ACCUPLACER Writing study guide
ACCUPLACER Writing · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ACCUPLACER Writing test is one part of the ACCUPLACER suite, a college placement system that, as the College Board describes it, "helps colleges and workforce training providers gauge student readiness for required coursework and identify areas where students may need additional support to succeed." It is typically taken by incoming college students, adult learners, and workforce trainees before or during enrollment, and the results are used by the receiving institution to decide which writing or English course a student should start in - not to admit or reject anyone. The writing test itself is multiple choice and computer-adaptive, and it samples three broad skill areas: sentence structure, usage, and punctuation and mechanics. The separately scored WritePlacer essay, where an institution requires it, asks you to write an On-demand essay that is evaluated on its own. Preparation does not require paid materials: the College Board states that it offers "many free practice tools and resources," including free practice tests that require an account to access, a free learning-exercises tool called ACCUPLACER Perspective Learning Resources, and free downloadable sample questions for every ACCUPLACER test. The ACCUPLACER Writing study guide has 3 sections and about 1,096 words.
01Sentence Structure: Complete Sentences, Joins, and Parallel Form
Sentence-structure questions ask two things: does this group of words form a complete sentence, and do its parts fit together logically? Start by locating the subject and the working verb of every clause.
365 words, about 2 min02Usage: Agreement, Case, Tense, and Word Choice
Usage questions test standard written English, especially subject–verb agreement , pronoun–antecedent agreement , pronoun case , and verb tense . Find the true subject and ignore interrupting phrases: in The box of invoices was delivered , the subject is box , not invoices .
345 words, about 2 min03Punctuation and Mechanics: Commas, Semicolons, Colons, Apostrophes
Use commas to set off introductory elements, to separate items in a series, to mark nonrestrictive (extra, removable) information, and before a coordinating conjunction joining two complete clauses. Do not use a comma between a subject and its verb, or to join two clauses by itself.
386 words, about 2 min