynomial Equations
- Exponential and Logarithmic Equations
- Trigonometry
Each subtest will contain 20 questions each, some topics will have 3-5 questions each while some will only contain 1-2, especially if they are very difficult or require a lot of calculations.
Due to how complex the subtests can be, most test-takers prefer to take ACCUPLACER practice tests to streamline their reviewing and preparation process as these online resources contain clear steps on how to tackle each topic.
If you know that math is not your forte, or if there are a number of topics that you are not familiar with, then perhaps investing in some of these tests might be a good idea.
- Brush up on your reading comprehension skills
When it comes to the reading test of the ACCUPLACER assessment, the main skill that you have to train is your reading comprehension skills because the questions will revolve around you examining a passage of sorts and then having to figure out its rhetoric, tones, information, inference, and many others.
Furthermore, you will also have to learn how to ascertain the main theme or idea of a passage as well as figuring out which of the choices is the best restatement or summary of the passage.
You read that right.
In one of the question formats, all of the choices are technically correct but only one of them will be accepted as the correct answer.
While this may be tricky at first, with a little bit of practice, you will be able to figure out the telltale signs of which of them is the best restatement, allowing you to even get a perfect score in this portion of the ACCUPLACER.
- The writing test will mainly test your grasp on English grammar and punctuation
If English is not your forte, then studying to improve your skills based on effective language usage and compliance towards the Standard English Conventions will be your main objective.
You will also be tested on how well you know which punctuation, transition, or revision is the best for the sentence or passage.
There will also be instances where you will be asked if a certain portion of the passage should be revised, deleted, or left as is in order to improve or preserve the main idea.
For native English speakers, this portion of the ACCUPLACER assessment may very well be a freebie of sorts if not give them a good score, but for others who don’t have a good grasp on it, you may struggle to get enough points.
As a result, it would be a good idea to run a few ACCUPLACER practice tests so that you can secure a number of points, preventing you from having to take the remediation classes if you failed.
