Placement Assessment Descriptions

Biology

  • 30-minute multiple choice assessment
  • Calculators are permitted
  • Reviews general biological principals and basic biological topics
  • Study Guide

Chemistry

  • 30-minute multiple-choice assessment
  • Calculators are permitted
  • Covers general concepts plus specific chemistry knowledge appropriate to a comprehensive high school chemistry course.
  • Study Guide

English

  • Two part multiple-choice computer-based assessment
  • The Next-Generation Reading test assesses the test-taker’s ability to derive meaning from a range of texts and to determine the meaning of words and phrases in short and extended contexts. Passages on the test cover a range of content areas, writing modes, and complexities. Both single and paired passages are included. Four broad knowledge and skills categories are assessed – information and ideas, rhetoric, synthesis, and vocabulary
  • The Next-Generation Writing test evaluates a test-taker’s ability to revise and edit multiparagraph text. Questions cover two broad knowledge and skills categories, each containing three subcategories:
  • Expression of Ideas – development, organization, effective language use
  • Standard English Conventions – sentence structure, usage, punctuation
  • Study Guide: Writing
  • Study Guide: Reading 

Mathematics

  • Two part multiple-choice computer-based assessment
  • Hand held calculators are not permitted
  • The Next-Generation Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics (QAS) assesses the following knowledge and skills – rational numbers, ratio and proportional relationships, exponents, algebraic expressions, linear equations, linear applications and graphs, probability sets, descriptive statistics, and geometry concepts
  • Next-Generation Advanced Algebra and Functions (AAF) assesses the following knowledge and skills – linear equations, linear applications and graphs, factoring, quadratics, functions, radical and rational equations, exponential and logarithmic equations, and trigonometry
  • Study Guide: Next-Generation Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics (QAS)
  • Study Guide: Next-Generation Advanced Algebra and Functions (AAF)

Physics

  • 30 minute multiple-choice assessment
  • Calculators are not required.
  • Tests conceptual knowledge in the areas of kinematics (position, velocity, and acceleration-one dimensional motion) and dynamics (adding forces, collisions, Newton’s Laws).
  • Study Guide

Computer Programming

  • 30 minute multiple-choice and true/false assessments
  • Calculators are not permitted.
  • Tests general knowledge of the C programming language and general computer programming principles covered in a comprehensive programming course.
  • Study Guide