ACCUPLACER English Scores

View All ACCUPLACER Levels Here

• ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension Scores
• ACCUPLACER Sentence Skills Scores
• ACCUPLACER WritePlacer Essay Scores

ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension Scores

The ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension section of the exam consists of 20 questions, which test your ability to identify the differences between main ideas and supporting ideas and understand direct statements, inferences, and applications within a literary text.

Scores are split into different ranges, each of which holds a certain skill set level to be demonstrated during testing.

Minimal Reading Comprehension Skills 51–77

Students are able to:

• understand short passages that have a straightforward presentation of uncomplicated ideas and that reflect everyday experience
• recognize different ideas within the passage, including the central and surrounding ideas
• identify the general tone of the passage in response to questions that do not require identifying a specific tone
• identify relationships between sentences, for example, where one sentence is used to develop or illustrate another sentence

Adequate Reading Comprehension Skills 78–98

Students are able to:

• understand short passages that portray relatively uncomplicated concepts, with partially sophisticated vocabulary, and partially clear structure and organization
• respond to questions that require them to understand the target audience, the opinion of the passage, and combine information in the passage
• recognize contrasting and contradicting statements
• identify the organizing principles within the passage

Sufficient Reading Comprehension Skills 99–120

Students are able to:

• understand short passages that convey very complex ideas, often on theoretical topics and frameworks concerning academic subject matter
• identify points in the passage that are implied
• identify the tone of the passage
• critically analyze the author’s logic employed in the argument
• identify and understand complex speculation or arguments

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ACCUPLACER Sentence Skills Scores

The Sentence Skills section of the ACCUPLACER Test consists of 20 questions that test your knowledge of syntax, specifically targeting the ability to recognize complete sentences, identify coordinate and subordinate clauses, and use clear sentence logic.

Minimal Sentence Skills 54–86

Students are able to:

• identify sentence fragments that need correction and successfully correct them
• identify problems with simple subordination and coordination and successfully solve them

Adequate Sentence Skills 87–108

Students are able to:

• identify incorrect coordination and subordination within sentences that consist of one or two clauses and successfully correct the sentences
• employ complex verb tenses
• identify and correct misplaced modifiers
• identify issues of incorrectly applied grammar and logic and successfully correct them

Sufficient Sentence Skills 109–120

Students are able to:

• work with passages that contain complex sentences with two or more subordinate clauses and effectively manipulate those sentences
• identify problems of syntax and correct them
• identify problems of repetitive diction and correct them
• identify correct and incorrect use of clause connections such as semicolons

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ACCUPLACER Essay Scores

ACCUPLACER WritePlacer Essay scores range from 0 to 8.

0: Blank or Illegible

• The writing sample is blank or is illegible.

1–2: Inadequate and Weak Writing Proficiency

• The writer fails to effectively address the topic, although some attempt has been made. The language and style are not suited to the event described in the essay, or to the essay's audience or purpose. The writer fails to make a clear statement regarding the main idea or focus of the essay. The supporting information lacks detail and is used neither clearly nor efficiently.
• The writer fails to adopt sentence structures free from error.
• The writer does not make good word choices and the writing is confusing.
• The writer fails to use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

3: Low Level of Writing Proficiency

• The writer communicates a vague idea or opinion with weak word choices and structure. The writer fails to develop ideas or focus on key concepts.
• The writer has many with spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors, and there is very little organizational structure. Sentences are poorly structured, and the writer does not demonstrate knowledge of mechanical conventions.

4: Developing Level of Writing Proficiency

• The writer has produced a partially developed text in which a key theme or opinion has been somewhat effectively communicated.
• The writer fails to continually focus on the key theme, and also fails to effectively develop the main idea or opinion. Some evidence of attempted development of the focus of the writing sample is present, although the organizational structure of the text fails to support the effective development of the idea.
• The writer uses weak sentence structure with visible structural and word choice errors.
• The writer fails to use proper grammar and exhibits poor spelling, poor language usage, and poor punctuation throughout the text.

5: Adequate Level of Writing Proficiency

• The text's purpose is partially developed, and ideas and messages are only partially communicated.
• The writer attempts to write to the specified audience and partially succeeds in appropriately and directly addressing the audience.
• The writer partially develops the text's focus and offers some limited supporting information and details.
• The writer correctly applies mechanical conventions, including sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling, although there are some distracting errors present.

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6: Minimal Level of Writing Proficiency

• The writer has created a text that demonstrates a clear attempt to communicate an idea to a unique and specified audience.
• The text's purpose is clear, but the supporting details behind the idea and focus of the writing sample are not fully developed.
• The writer uses a good organizational structure that offers clarity and coherence, however, there may be sections where the writer fails to fully develop the focus of the writing sample.
• Some minor structural and grammatical errors regarding word choice, language usage, and sentence structure are present, as well as minor spelling and punctuation errors.

7: Sufficient Level of Writing Proficiency

• The writing sample communicates concepts clearly and completely to the target audience. The writing purpose and focus of the text are clearly established at the start of the writing sample, though they are not fully developed as the text progresses.
• The writer confidently and competently applies mechanical and grammatical conventions, demonstrating good knowledge of spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and word choice. Very minor errors may be present.

8: Exemplary Level of Writing Proficiency

• The writing sample communicates a clear and concise message to a specified audience. The writer successfully establishes and develops the focus throughout the writing sample.
• The writer uses appropriate supporting detail that is explicitly linked to the text that it supports. The writer upholds mechanical and grammatical conventions and the work is free from errors.
• The writing sample presents a thoughtful and careful writing style. The writer’s choice of words and use of language and sentence structure show a mastery of writing skills.

Improve Your ACCUPLACER English Scores

Start preparing for your ACCUPLACER English test today with our ACCUPLACER English Pack. Our practice pack for the ACCUPLACER English placement test offers over 480 questions that cover English grammar practice, ACCUPLACER Sentence Skills practice, and ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension practice. 

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