ACCUPLACER Skills Assessment

ACCUPLACER Writing evaluates a test-taker’s ability to revise and edit multi-paragraph 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

WritePlacer® (Written Essay)

The WritePlacer test measures your ability to write effectively, which is critical to academic success. Your score is based on your ability to express, organize, and support your opinions and ideas. The position you take on the essay topic doesn’t affect your score. The following five characteristics of writing will be considered:

• Focus: The clarity with which you maintain your main idea or point of view.
• Organization: The clarity with which you structure your response and present a logical sequence of ideas.
• Development and Support: The extent to which you elaborate on your ideas and the extent to which you present supporting details.
• Sentence Structure: The effectiveness of your sentence structure.
• Mechanical Conventions: The extent to which your writing is free of errors in usage and mechanics.

Planning the Essay

• think about what you want to say
• jot down the main points you want to cover
• include ideas, arguments, and examples to support your point of view
• considering how best to organize your ideas

Writing the Essay

• address the topic immediately
• make your point of view clear
• support your points with specific, relevant examples
• write a fully-formed response that clearly develops your viewpoint and stays on topic throughout the essay

Going Over the Essay

• set aside a few minutes after you finish writing to read over your essay
• read carefully, correct any mistakes in grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc.
• make sure you have written a variety of types of sentences (both short and long)
• proofread your essays to make sure that what you have written makes sense and clearly expresses your point of view on the topic

TIPS To Improve Writing

• Practice a variety of types of writing...
• Try some creative writing...
• Read as often as possible and read a wide variety of material...
• Understand that writing is a process involving brainstorming, planning, writing, and editing.
• Work to make your writing better by improving its organizational structure and making it well developed, and by using descriptive language that is also clear and concise.
• Get feedback about your writing from qualified individuals...
• Do some public speaking to help you think through your ideas and communicate them clearly...
• Remember that the more you write, the better you will get at it.

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