ADMISSIONS

Setting the Right Course for College Success

Things to Know About COMPASS^®

What Is COMPASS?

COMPASS is an untimed, computerized test that helps your college evaluate your skills and place you into appropriate courses. COMPASS offers tests in reading, writing, math, writing essay, and English as a Second Language (ESL). You will receive your COMPASS test results immediately upon completion of testing, and your score report will include placement messages informing you what courses you should take and how to register.

How Are COMPASS Scores Used?

COMPASS is not used like a traditional test. There is generally no “passing score.” Rather, COMPASS scores indicate areas in which you are strong and areas in which you may need help. Thus, COMPASS can identify problems in major subject areas before they disrupt your educational progress, giving you the opportunity to prepare more effectively for needed courses. You and your institution can use scores from COMPASS tests to prepare a course of study that will be appropriate, relevant, and meaningful for you.

How Can I Arrange to Take the COMPASS Tests?

Most institutions give COMPASS during orientation to incoming freshmen who have already applied and been admitted to the school. Some institutions may require you to take one or more of the COMPASS tests before enrolling in a particular program or course. Talk to your advisor, counselor, or Office of Student Services to determine the requirements and recommendations of your institution.

Sample Test Questions

These sample items illustrate the types of questions students will encounter in the COMPASS^® placement measures:

Mathematics Placement

Multiple-choice items in each of the five mathematics placement areas test the following:

basic skills—performing a sequence of basic operations
application—applying sequences of basic operations to novel settings or in complex ways
analysis—demonstrating conceptual understanding of principles and relationships in mathematical operations

Students are permitted to use approved calculators when completing the COMPASS^® mathematics placement or diagnostic tests. An online calculator is available for those students who wish to access it via Microsoft Windows. At the discretion of the institution where COMPASS is being administered, students also may use their own calculators as long as they meet the calculator-use guidelines specified by ACT.

The examples below are not actual items from COMPASS^® but are similar in content and format. These items are presented for illustrative purposes and do not constitute a full representation of item content.

Numerical Skills/Pre-Algebra Placement

(Averages: Means, Medians, and Modes)
1.	What is the average (arithmetic mean) of 8, 7, 7, 5, 3, 2, and 2? A. 3 B. 4 C. 4 D. 5 E. 6
(Basic Operations with Decimals)
2.	Ben is making wooden toys for the next arts and crafts sale. Each toy costs Ben $1.80 to make. If he sells the toys for $3.00 each, how many will he have to sell to make a profit of exactly $36.00 ? A. 12 B. 20 C. 30 D. 60 E. 108
(Basic Operations with Fractions)
	3. How many yards of material from a 24-yard length of cloth remain after 3 pieces, each 3 yards long, and 5 pieces, each 2 yards long, are removed? A. 2 B. 4 C. 4 D. 10 E. 10
(Percentages)
4.	Phillip charged $400 worth of goods on his credit card. On his first bill, he was not charged any interest, and he made a payment of $20. He then charged another $18 worth of goods. On his second bill a month later, he was charged 2% interest on his entire unpaid balance. How much interest was Phillip charged on his second bill? A. $8.76 B. $7.96 C. $7.60 D. $7.24 E. $6.63Answers: 1. C 2. C 3. A 4. B

Algebra Placement

(Elementary Algebra: Linear Equations in One Variable)
1.	A student has earned scores of 87, 81, and 88 on the first 3 of 4 tests. If the student wants an average (arithmetic mean) of exactly 87, what score must she earn on the fourth test? A. 85 B. 86 C. 87 D. 92 E. 93
(Elementary Algebra: Basic Operations with Polynomials)
2.	Which of the following expressions represents the product of 3 less than twice x and 2 more than the quantity 3 times x ? A. –6x² + 25x + 6 B. 6x² + 5x + 6 C. 6x² – 5x + 6 D. 6x² – 5x – 6 E. 6x² – 13x – 6
(Elementary Algebra: Substituting Values into Algebraic Expressions)
3.	If x = –1 and y = 2, what is the value of the expression 2x³ – 3xy ? A. 8 B. 4 C. –1 D. –4 E. –8
(Intermediate Algebra: Rational Expressions)
4.	For all r 2, = ? A. B. C. D. E.
(Coordinate Geometry: Linear Equations in Two Variables)
5.	What is the equation of the line that contains the points with (x,y) coordinates (–3,7) and (5,–1) ? A. y = 3x – 2 B. y = x + 10 C. y = – x + 8 D. y = – x + E. y = –x + 4 Answers: 1. D 2. D 3. B 4. A 5. E

College Algebra Placement

(Complex Numbers)
1.	For i = , if 3i (2 + 5i) = x + 6i, then x = ? A. –15 B. 5 C. 5i D. 15i E. 27i
(Functions)
2.	If f(4) = 0 and f(6) = 6, which of the following could represent f(x) ? A. x – 4 B. x + 2 C. x – 4 D. x + 6E. 3x – 12 Answers: 1. A 2. E

Geometry Placement

(Angles)
1.	In the figure below , , and are parallel, and intersects all 3 lines at points R, S, and T, respectively. If the measure of QTF is 33°, what is the measure of PRB ?
	A. 33° B. 57° C. 66° D. 123° E. 147°
(Triangles)
2.	In MPB below, . If = , then = ?
	A. B. C. D. E. Answers: 1. E 2. C

Trigonometry Placement

(Trigonometric Functions and Identities)
1.	Which of the following is equivalent to ?
	A. sec² B. (csc² ) – 1 C. tan² D. sin² E.
(Right-Triangle Trigonometry)
2.	From a point on the ground the angle of elevation to a ledge on a building is 27°, and the distance to the base of the building is 45 meters. How many meters high is the ledge?
	A. B. C. 45 sin 27° D. 45 cos 27° E. 45 tan 27°

Answers: 1. C 2. E

Reading Placement

The Reading Placement Test can help determine if students have the skills to succeed in standard entry-level college courses or if they need developmental reading courses or other instructional support. The reading diagnostic section includes reading comprehension, vocabulary, and reader profile components. Five types of reading comprehension passages are included:

Practical Reading
Prose Fiction
Humanities
Social Sciences
Natural Sciences

Items have multiple-choice response options. The new format in COMPASS^® for Windows makes it possible for students to see and read a passage on one side of the screen while the test questions and answer choices are displayed on the other half of the screen.

Humanities

Sample Humanities Passage: Reading Placement

When I’m in New York but feeling lonely for Wyoming I look for the Western movie ads in the subway. But the men I see in those posters with their stern, humorless looks remind me of no one I know in the West. In our earnestness to romanticize the cowboy we’ve ironically disesteemed his true character. If he’s “strong and silent” it’s because there’s probably no one to talk to. If he “rides away into the sunset” it’s because he’s been on horseback since four in the morning moving cattle and he’s trying, fifteen hours later, to get home to his family. If he’s “a rugged individualist” he’s also part of a team: ranch work is teamwork and even the glorified open-range cowboys of the 1880s rode up and down the Chisholm Trail in the company of twenty or thirty other riders. It’s not toughness but “toughing it out” that counts. In other words, this macho, cultural artifact the cowboy has become is simply a man who possesses resilience, patience, and an instinct for survival. “Cowboys are just like a pile of rocks—everything happens to them. They get climbed on, kicked, rained and snowed on, scuffed up by the wind. Their job is ‘just to take it,’” one old-timer told me.
Adapted from Gretel Ehrlich, The Solace of Open Spaces. ©1985 by Gretel Ehrlich.

(Referring)
1.	According to the passage, cowboys are probably “strong and silent” because:
	A.	their work leaves them no time for conversation.
	B.	they have been cautioned not to complain.
	C.	they are stern and humorless.
	D.	there is no one nearby to listen to them.
	E.	their work makes them too tired to talk.
(Reasoning)
2.	For which of the following statements does the passage give apparently contradictory evidence?
	A.	The cowboy’s work takes endurance.
	B.	Cowboys work alone.
	C.	Cowboys are adequately paid.
	D.	The cowboy’s image has become romanticized in American culture.
	E.	Cowboys think of themselves as humorless.

Answers: 1. D 2. B

Practical Reading

Sample Practical Reading Passage: Reading Placement
Regular tune-ups of your heating system will cut heating costs and will most likely increase the lifetime and safety of the system. When a service technician performs a tune-up, he or she should test the efficiency of your heating system.
The technician should measure the efficiency of your system both before and after servicing it and provide you with a copy of the results. Combustion efficiency is determined indirectly, based on some of the following tests: 1) temperature of the flue (or chimney); 2) percent carbon dioxide or percent oxygen in the atmosphere; 3) presence of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere; and 4) draft. Incomplete combustion of fuel is the main contributor to low efficiency. If the technician cannot raise the combustion efficiency up to at least 75% after tuning your heating system, you should consider installing a new system or at least modifying your present system to increase its efficiency.
Adapted from Alex Wilson and John Morrill, Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings. ©1993 by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

(Reasoning)
1.	The passage suggests that the presence of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere:
	A.	can provide information regarding combustion efficiency.
	B.	is found in 75% of heating systems tested.
	C.	can be reduced by decreasing heating system draft.
	D.	is the main cause of low efficiency in heating systems.
	E.	is more reliable than flue temperature as an indicator of combustion efficiency.
(Referring)
2.	According to the passage, when performing a tune-up of a heating system, the service technician should:
	A.	ensure that the combustion efficiency is at least 25%.
	B.	modify the heating system before initially measuring efficiency.
	C.	measure combustion efficiency both before and after servicing the system.
	D.	provide his or her supervisor with a written report of the system’s efficiency.
	E.	ignore the age of the heating system.

Answers: 1. A 2. C

Writing Skills Placement

The Writing Skills Placement Test helps institutions determine whether students are ready for entry-level college writing courses or other courses with significant writing loads, or whether students require developmental writing instruction prior to entry into those courses.

This test asks students to find and correct errors in essays presented on the computer screen. The test items include the following content categories:

Usage/Mechanics

Punctuation
Basic grammar and usage
Sentence structure

Rhetorical Skills

Strategy
Organization
Style

Sample Essay: Writing Skills Placement

Examinees are presented with an essay similar to the one below and are asked to look for errors in grammar, punctuation, usage, and style. When examinees find what they believe to be errors, they move the mouse pointer to the appropriate part of the text and click the mouse. On the right side of the screen five options appear for revising that area of text. Note that the first option is always identical to the original wording in the text, and thus represents a NO CHANGE option. Examinees can choose to revise any section of the essay. After revising the essay, examinees are routed to two items focusing on rhetorical strategies.

An increasing number of lakes and rivers in the northern United States invaded are being by a mussel no larger than a fingernail.

The zebra mussel probably steamed aboard a transatlantic ship sometime in the mid-1980s from the Caspian Sea into U.S. waters. Despite its growth was explosive, partly because the species was preyed upon by very few native predators in its new environment. As a consequence, the zebra mussels did find a plentiful food supply. They eat huge amounts of phytoplankton, which tiny free-floating sea organisms that dwell in water. Scientists are concerned when the mussels may compete aggressively with other species that depend on the same food supply.

Others concerned by the invading species are industry, public utilities, and boat owners. Zebra mussels cluster in huge colonies, being anchored themselves to any hard surface. These colonies can clog your water intake pipes of electric and water treatment plants. Fishery specialists are currently casting about and baiting their hooks to gun down control methods that will cause the lowest amount of damage to water supplies and other aquatic species. Two of the alternatives exploring are interrupting the species reproductive cycle and finding a bacterium harmful only to zebra mussels.

(End of Essay)

(Basic Grammar and Usage: Ensuring Grammatical Agreement)
Segment 1
	A.	An increasing number of lakes and rivers
	B.	An increasingly number of lakes and rivers
	C.	A number increasing of lakes and rivers
	D.	A number increasingly of lakes and rivers
	E.	An increasing of lakes and rivers
(Style: Avoiding Redundancy)
Segment 2
	A.	was preyed upon by very few native predators in its new environment.
	B.	found very few predators in its new environment.
	C.	found very few native predators and was seldom eaten in its new environment.
	D.	was preyed on by very few native predator species in its new environment.
	E.	was seldom eaten or preyed on by native predator species in its new environment.
(Sentence Structure: Relating Clauses)
Segment 3
	A.	Scientists are concerned when the mussels
	B.	Scientists are concerned that if the mussels
	C.	Scientists are concerned wherein the mussels
	D.	Scientists are concerned that the mussels
	E.	Scientists are concerned as if the mussels
(Strategy: Making Decisions about Cohesive Devices)
Item 4 (end-of-passage) The writer wishes to add a sentence at the end of Paragraph 1 that will serve as a transition between Paragraphs 1 and 2 and will establish the main focus of the essay. Which of the following sentences most effectively fulfills that purpose?
	A.	The zebra mussel will provide a difficult challenge for public utility managers.
	B.	The zebra mussel is only the latest in a series of newly introduced species to thrive in the U.S.
	C.	No one knows how far south and west the zebra mussel is likely to spread, but scientists think they may be on the trail of important clues.
	D.	Although small in size, the zebra mussel may become a huge problem for pleasure boat owners in North American waterways.
	E.	Despite its size, however, the zebra mussel may have a dramatic effect on North American waterways.

Answers: 1. A 2. B 3. D 4. E

Tips for Taking COMPASS^® Tests

Relax! The COMPASS tests are designed to help you succeed in school. Your scores help you and your institution determine which courses are most appropriate for your current level of knowledge and skills. Once you identify your academic strengths and weaknesses, you can get the help you need to improve underdeveloped skills before they interfere with your learning.
You will be able to concentrate better on the test if you get plenty of rest and eat properly before the test. You should also arrive a few minutes early so you can find the testing area, bathrooms, etc., and have time to gather your thoughts before the test begins.
Be sure you understand the directions for each test before that test session begins. Ask questions if you need to.
Read each question carefully until you understand what the question is asking. If answering an item requires several steps, be sure you consider them all.
Be sure to answer every item. You are not penalized for guessing. Your score will provide more useful placement information if you answer every item, even if you guess.
Don’t be afraid to change an answer if you believe that your first choice was wrong.
If you have a problem or question during the test, raise your hand and the test administrator or proctor will help you. Although they cannot answer test questions for you, they can help you with other types of problems.
You may download PDF versions of additional sample questions for COMPASS placement measures. Each file includes answers to all the sample questions. The URL for download is http://www.act.org/compass/sample/

Calculator Guidelines for COMPASS^® Testing

At the discretion of the institution where COMPASS is being administered, calculators may be used on the COMPASS Pre-Algebra, Algebra, College Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry tests provided they meet the requirements listed below.

To ensure fairness for all test takers, avoid disturbances in the testing room, and protect the security of the testing materials and process, the following types of calculators are not permitted:

Pocket organizers
Handheld or laptop computers
Electronic writing pads or pen-input devices—The Sharp EL 9600 is permitted.
Models with a QWERTY (typewriter) keypad (although calculators with letters on the keys are permitted as long as the keys are not arranged in QWERTY format)
Models with built-in capability to simplify algebraic expressions, multiply polynomials, or factor polynomials (often called Computer Algebra Systems)—Prohibited calculators in this category include:
- Casio: Algebra fx 2.0, ClassPad 300, and all model numbers that begin with CFX-9970G
- Texas Instruments: All model numbers that begin with TI-89 or TI-92
- Hewlett-Packard: hp 48GII and all model numbers that begin with hp 40G or hp 49G

The following types of calculators are permitted only if they are used as noted:

Models with paper tapes—The paper must be removed.
Models that make noise—The sound feature must be turned off.
Models that can communicate (transfer data or information wirelessly with other calculators)—The wireless transfer capability must be disabled by placing opaque material (such as masking tape) over the infrared data port.
Models that have a power cord—No power cords are permitted. The electrical cord must be removed.

NOTE: ACT monitors new calculators as they become available. For the latest list of prohibited calculators, students and institutions are invited to call toll free 800/498-6481 for a recorded message.

If students plan to use a calculator, they are responsible for bringing an acceptable one to the testing session. Sharing calculators during the test is not permitted, and the test proctor will not provide a calculator.

Students are also responsible for ensuring that their calculator works properly. If their calculator uses batteries, students must make certain that the batteries are strong enough to last throughout the testing session. Students may bring a spare calculator and extra batteries with them.