Main Topics of English Placement Tests
In the world of college placement testing, there are many different versions of the English Placement Test. Various states, colleges and companies have developed their own placement test products. However, the two primary areas covered in all of these exams include:
- Writing Skills
- Reading Comprehension
College Placement English Sample Questions
Each of the following sentences has four answers, each restating the original sentence in different words. Find the answer which best matches the meaning of the original sentence.
Playing with toys helps in the development of young children's brains.
1. The development of young children depends upon playing with toys
2. Children who play with toys develop more rapidly then children who do not.
3. The development of a child's brain is aided by playing with toys.
4. Parents buy toys for their children in order to help them develop
Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is C.
Answer A says young children's development depends on toys, instead of being helped by it.
Answer B refers to the speed of the development, which wasn't mentioned originally.
Answer D refers to parents' motives for buying toys, which also was not mentioned originally.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence.
Creating a program and ____ an existing program are fairly similar.
1. Modifying
2. Planning
3. Disarranging
4. Closing
5. Integrating
Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is (A).
The reason why this answer is correct is that it is the only logical answer. We are looking for a word that is close to creating as this is what the question asks for. Planning and integrating are stages of program creation, but they are not the actual creation. Therefore, only option A can be correct.
Creating a program and modifying an existing program are relatively similar.
Select the word that is spelled incorrectly.
1. Judgment
2. Permanant
3. Dialogue
4. Adjacent
Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is B.
The correct spelling of the word is permanent.
Which of the following sentences is grammatically incorrect?
1. After driving to the game, please make sure to picked up groceries.
2. She will be conducting your interview today.
3. The documents can be found on your desk.
4. The trip to Los Angeles is scheduled for the last week of the month.
Answer & Explanation
Answer: A.
"After driving to the game, please make sure to pick up groceries." There is incorrect use of the infinitive – "to picked" instead of "to pick".
Some developed countries have _____ population growth, which means that the number of deaths _____ the number of births.
1. negative....exceeds
2. ominous....intercedes
3. positive.....outpaces
4. unstable....surmises
Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is (A) — negative . . . exceeds.
Some developed countries have negative population growth, which means that the number of deaths exceeds the number of births.
The expression "which means that" tells us that there must be a correlation between the two parts of the sentence, so the missing words should form ideas that go together.
In answer (B), ominous means "foreboding" or "telling of future danger," and to intercede means to "interfere" or "mediate between two sides." Placing this word pair in the sentence does not form a meaningful sentence.
In answer (C), outpaces means "exceeds, be faster than." Placing positive . . . outpaces in the sentence forms a contradiction, because if the number of deaths outpaces that of births we get a negative population growth, not a positive one.
In answer (D), surmises means "guesses" or "draws a conclusion," so unstable . . . surmises is not the correct answer either.
In answer (A), exceeds means "surpasses." Therefore, negative . . . exceeds is the correct answer: If the number of deaths surpasses that of births, we indeed get negative population growth.
"Pierce" means the same as…
1. Rocky
2. Immense
3. Abstract
4. Stab
5. Fold
Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is stab.
1. Rocky is something is unsteady, like balancing on rocks
2. Immense is large
3. Abstract is a theoretical idea
4. Fold is action done to object, but does not physically change the object
5. Both Pierce and Stab mean to impede an object through another object.
Writing Skills Placement Test
Colleges use placement tests to identify those incoming students who would benefit from a remedial English course, and also to highlight the entering students who qualify for advanced classes. Your Placement Test result has the power to add extra remedial courses onto your required class load, with the effect of increasing your collegiate timeframe.
This increase would impact the cost of your college education. It is therefore to your benefit to achieve your best possible score on the College English Placement Test. As you learned in high school, preparing for any test gives you an advantage when you face the actual exam questions. Preparing for the English Placement Test involves working on sample placement tests to gain a familiarity of the format and types of questions. A sample test is readily available at TestPrep-Online.
Writing Skills Exam Content – You will find essays and questions that are meant to assess your knowledge of grammar, punctuation, usage, vocabulary, sentence structure, organization, style and effectiveness of expressions. Some versions of Writing Skills Placement Tests are contained in two subtests:
- English Usage Test
- Sentence Correction Test
Questions involving English usage require students to identify deviations from standard written American English. As to the sentence correction focus, you will be expected to choose the most effective phrase for each problematic statement found in the essays presented.
On the Writing Skills Test, you will find five basic elements found in standard American English:
- Pronouns – referencing a noun, case, consistency
- Verbs – tense consistency and weak construction
- Modifiers – placement, adjective and adverb form, comparison
- Diction – idioms and diction
- Sentence Problems – comma fault, economy of words, subordination, fragment, word order, logic, punctuation for clear understanding
Writing Skills Test Format – You can expect to find an error-filled essay. You highlight a phrase containing mistakes. The essay will remain on the left side of the monitor, while on the right side the original phrase and four substitute phrases will appear. You choose the one phrase that effectively corrects the highlighted phrase. If you think that no change is necessary, pick the original phrase as your answer.
The response that you pick will be placed into the essay, giving you the opportunity to review your choice as it actually fits into the passage. You have the option of changing your answer simply by again clicking on any phrase and choosing one out of the five possible responses.
When you are done working with the essay, click on “Finished Editing Essay.” The computer will then send you another essay or end the exam.
This multiple-choice placement test is most often administered by computer. Students generally take approximately 80 minutes to complete the entire English Placement test, spending an average of 30 seconds on each exam item.
Reading Comprehension Test
The focus of the Reading Comprehension Test is on vocabulary, style and the meaning of each sentence. This exam contains college level passages. An assessment of your ability to interpret and understand the passages is the aim of the Reading test. The five aspects of tested comprehension include:
- Interpret figurative language
- Understand the literal meaning
- Identify the underlying organization
- Draw inferences
- Recognize styles
How to Prepare for College Writing Skills and Reading Comprehension Placement Tests
If you hope to do your best on Reading and Writing Skills exams, then studying for these placement tests is essential. Studying for College Placement Tests (CPTs) involves working on practice tests, reviewing a study guide and learning testing strategies. You have the affordable opportunity to connect with an online Reading Comprehension and Writing Skills preparation program through TestPrep-Online.
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