Taking the Test
The first screen you will see on the computer is
shown:
You will enter your name on this screen. Use the
ENTER Key to move from Last Name to First
Name and then to Middle Initial. Pressing the
ENTER Key again will take you to the next
computer screen.
The next screen asks for your Student ID and
your Date of Birth
Enter your Student Identification Number
(although this is usually your social security
number, your Test Administrator will
specifically tell you which number to enter).
Press ENTER to move to the Date of Birth and
type your birth date using a dash (-) or slash (/)
to separate the month, day, and year. It is
especially important that this information be
entered correctly. If you make an error while
typing you may utilize the BACKSPACE Key to
erase the error.
A series of introductory screens follow.
If your institution requires it, you may be
presented with a series of screens asking
background questions.
Some typical background questions are:
What is the total number of years you studied English in
high school (grades 9-12)? Count less than a full year of
English as a full year, but do not count a repeated year of
the same course as an additional year of study.
One year or the equivalent
Two years or the equivalent
Three years or the equivalent
Four years or the equivalent
More than four years or the equivalent
I did not take any courses in English
Omit
What is the total number of years you studied
mathematics in high school (grades 9-12)? Count less
than a full year of mathematics as a full year, but do not
count a repeated year of the same course as an additional
year of study.
One year or the equivalent
Two years or the equivalent
Three years or the equivalent
Four years or the equivalent
More than four years or the equivalent
I did not take any courses in mathematics
Omit
Finally, a series of screens will introduce you to
the tests themselves.
Choosing An Answer
You will use either the keyboard or the mouse to
enter your answers.
Using the Mouse:
If you are using the mouse to enter your
answers, you will click on your choice and then
click on the NEXT button on the bottom of your
screen. To confirm your answer, click on the
CONFIRM button, this will also move you to the
next screen.
Using the Keyboard:
If you are using the keyboard to enter your
answers, you will use the space bar to move to
your choice of answer. You will press the
ENTER Key to select the desired answer. You
will then press ENTER again to confirm your
choice and move to the next question on the
next screen.
A message will display when the tests are about
to start.
Every test will be proceeded by several sample
questions that will familiarize you with the types
of questions in that particular test. These
sample questions are not scored. When you
have completed these, you will continue with the
actual test questions.
Guessing
You should understand that this is an adaptive
test. Questions are chosen for you on the basis
of your answers to previous questions. Because
the test works this way, you must answer every
question when it is first given. You cannot omit
any question or come back later to change an
answer .
You may change your answer on a particular
question, but you must do so before continuing
on to the next question. Once you go on to the
next question, the answer is accepted and you
can not return to the question.
If you do not know an answer to a question, try
to eliminate one or more of the choices. Then
pick one of the remaining choices.
Descriptions of the Tests
Reading Comprehension
This test is de signed to measure how well you
understand what you read. It contains 20
questions. Some ask you to decide how two
sentences are related. Other questions ask you
questions about reading passages of various
lengths. You will be asked to interpret and draw
conclusions from what you have read..
Sample Questions for Reading
Comprehension
Narrative Question:
Read the statement or passage and then choose
the best answer to the question. Answer the
question on the basis of what is stated or
implied in the statement or passage.
There are two types of pottery that I do. There is
production pottery — mugs, tableware, the kinds of things
that sell easily. These pay for my time to do the other
work, which is more creative and satisfies my needs as an
artist.
The author of this passage implies that:
(A) artists have a tendency to waste valuable time
(B) creativity and mass-production are incompatible
(C) most people do not appreciate good art
(D) pottery is not produced by creative artists
Sentence Relationships Question:
Two underlined sentences are fol lowed by a
question or statement about them. Read each
pair of sentences and then choose the best
answer to the question or the best completion of
the statement.
The Midwest is experiencing its worst drought in fifteen
years.
Corn and soybean prices are expected to be very high this
year.
What does the second sentence do?
(A) It restates the idea found in the first.
(B) It states an effect.
(C) It gives an example.
(D) It analyzes the statement made in the first.
Sentence Skills
Two kinds of questions are given in this test.
You will be asked to correct a sentence by
choosing a word or phrase to substitute for an
underlined portion of a sentence. In the other
type of question, you will be asked to rewrite a
sentence in a specific way without changing the
meaning. You will be presented a total of 20
questions.
Sample Questions for Sentence Skills
Sentence Correction Question: Select the best version of
the underlined part of
the sentence. The first choice is the same as the
original sentence. If you think the original
sentence is best, choose the first answer.
Ms. Rose planning to teach a course in biology next
summer.
(A) planning
(B) are planning
(C) with a plan
(D) plans
Construction Shift Question:
Rewrite the sentence in your head, following the
directions given below. Keep in mind that your
new sentence should be well written and should
have essentially the same meaning as the
sentence given you.
Being a female jockey, she was often interviewed.
Rewrite, beginning with
She was often interviewed...
The next words will be
(A) on account of she was
(B) by her being
(C) because she was
(D) being as she was
Arithmetic
The Arithmetic test measures your skills in three
primary categories:
1) Operatons with whole numbers and
fractions. This includes:
° addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division
° recognizing equivalent fractions and
mixed numbers.
2) Operations with decimals and percents
includes:
° addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division
° percent problems, decimal recognition,
fraction
° percent equivalencies, and estimation
problems
3) Applications and problem solving include:
° rate, percent, and measurement problems
° geometry problems
° distribution of a quantity into its fractional parts.
A total of 16 questions is asked.
Sample Questions for Arithmetic
Solve the following problems and choose your
answer from the alternatives given. You may
use the paper you have been given for scratch
work.
All of the following are ways to write 20 percent of N
EXCEPT
Which of the following is closest to
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 5
(D) 8
Three people who work full time are to work together on a
project, but their total time on the project is to be
equivalent to that of only one person working full time. If
one of the people is budgeted for 1/2 of his time to the
project and a second person for 1/3 of her time, what part
of the third worker’s time should be budgeted to this
project?
Elementary Algebra
There are also three categories in the
Elementary Algebra Test :
1) Operations with integers and rational
numbers, includes:
° computation with integers and
negative rationals ,
° the use of absolute values, and
ordering.
2) Operations with algebraic expressions:.
° evaluation of simple formulas
° expressions, and adding
° subtracting monomials and
polynomials,
° the evaluation of positive rational
roots and exponents,
° simplifying algebraic fractions, and
factoring.
3) equation solving, inequalities, and word
problems including
° solving verbal problems presented in
algebraic context
° geometric reasoning
° the translation of written phrases into
algebraic expressions
° graphing.
A total of 12 questions are presented.
Sample Questions for Elementary Algebra
If a number is divided by 4, and then 3 is subtracted, the
result is 0. What is the number?
(A) 12
(B) 4
(C) 3
(D) 2
16X - 8
(A) 8x
(B) 8 (2x-x)
(C) 8 (2x-1)
(D) 8 (2x-8)
If X^2 - X- 6 = 0 then X is:
(A) -2 or 3
(B) -1 or 6
(C) 1 or -6
(D) 2 or -3
College-Level mathematics
The College-Level mathematics test assesses
proficiency from intermediate algebra through
precalculus. The categories covered include:
1) Algebraic operations includes:
° simplifying rational algebraic
expressions
° factoring and expanding polynomials
° manipulating roots and exponents
2) Solutions of equations and inequalities
includes:
° the solution of linear and quadratic
equations by factoring
° expanding polynomials,
° manipulating roots and exponents
3) Coordinate geometry asks questions
about:
° plane geometry
° the coordinate plane, straight lines,
conics, sets of points in a plane
° graphs of algebraic functions
5) Application and other algebra topics
asks about:
° complex numbers
° series and sequences
° determinants, permutations
° combinations, fractions
° word problems
6) functions and trigonometry presents
questions about:
° polynomial, algebraic, exponential,
logarithmic
° trigonometric functions.
Twenty questions are asked.
Sample Questions for College-Level
mathematics
If f (x) = X^4-x+2, then f(-x) =
The equation x2+2ix-4=0 has as its roots
Reading Skills
You will read passages of 50 to 90 words and
then answer questions about your reading. The
reading passages will be about a variety of
different topics. You may read about the arts, or
science, or history. Half of the test questions ask
about information that is stated in the passage.
The other half will ask you to identify the main
ideas, or fact vs. opinion, or the author’s point
of view.
Sample Question for Reading Skills
Read each passage below, then answer the
question or questions that follow it. Some
passages have one question and some have two.
My cousin lived in the city from 1984 to 1989.
When did my cousin live in the city?
(A) after 1989
(B) before 1984
(C) between 1984 and 1989
(D) neither in 1984 nor in 1989
Sentence Meaning
You will be asked to fill-in a blank with a word
or phrase, or combine two sentences . The skills
covered are writing skills including the proper
use of nouns and verbs
Sample Question for Sentence Meaning
Each sentence below has a blank space.
Choose the word or phrase that makes the
sentence meaningful and correct.
Mr. Swoboda grows roses, tomatoes, and carrots. That is
why his friends say that he is a good_______?
(A) gardener
(B) builder
(C) painter
(D) florist
Each problem below contains one or two
sentences followed by a question. Choose the
correct answer to the question.
The teacher called on Joe in class.
What did the teacher do?
(A) shouted to Joe
(B) asked Joe a question
(C) telephoned Joe
(D) visited Joe
Language Use
This test measures your understanding of
English vocabulary. The sentences come from a
variety of different subject areas. You will be
asked questions about basic and important
idioms, particularly terms of beauty, age,
greatness, and size, adverbs such as before,
after, during, and prepositions of direction and
place (from, to, at, etc).
Sample Question for Language Use
Each problem consists of two sentences followed
by four possible sentences for answers. Choose
the sentence that best combines the first two
sentences. The combined sentence must be
grammatically correct. It must also express the
same thought as the first two sentences do.
I sang in the choir. I enjoyed it.
(A) In the choir singing, I enjoyed.
(B) In the choir to sing, I enjoyed.
(C) I enjoyed to sing in the choir.
(D) I enjoyed singing in the choir.
Each sentence below has a blank space. There
are four words or phrases under each sentence.
Choose the word or phrase that makes a
grammatically correct sentence.
They _____________ the newspaper everyday.
(A) reads
(B) is reading
(C) read
(D) does read
Questions About Individual Items on
the Tests
If you have any questions about an individual
question on any of the Computerized Placement
Tests, you may write to:
College Board Test Development
P.O. Box 6800
Princeton, NJ 08541-6800
You will receive a written response to any
question you submit. Or you can present the
question to your Test Administrator who will
forward the question for you to the same
address.
Additional Questions and Information
If you have additional questions or concerns
about the test, or the testing environment, or
need any additional information or assistance
concerning the Computerized Placement Tests,
please notify your Test Administrator.
Questions about Test Scores
If you have questions about your test score or
feel that there was some irregularity during your
testing session, you should notify your Test
Center Administrator. Your Test Administrator
can answer any question you may have about the
test.
Answers to the Sample Questions
Reading Comprehension
1. B
2. B
Sentence Skills
1. D
2. C
Arithmetic
1. D
2. A
3. C
Elementary Algebra
1. A
2. C
3. A
College-Level mathematics
1. D
2. E
Reading Skills
1. C
Sentence Meaning
1. A
2. B
Language Use
1. D
2. C
