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Exam Overview
The ACCUPLACER is a suite of computer-adaptive placement tests developed by the College Board and administered by colleges and approved testing sites. Each multiple-choice question adapts to your previous answers: a correct response tends to lead to a more challenging question, and an incorrect response to a less challenging one. Your score reflects both how many questions you answer correctly and how difficult those questions are.
The Next-Generation ACCUPLACER Tests
| Test | Questions | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Arithmetic | 20 | Whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, number comparisons and equivalents |
| Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics (QAS) | 20 | Rational numbers, ratios and proportions, exponents, algebraic expressions, linear equations and graphs, probability, statistics, geometry |
| Advanced Algebra and Functions (AAF) | 20 | Linear systems, factoring, quadratics, functions, radical, rational, polynomial, exponential, and logarithmic equations, geometry, trigonometry |
| Reading | 20 | Information and ideas, rhetoric, synthesis of paired passages, vocabulary in context |
| Writing | 25 | Expression of ideas and Standard English conventions in short passages |
| WritePlacer (if required) | 1 essay | Argumentative essay scored on a 1–8 scale |
Key Exam Details
- Format: computer-adaptive multiple choice with four answer options per question.
- Time limit: the multiple-choice tests are untimed; the WritePlacer essay may have a time limit set by your institution.
- Score scale: 200–300 for Arithmetic, QAS, AAF, Reading, and Writing; 1–8 for WritePlacer; 20–120 for the ESL multiple-choice tests.
- Calculator: you may not bring your own; an on-screen calculator appears only on selected QAS and AAF questions.
- Results: multiple-choice scores are available as soon as you finish each test.
- Cost and retakes: set by the college or testing site, so they vary from school to school.
Which Tests Will You Take?
Your college decides which tests you take, and the adaptive system can route you between math tests. A student who performs very well on QAS, for example, may be moved to AAF, while a student who struggles may be routed to Arithmetic. Many students take Reading, Writing, and one or two math tests in a single session.
Scoring and Placement
The ACCUPLACER is a placement test, not a pass-or-fail assessment. Each college sets its own cut scores for each course, so the same score may place you differently at two schools. The College Board groups scores into bands from 200–220 up to 271–300 and provides skill descriptions for each band that colleges use when setting placements.
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