Imagine saving a considerable amount of money on college tuition. You can by taking the Accuplacer test, a series of tests that evaluate a student’s preparedness for college-level courses. A good Accuplacer score can help students avoid remedial classes.
Not only do you have to pay for remedial classes, but they also don’t count toward your degree as they’re courses you’d have to take instead of taking credit-bearing courses.
Accuplacer Test Scoring
Accuplacer scores are determined by the total number of correct answers and the complexity of the questions. That is, the harder the question, the higher the point value.
The exam is also adaptable. If a student correctly answers a question, the next question will be more difficult. If a student gets a question wrong, the next question will be easier.
Scores range from 20-120, with 120 being the highest possible score. Final scores include percentile rankings, showing the proportion of testers who scored lower. For example, a 75th percentile ranking indicates that 75 percent of testers scored lower.
Read All About It
The test consists of reading, math, and writing sections. The reading section has 20 multiple-choice questions. Scoring above 50, but below 77 demonstrates the tester’s ability to grasp basic ideas from short passages.
Scoring between 78 – 100 illustrates that the test taker understands the reading material’s general organization. Such a score also indicates the ability to summarize and grasp conflicting relationships within reading material.
If a tester scores between 99 and the maximum of 120, they can likely follow inferences, determine a writer’s tone, and critique the soundness of the writer’s judgment.
Students typically need to score at least 78 to avoid taking remedial classes.
The Math Section
Next is the math portion, which has 17 questions.
A score of 38 – 65 shows the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide with regular numbers. Scoring 66 – 92 illustrates the ability to convert and manipulate fractions, percentages, and decimals.
A test taker who scores about 109 can perform more difficult functions and apply these concepts to word problems. A score above 110 shows a deep familiarity with estimations, square roots, and variables.
There are only 12 questions in the elementary algebra section. A low scorer may understand signed number concepts.
A test taker scoring between 44 and 81 can combine terms and use operations with signed numbers. A tester scoring between 82 and 108 can manipulate radicals, factor, and solve algebraic equations.
A high scorer can simplify equations, handle quadratic equations, and graph.
Write On
Last but not least, there’s the writing section, which includes 20 multiple-choice questions about grammar, punctuation, and language choice.
Testers scoring between 54 and 86 can logically combine ideas and write complete sentences. Scores up to 108 show an aptitude for thinking critically to use complex verbs and revise sentences.
A higher score shows a student’s understanding of more sophisticated structures like sentences with multiple subordinate clauses. High scorers can also use the optimal sentence structure and even properly employ semicolons.
A High Accuplacer Score
The Accuplacer test can strike fear into even the brightest students. Failing to understand the scoring system can mean the difference between a high and low score.
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