Test Descriptions

Take a moment to look at these test descriptions. They will help give you an idea of what to expect on the actual test.

The placement test consists of three sections: writing, reading, and math. All writing tests are paper/pencil tests. At the Main Campus, Northeast Regional Center, and Northwest Regional Center, the reading and math sections are done on the computer. No computer skills are required. The student simply uses the mouse to click on the answer. At the West Philadelphia campus, the entire test is paper/pencil.

Writing (paper/pencil):

For the writing portion of the placement test, you will have 30 minutes to write about one of two topics you will be given that day. This writing sample is then reviewed by members of the Department of English who are trained to read and evaluate placement essays. Your essay will be read by at least two faculty members, and they will rank your essay for placement. The combined scores of the faculty readers together with your score on the reading comprehension test will be used to determine your placement in English classes.

The readers will be looking for clearly developed paragraphs with examples that support the ideas expressed in the essay. The evaluation will be based on a combination of good organization, content, sentence structure, grammar, and spelling.

Scoring Guide

The English Department faculty score tests on a scale of 1 to 6. The following guide is an example of how the placement essays are scored.

Characteristics of a writing sample scored 1:

Subject-verb agreement errors, manifest difficulty in constructing even simple sentences, rudimentary syntax and punctuation errors, short text, limited content and content accessibility because of mechanical problems.

Characteristics of a writing sample scored 2:

Minimal sentence sense, subject-verb agreement errors, major punctuation errors; ungrammatical sentences, limited contextual substance.

Characteristics of a writing sample scored 3:

Minimal development, coherent sentences but contains verb and noun inflection errors, subject-verb agreement errors, length of writing sample is unparagraphed or paragraphs are very short, organization of content is unfocused.

Characteristics of writing sample scored 4:

Paragraphing and organization reflect planned exposition, adequate content, no major grammatical or punctuation errors.

Characteristics of a writing sample scored 5:

Strong organization and development, reflects thought and the ability to control relatively complex sentences.

Characteristics of writing sample scored 6:

Exceptionally well developed and organized, not necessarily error-free but carefully reasoned with insightful examples, sophisticated vocabulary, and thoroughly coherent development.

Writing samples.

Reading Comprehension and Mathematics (computerized):

The computerized versions of the reading and mathematics tests are untimed and allow the student to work at his/her own pace. The tests are also adaptive and move forward according to the student's ability to answer questions correctly. The reading test includes at least three passages for the student to read and measures your ability to understand what you read. The mathematics test begins in prealgebra (arithmetic) and may progress to algebra, college algebra, and trigonometry depending on the student's skills.

Sample questions for the computerized mathematics and reading tests

Reading Comprehension and Mathematics (paper/pencil):

This version of the reading comprehension test is timed at 45 minutes. It consists of 45 questions which again measure your ability to understand what you read. The mathematics test is also timed at 45 minutes. There are 50 problems that range from basic arithmetic to calculus.

Sample problems (a 24K PDF file) for the mathematics placement test. Answers (a 32K PDF file) for the mathematics placement test sample problems.

Mathematics Department Page