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The Accuplacer Reading Comprehension section tests critical
thinking skills, which means that it tests ones ability to
understand and apply information that is read.
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All of the paragraphs on the Accuplacer Reading
Comprehension test are short; usually not more than 4
sentences. However, there is plenty of information in those
few sentences for you to analyze. Most questions ask you to
either:
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1. Determine the main idea;
2. Make an inference based on the information in the
paragraph;
3. Judge the relationship between 2 separate sentences;
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The Accuplacer Reading Comprehension test is
computer adaptive. This means that you must
answer each question in order to move on and once
you have moved on, you cannot go back to previous
questions. The Accuplacer Reading Comprehension
Test is comprised of 20 questions.
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If you have time, a good way to prepare for the Accuplacer
Reading Comprehension test is to read as much as possible
and quiz yourself upon finishing individual paragraphs. You
can read newspaper and magazine articles, or books. After
reading a paragraph, ask yourself what point the author
was making. If you do not know or did not understand what
was being discussed, then try to examine the paragraph
more closely in order to uncover the big picture.
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From information you read, try to make conclusions. For
example, if it was cold when someone shoveled his driveway,
there was probably snow on the ground.
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Take your time. Read slowly and repeat as necessary. Look
for details as you read. When reading passages you can
following along with your mouse.
You are allowed to use scratch paper. Use it to paraphrase
what you have read. This is the only way to make sure you
have understood what you have read.
Reread a passage before confirming your answer choice and
moving on to the next question. Remember, you cannot go
back.
When an answer is based on an implied idea, one of the
answer choices may be a restatement of a sentence in the
passage.
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You will be given 2 sentences and asked to
find the relationship between the two.
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The only way to figure out the relationship
between the sentences is to make sure you
understand what they mean. PARAPHRASE!
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You must also have a good understanding of
writing patterns
 The sentence offers an effect
 The sentence states a cause
 The sentence restates or repeats the first
 The sentence states a contrasting /contradicting idea
 The sentence gives an example
 The sentence proposes a solution
 The sentence expands on the first
 The sentence reinforces what is stated in the first sentence
 The second sentence explains the first
 The second sentence expands on the first
 The second sentence draws a conclusion
Sample question in which you must infer information:
 1. Cheating is the ultimate trick a student plays on him or
herself. Aside from the primary point of making an absolute
mockery of the purpose of a college education, there is also the
fact that there is no way a student can avoid being found out there is at least one person who will always know about it.
With which of the following statements would the author
agree?
 a. Students should not cheat because someone will
find
out and report it.
 b. Cheating really hurts the cheater.
 c. Professors should expect students to cheat.
Sample question about the main idea:
 2. Many college students do not want to take a math
class. When they learn that math is requirement,
these students hope for a way to avoid it. These
students may be suffering from math anxiety, an
overwhelming fear of the subject, rather than an
intellectual impairment.
The main idea of this passage is:
 a. Many students are bad at math
 b. Students who are bad at math can avoid
taking it.
 c. Students who hope to avoid math may have math
anxiety.
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Do not get discouraged by unfamiliar words. You can
often figure out what the answer is even if you do not
know the definitions of all of the words in a paragraph.
Also, you can often figure out the definition of a word by
its context.
The owning of an automobile allows Americans the
opportunity to explore this vast country.
 In failing to develop a national public transportation
system the ability of Americans to travel is severely
limited.
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4. The above 2 sentences:
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a. Contradict each other
b. The second sentence supports the first
c. The first sentence introduces the second.
The Midwest is experiencing its worst drought in
fifteen years.
 Corn and soybean prices are expected to be very high
this year.
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5. What does the second sentence do?
a. It restates the idea found in the first
sentence.
 b. It states an effect.
 c. It gives an example.
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http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/topic.html
This site has interactive practice questions that focus on finding main
ideas in paragraphs.
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http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwrtp/instrdg.htm
This site provides a general reading practice test.
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http://literacynet.org/cnnsf/
This site provides an extensive archive of stories; each one accompanied
by an outline, questions and activities.
Reading 90Accuplacer 61-77 or THEA 200-229
(or passing grade on reading 80)
Reading 80Accuplacer 44-60 or THEA 180-199
(or passing grade on reading 70)
Reading 70
Accuplacer 0-43 or THEA 100-179