Actually, COMPASS is regarded as a group of exams that was created by ACT (American College Test Program) so as to evaluate the skills of mathematics, writing, and reading of a particular individual. The COMPASS test is usually used in the settings of the tertiary institutions as a way to determine exactly what courses a specific student should be put in for according to the ability of such an individual.
The exams are computer-adaptive and each of the questions that will be attempted by a candidate will be based on whether the preceding question will be answered correctly or not. In case the preceding question is answered rightly and the student is yet to reach the toughest level of the questions, surely the next question that follows will be very difficult.
Meanwhile, if the answer is wrong and the student has not yet at the lowest level of hard questions, then the following question will be very simple. The COMPASS exam questions are all multiple-choice but some questions do vary from one student to another based on the level of skill of the student in a certain area.
The COMPASS exam comprises of three main exam groups, mainly known as:
- Mathematics Measure
This covers five areas which include pre-algebra and numerical skills, geometry, algebra, college-level algebra, and trigonometry.
- Reading Placement Measure
This covers comprehensive passages and questions that are related to the comprehension. The comprehension passage could be extracted from topics which include humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, prose fiction, and practical reading.
- Writing Skills Placement Measure
This will test the ability of the students incorrect errors in basic grammar, punctuation, usage, sentence structure and the ability of the student to improve the organization, style and content of a certain piece of writing.
The COMPASS test also has a measure for English as a second language which is purposely designed in order to test the ability of a student whether they understand spoken and written English. These exams are done separately and each student might need to take the exam individually instead of all the exams or combination of the exams at once.
All your examination will be scored according to the percentage of the questions that are correctly answered. This percentage is measured according to the number of responses answered at every difficulty level. The COMPASS exam measures are normally applied at the university or tertiary institutions that needed them. For this reason, registration process, course placement and fees in case there is any will be based on the particular institution or university.
How to Prepare for the COMPASS Test
The COMPASS practice tests are the best way by which a student who is ready or preparing to take it can study for college placement exams. It is very important that you make use of the free COMPASS practice tests to prepare thoroughly for your upcoming COMPASS exam. The questions you will attempt from this practice tests will stimulate the real questions that will be set for your COMPASS exam. When taking free COMPASS practice test, you do not need any registration before taking it. After completing the exam, you will be showed your score and each of the correct answer will be backed up with full explanation. The practice tests will offer you with a chance to appraise yourself to know how far you have gone in your preparation for your exam. Besides, it will allow you to concentrate on the aspects you will need to work on before the exam comes.
Benefits of Taking Practice Tests before Passing the COMPASS Exam
There are numerous advantages attached to taking practice tests before entering for the COMPASS exam for real. To study for your COMPASS test by making use of sample questions is regarded as one of the efficacious study practices you can take advantage of. The benefits of making use of sample COMPASS practice tests include:
Focusing on Your Study
As you engage yourself in taking more and more sample tests, you will start feeling the topics you know very well and the aspects that you are very weak about. Most students do waste their precious time of study by reviewing the materials they are interested in and good at frequently. The reason is that it is much easier for them or makes them feel much better in their preparation. However, the best way by which they can study is to focus on the aspects that you do not know very well most especially where you need help.
Energize Your Ability of Problem Solving
As you engage in practicing the sample test and reviewing the explanation given to you, you will discover that this will boost your ability and energize you to solve problems. Strong and tough problem-solving skills will be very vital for you as this will enable you to attain a level of passing score on your COMPASS exams most especially the aspect of COMPASS Mathematics.
Have Full Knowledge of the Test Format
Remember that each and every standardized test posses its own format. As you engaged in taking practice COMPASS tests, you will feel comfortable with the format of the real COMPASS exam. When the test day arrives, you will not be disappointed.
How Long Does It Take to Complete the COMPASS Test?
The COMPASS practice test is untimed. Averagely, every section of the test will take about an hour to be completed. Therefore, if you are taking three sections, definitely you will take about 3 hours or more than that. Remember that as soon as you choose an answer for a particular question and move to the next question, you cannot go back to the previous question again.
This is the reason why you need to take your time to read the directions very well and take your precious time to do your best on each of the questions asked in the test. Your score results will be the determinant whether you will be accepted or deny your entry to university or not because the COMPASS scores have been considered with the application for acceptance.