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WHAT'S ON COMPASS?

What is COMPASS

What's on COMPASS

Navigating Math Test

Sample Math Questions

Navigating Reading Test

Sample Reading Questions

Navigating Writing Test

Sample Writing Questions

Studying for Test

Before Test

Retesting

Exemption

FAQ's

 

In order to adequately understand the COMPASS placement test, you first need to realize that the test is computerized, then learn how to navigate the test.  Next, you need to grasp the way COMPASS presents its questions by viewing sample questions. Finally, you need to recognize the knowledge that COMPASS will require for reading, writing/English, and math by viewing .
NAVIGATING COMPASS

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

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DETAILED KNOWLEDGE COVERED IN TEST

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MATH

numerical skills/pre-algebra
  • Basic Operations with Integers
  • Basic Operations with Fractions
  • Basic Operation with Decimals
  • Exponents, Square Roots, and Scientific Notation
  • Ratios & Proportions
  • Percentages
  • Averages (Means, Medians & Modes)
  • Conversions between Fractions and Decimals
  • Multiples and Factors of Integers
  • Absolute Values of Numbers
  • Range
  • Order Concepts (greater than/less than)
  • Estimation Skills
  • Number Theory
  • Counting Problems and Simple Probability

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ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA

  • Substituting Values into Algebraic Expressions
  • Setting Up Equations for Given Situations
  • Factoring of Polynomials
  • Basic Operations with Polynomials
  • Formula Manipulation and Field Axioms
  • Solving Polynomial Equations by Factoring
  • Linear Inequalities in One Variable
  • Exponents and Radicals
  • Linear Equations in One Variable (Using Integers, Fractions, and Decimals as Coefficients)

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intermediate algebra
  • Exponents and Radicals
  • Rational Expressions
  • Quadratic Formulas
  • Systems of Linear Equations in Two Variables
  • Absolute Value Equations and Inequalities

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COLLEGE ALGEBRA
  • Matrices (Basic Operations, Equations, and Determinants)
  • Exponents
  • Functions
  • Systems of Linear Equations in Three or More Variables
  • Complex Numbers
  • Logic and Proof Techniques
  • Factorials
  • Roots of Polynomials
  • Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences and Series

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WRITING/ENGLISH

breaks in thought
  • at the end of a sentence (period, exclamation point, question mark)

  • between clauses of compound sentences when conjunction is omitted or when clauses contain commas

  • before a conjunctive adverb joining clauses of a compound sentence

  • involving parenthetical elements (comma, dash, parentheses)<
  • by avoiding ambiguity

  • by indicating apposition

  • by indicating possessives

  • with items in a series

  • involving simple phrases and clauses in a series

  • involving unequivocally restrictive/nonrestrictive clauses and phrases

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unnecessary punctuation
  • between subject and predicate
  • between verb and object
  • between adjective and noun
  • between preposition and object
  • between noun and preposition
  • between correlatives
  • between two coordinate elements
  • between the intensive and the antecedent
  • within series already linked by conjunctions

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SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT
  • adjectives and adverbs with their corresponding nouns and verbs
  • predicate with subject in sentences beginning with there or where
  • predicate with subjects of varying complexity (including compound subjects, collective nouns)

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VERBS
  • tenses of regular and irregular verbs
  • compound tenses

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PRONOUNS
  • using the appropriate case of a pronoun
  • using the appropriate comparative or superlative form depending on the context
  • observing usage conventions/using the idioms of standard English
  • forming comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs
  • using the proper form of possessives and distinguishing them from adverbs (there) and contractions (it's)

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CLAUSES
  • avoiding comma splices
  • avoiding run-on sentences
  • avoiding sentence fragments (except those rhetorically appropriate in exclamations, dialogues, etc.)
  • avoiding sentence fragments (except those rhetorically appropriate in exclamations, dialogues, etc.)
  • avoiding faulty subordination and coordination

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MODIFIERS
  • constructing sentences so that antecedents are clear and unambiguous
  • placing modifiers so that they modify the appropriate element

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UNNECESSARY SHIFTS IN CONSTRUCTION
  • person
  • tense
  • number
  • mood
  • voice

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audience and purpose
  • Items of this type emphasize rhetorical strategies directed at particular readers, occasions, and assignments and also specify a particular rhetorical purpose (e.g., "If the writer had been assigned to write a 200-word essay for an academic history journal, would this essay fulfill the assignment?").

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supporting material
  • Items of this type emphasize strengthening compositions by adding appropriate supporting facts and details.  The items are dependent on the context of the passage and are not answerable simply on the basis of the information provided in the stem.  The stem specifies the material being supported (e.g., an assertion or a description) and the primary desired effect.

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openings, transitions, and closings
  • selecting an effective statement relative to the essay as a whole
  • selecting an effective statement relative to a specific paragraph or paragraphs

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logical order
  • beginning a paragraph in the appropriate place
  • placing sentences in a logical location
  • choosing the appropriate transitional word or phrase
  • ordering sentences or phrases in a logical way

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relevancy
  • omitting irrelevant material (or retaining relevant material)

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EDITING AND REVISING
  • avoiding wordiness
  • avoiding redundancy

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CHOOSING WORDS TO FIT MEANING AND FUNCTION
  • choosing words and images that are fresh; recognizing and avoiding clichés
  • avoiding silly comparisons or expressions

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READING

  • inferring the main idea of a passage containing more than one paragraph

  • recognizing the explicitly stated main idea of a passage containing more than one paragraph

  • recognizing the explicitly stated main idea of a paragraph

  • inferring the main idea of a paragraph

  • showing how details are related to the main idea

  • locating explicit information in a passage that answers the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how

  • recognizing sequential relationships

  • inferring sequence

  • inferring cause and effect relationships

  • recognizing cause and effect relationships

  • recognizing comparative relationships (greater than, less than, etc.)

  • drawing conclusions from the facts given

  • recognizing explicit evidence presented in support of a claim

  • making appropriate generalizations

  • recognizing stated assumptions

  • recognizing logical fallacies

  • recognizing stereotype

  • recognizing various points of view

  • recognizing the scope of application of hypotheses, explanations, or conclusions

  • judging the relevance and appropriate application of new information

  • identifying the structure of an argument

  • recognizing relevant distinctions

  • distinguishing

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