Accuplacer Reading
Comprehension Test
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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.
2.
3.
4.
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Determine the main idea;
Make an inference based on the information in the paragraph;
Judge the relationship between 2 separate sentences; or
Rewrite a sentence.
Accuplacer Reading is a CAT Test
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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. There is no time limit. You
can take as long as you need. 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.
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.
There are also some very good web sites to help you
prepare. We will review these later in the workshop.
Tips for taking the test
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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.
Reread a passage before making your answer choice.
For some questions, you will have to locate one specific
sentence that answers the question. The rest of the
paragraph will be related or even discuss an opposing
idea, but will not answer the question.
When an answer is based on an implied idea, one of the
answer choices may be a restatement of a sentence in
the passage.
More Tips for Taking the Test
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An answer can be the counterpoint in a passage. For
example, one idea in a passage may be that viral
infections cause short term inner ear imbalance, while
another idea posed in the same passage is that
arteriosclerosis restricts blood supply causing long term
inner ear imbalance. Even though the passage may
seem to be focused on one of the ideas and not the
other, be careful when choosing your answer. By reading
the passage carefully and more than one time, you can
avoid making the wrong choice.
More Tips for Taking the Test
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Reread a passage before confirming your answer choice
and moving on to the next question. Remember, you
cannot go back.
Since all of the passages are short (approximately 4
sentences), you can reread to be sure you have not
chosen a red herring. For example, if a passage
discusses two positions that a person held, such as
lawyer and judge, both options may be given as answer
choices. You will need to be sure of which position the
question is targeting.
Sentence Completions
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Two underlined sentences are followed by a question or
a statement. You must read the sentences and choose
the best answer to a question or choose the best
completion for a statement. When you are asked to
choose the best completion for a statement, you are
actually being asked to rewrite the original sentence.
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When you are asked to rewrite a sentence using a
different beginning phrase, the new sentence must have
essentially the same meaning as the original. Be sure to
read all of the choices. It is best to rewrite the whole
sentence in your head or on scratch paper in order to be
sure you are choosing the right answer option. Run
through the entire sentence with each of your options.
Sentence Completions
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Your options will be a few words (a phrase).
Sometimes it will be specified that the phrase
will directly follow the new beginning and
sometimes it will be specified that the phrase will
be included in the new sentence. This is a
reason why it is important to run through entire
sentences with new wording inserted to be sure
you are choosing the right option.
Sentence Completions
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In order to construct a new sentence when the answer
choices are to be included, not directly follow the
beginning phrase, look for a part of the original sentence
that will complete the beginning thought and then look at
the answer choices to continue the sentence. For
example,
“She thought that advertising should have an immediate,
powerful impact and, as a result of this notion of hers,
she made commercials with a strong emotional content.”
You are asked to rewrite this sentence, beginning with,
“Her new commercials had…”
Sentence Completions
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The choices that your new sentence will include are
 they resulted from
 the result was that
 caused by thinking
 because she thought
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You can reconstruct the new sentence as follows: “Her
new commercials had a strong emotional content
because she thought that advertising should have an
immediate, powerful impact.
Sentence Completions
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When you have to rewrite a portion of a sentence or a
whole sentence, never make a choice without reading all
of the options. A sentence with a mechanical error will
often sound okay until you have read the other choices.
Finally, since there are two types of sentence
completions, be very careful to note how you are being
asked to rewrite a sentence. The phrasing will be:

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The next words are OR
The sentence will include
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.
3. The protagonist of a popular children’s tale has an
aversion to colored poultry products and smoked meat.
His pursuer took increasingly creative measures to
ensure that the protagonist would consume these
victuals here, there or anywhere.
The author states that:
a. The pursuer took increasingly creative measures.
b. The victuals were virtually real.
c. The protagonist consumed the pursuer.
Sample Question in which you Compare Two Sentences
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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.
b.
c.
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Contradict each other
The second sentence supports the first
The first sentence introduces the second.
Sample Question in which you Compare Two Sentences
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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?
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a. It restates the idea found in the first
sentence.
b. It states an effect.
c. It gives an example.
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Answer Key for Reading Comprehension Test
Sample Questions
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Answers: 1.b ; 2.c ; 3.a ; 4.a; 5.b
Websites to help you Prepare
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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 Placements based on
Accuplacer Reading Comprehension Test Scores
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Score
20 – 30
31-77
78-120
UTEP Placement
BASK 0323
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(at EPCC)
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ENGL 0310
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(remedial reading course)
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Eligible to take
reading intensive
courses (HIST
1301, 1302, SOCI
1301, PSYC 1301,
POLS 2310, 2311)
Score
20-45
46-55
56-77
78-120
EPCC Placement
BASK 0323
READ 0308
READ 0309
Developmental
Reading Course
not required