Compass math practice how to#

Since universities do require admissions exams, they don’t make every admitted student take the Compass. To see an example of how ACT Compass scores correspond to placement in certain types of classes, check out Des Moines Community College’s Compass Score/Course Placement table here. These two-year degree institutions generally require the Compass for all students after they’ve applied and been accepted. Since they accept students regardless of academic ability, community colleges need to determine the level of each student in order to place students in their appropriate classes. Since remedial courses are taught below the college level, they do not count as course credit toward your major or toward graduation.Ĭommunity colleges typically do not require actual admissions exams, they will accept any applicant who is interested in attending. Remedial courses help you improve academic skills that you’re weak in.

Instead, the Compass exam is a placement exam.īeing a placement exam, your ACT Compass scores determine whether you will be able to take regular course-credit classes in all subjects right away, or will need to take some remedial courses. By this I mean that the Compass does not determine whether or not you get into a school. If you need to prepare for the ACT Compass, it’s important to understand that the Compass is not an admissions exam like the ACT. This exam is called the ACT Compass and for years it has been used to test the level of community college students, and sometimes university students as well. However, the ACT also administers a placement exam for students who have already been admitted to colleges and universities. The most well-known ACT test is (of course) the ACT, which is commonly used as an admission test for four-year universities. That being said, ACT Compass will remain an important exam for colleges and universities for the next twelve months and may be replaced by a similar exam in the future. Check out the Academic Brush Up page for more review resources.By David Recine on Febru, UPDATED ON September 1, 2018, in ACTĭue to a decline in popularity, ACT phased out its Compass exam at the end of 2016. You can also go to the local library and borrow a few GED test practice books in math and language arts. Your college’s website may have test preparation information or links to other test preparation websites. If you give yourself time to brush up on some of the skills on the test, you increase your chances of doing well on the test and starting in a higher-level class than you would otherwise. Depending on your score, you may need to take extra developmental courses or you may be able to start regular college courses right away. But you still need to study! The test determines what courses you will be placed in when you begin at college.

It might take a few days or weeks to receive the results.

Questions tend start off relatively easy and then get harder.

The level of difficulty of the questions cannot change to match your ability.

For example, you may have to complete 25 questions within 35 minutes.

You can work out math problems right in the test booklet.

Compass math practice how to#

You do not need to know how to use a computer to take it.

You can go back and check or change your answers when you are done answering all the questions, if you have time.For the math section, you need to work out the problem on scrap paper and then input the correct answer in the computer.Reading text on a computer screen can be difficult for some people.

For example, if you answer a question incorrectly, the next question will not be harder.

The questions change to match your ability.

Things to know about tests on a computer: It is good to know general information about both methods so you can be prepared. Check to see if you can take it on a computer or on paper. Some schools use their own placement test.