Question 1Multiple choice
According to the passage, what is the main benefit of the tapetum to an animal?
ACCUPLACER reading and writing
Reading has 20 questions on short and longer passages. Writing has 25 questions that ask you to revise and edit five passages. Both are multiple choice.
| Reading | 20 questions: ideas, rhetoric, two-passage comparison, vocabulary |
|---|---|
| Writing | 25 questions: revising ideas and editing grammar and punctuation |
| Time limit | None in most cases; your school confirms |
| Score on each test | 200 to 300 |
The Reading test
- Information and ideas: main ideas, details, inferences, summaries and how events or ideas connect.
- Rhetoric: why the author chose a word, how the text is built, the author's point of view and purpose, and how well an argument is supported.
- Synthesis: what two passages on one topic share or dispute.
- Vocabulary: what a word means in its sentence.
The Writing test
- Expression of ideas: add, cut or keep a sentence, choose a transition, place a sentence in order and say it more precisely.
- Standard English conventions: sentence boundaries, agreement, pronouns, verb tense, commas, semicolons, colons and apostrophes.
How to win points
In Reading, every answer is in the passage: point to the words that prove it. In Writing, read the whole sentence, find what the question changes, and choose the version that is correct and says the most in the fewest words.
Try 4 questions
Eyes that shine
Cats, dogs and deer can see far better in the dark than people can. Behind the light-sensitive layer of the eye, these animals have a mirror-like layer called the tapetum. Light that passes through the eye without being absorbed hits this layer and bounces back, giving the eye a second chance to detect it. This helps the animal see in dim light. It is also why a cat’s eyes seem to glow when car headlights shine on them at night: the light is being reflected back out. Human eyes have no such layer, which is one reason people see poorly in the dark.
The branch office
After finishing the bank’s management training program, Keisha was posted to a small branch office in a farming town three hours from the city. She had hoped for a downtown assignment, but the branch turned out to be the best possible classroom. With only five employees, she handled loans, scheduling and customer complaints herself, and within two years she had learned more about running a bank than many managers learn in ten.
Question 2Multiple choice
As used in the passage, “posted” most nearly means
The Sound of Mariachi
(1) Few sounds are as recognizable as a mariachi band in full voice. (2) The music developed in western Mexico, especially in the state of Jalisco, where small groups of musicians played at village festivals and weddings. (3) Over time, mariachi spread throughout Mexico and beyond, and in 2011 UNESCO added it to its list of the world's Intangible Cultural Heritage.
(4) A typical mariachi ensemble includes violins, trumpets, a guitar, a vihuela, and a guitarrón. (5) The vihuela is a small, round-backed guitar with five strings, and its bright strumming drives the rhythm. (6) The guitarrón, a large guitar with a deep voice, plays the bass line. (7) Every instrument in the group except the trumpet is a string instrument. (8) Trumpets were not part of the earliest groups; they were added in the twentieth century and quickly became essential.
(9) Mariachi musicians also wear a distinctive costume. (10) The outfit, called a traje de charro, is based on the clothing worn and used as attire by Mexican horsemen. (11) It includes a short jacket, fitted pants decorated with silver buttons along the sides, and a wide bow tie. (12) A wide-brimmed sombrero often completes the look.
(13) In the United States, mariachi has been totally blowing up in schools lately. (14) Many high schools in Texas, Arizona, and California offer mariachi classes, and students compete in regional festivals. (15) Many young people in these programs hope to become a professional musician one day. (16) Others simply enjoy keeping a family tradition alive.
Question 3Multiple choice
In sentence 7 (reproduced below), which choice is the best version of the words in brackets?
Every instrument in the group [except] the trumpet is a string instrument.
Question 4Multiple choice
In sentence 15 (reproduced below), which choice is the best version of the words in brackets?
Many young people in these programs hope to become [a professional musician] one day.
Next step
Questions people ask
Is there an essay on the ACCUPLACER?
Not on the Next-Generation Writing test, which is multiple choice. Some colleges also use WritePlacer, a separate essay test; this course does not cover it.
What reading score do I need for college English?
Your college sets it. Palm Beach State College places Reading scores of 256 or higher into ENC1101, and Western Kentucky University needs no reading course at 250 or higher.