Basic Skills Assessment (BSA):

Test Preparation

Basic Skills Assessment Preparation

ACCUPLACER was designed to help you succeed in college. Your score helps you and your adviser determine which courses are most appropriate for your current level of knowledge and skills. Once you identify your academic strengths and needs, you can get the help you need to improve underdeveloped skills before they can interfere with your learning.

The Accuplacer/Basic Skills Assessment is designed to place you in appropriate levels of math and English. The better you score, the more likely you are to place into college level courses. By taking the time to refresh and fine-tune your math and English skills, you could end up saving a good deal of time and money by placing out of developmental classes. That is why it is important for you to review prior to taking the test. Your scores determine your placement, and there are no "re-tests."

(If you have not already done so, please take the time to read over the Accuplacer FAQ page)

Ways to Review:
(Note: If your web browser has trouble opening any of the following links, right click on the link and select "save link as." Save it and try opening it that way.)
1) ACCUPLACER® will launch the ACCUPLACER iPhone app in November. The app introduces students to the test-taking experience, featuring interactive practice tests for ACCUPLACER Arithmetic, Elementary Algebra, College-Level Math, Reading Comprehension and Sentence Skills tests. For $1.99, students can test their skills and become familiar with the style and content of questions asked on an ACCUPLACER test. After selecting an answer from the multiple-choice options, students receive immediate feedback and a detailed explanation of the correct response.
**Watch a Video of how it works!
The ACCUPLACER iPhone app will be offered exclusively through Apple’s iTunes Store and will be compatible with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

2) Visit following web sites.

A: I recommend that you first take the sample tests to see exactly what type of questions to expect: Sample Test 1 w/explanations, Sample Test 2, Sample Test 3, Sample Test 4 (see links below "Self-Assessment Modules" on Sample Test 4), Sample English Test Only.

B. Get more practice by using the following tests. Note these are NOT sample Accuplacer (BSA) questions, but the skills and concepts are very similar: Practice Reading Test 1, Practice Reading Test 2, Practice Sentence Skills Test 1, Practice Sentence Skills Test 2, Practice Math Test 1.

C: After taking the above sample+practice tests, you should be able to determine what areas you need to focus most on improving. The following websites contain explanations of core concepts and additional practice.

Comprehensive Math Review with Tutorials and Practice! (Great math site with video tutorials!)
www.purplemath.com
www.math.com
www.algebrahelp.com
http://www.englishmaven.org/Pages/Reading%20Comprehension.htm(Reading Comprehension)
http://www.yccd.edu/assessment/tests/sentenceskills.html (Sentence Skills)
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar - an online handbook by Capital Community College.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/ (Grammar practice and instruction)
http://www.grammarbook.com/interactive_quizzes_exercises.asp (Grammar review quizzes with answers)

For ESL practice, try the following sites:

     http://www.manythings.org/
     http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/ (Grammar)
     http://a4esl.org/q/h/grammar.html (Grammar)
     http://home.earthlink.net/~eslstudent/read/readdo1.html#uvic (Reading Comprehension)