Accuplacer Writing Test

Essay
Sentence Skills
 Accuplacer Essay
 The ACCUPLACER writing test that UTEP
administers for placement purposes and
Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requirements is
called WritePlacer Texas.
 When you take a WritePlacer test, you will be
given a topic and asked to write an essay
about it. You will have to plan, write, review,
and revise your essay in 60 minutes. Essays
are scored on the overall quality of your
writing and scores range from 0 to 8.
 Instructions for the Essay
 You will be asked to prepare a multiple-paragraph
essay of 300-600 words on a specific topic. You
should use the time available to plan, write, review,
and edit what you have written.  You must read the
assignment carefully before you begin to write.

 Your writing sample will be scored on the basis of

how effectively it communicates a whole message to
the readers for the stated purpose.  Your score will
be based on your ability to express, organize, and
support your opinions and ideas, not the position you
take on the essay topic.  
 Characteristics Considered
 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.
 Instructions for the Essay
 Be sure to write about the topic indicated and
use multiple paragraphs.  You may not use
any books or papers or other reference
materials during the test.  Remember to
review your writing and make any changes
you think will improve what you have written.
 Tips on Writing the Essay
 You will be given 60 minutes to write your essay.
Proctors will go through the instructions and then tell
you to put your cursor in the box. Time will then
begin to count down from 60 minutes.
 You will not be able to draft an outline on paper after
you read the prompt and before you put your cursor
in the box. You will be able to use scratch paper
once you have started your essay to draft an outline
or brainstorm ideas.
 You can also draft an outline or brainstorm ideas on
the computer but be sure to erase all writing except
your finished essay before your time is up.
 Tips on Writing the Essay
 Topics are often described in such a way that you must take a
position either for or against an issue. Sometimes you are
given one pro and one con to get you started. Remember to
take just one side (for or against) and support it. The best way
to approach an Accuplacer essay is to prepare a basic five
paragraph essay.
 For some topics you are asked to describe a relationship. For
example, you may be asked to write an essay about a famous
person that you would like to spend the day with. For these
types of prompts, you must be careful not to only describe the
person and his or her qualities. You must also discuss how time
spent with this individual would benefit you. Again, a basic five
paragraph essay will work.
Six Steps for Writing a Basic Five
Paragraph Essay
 1. Analyze the assignment for subject and issue.
 2. Take a position on the issue and write a thesis statement
which explains your position.
 3. Decide on three ideas to support your position.
 4. Write an introductory paragraph which includes your position
statement and your three main supporting ideas.
 5. Turn each of your three main ideas into a well-developed
paragraph.
 6. Write a conclusion which restates your position statement
and your three main ideas in different words. Do not introduce
new points in your conclusion.
 Sample Essay Topics
 Your essay will always be persuasive for an academic audience.
 Some schools require each student to participate in an
organized school sport chosen by the student. People at these
schools argue that athletics is an important part of the
educational experience and that there should be a rule requiring
participation. Others argue that students should be free to
decide whether or not they wish to participate in organized
school sports.
Write an essay for a classroom instructor in which you take a
position on whether participation in organized school athletics
should be required. Be sure to defend your position with logical
arguments and appropriate examples.
 Sample Essay Topics
 If you could spend the day with any famous
person, who would it be and why?

Write an essay for a classroom instructor in

which you discuss how time spent with this
individual would benefit you. Be careful not
to only describe the person and his or her
qualities.
 Watch Your Time
 Watch your time for when you have about 15
minutes left. It is CRUCIAL to your score to carefully
review what you have written and amend your
introduction if necessary so that it matches the body
of your essay. This means that you must introduce
each of your supporting points in your introduction.
Also make sure that your conclusion restates your
introduction in different words.
 It is also very important to your score that you do a
separate review for subject verb agreement, spelling
and punctuation.
 Good Paragraphs Make
Good Essays
 Each paragraph must have a clear, well
supported topic sentence.
 The topic must be sufficiently
developed, using examples, reasons
and definitions.
 Sentences should be in logical order.
 Special terms should be defined.
 Unnecessary words should be left out.
 Good Paragraphs Make
Good Essays
 Transitions should be used, especially
between paragraphs so readers will follow
your train of thought.
 All pronouns should have clear antecedents.
 Subjects and verbs must agree.
 Each sentence must have a clear subject.
 Spelling and punctuation must be correct.
 Websites to Help You Prepare
 If you have trouble with grammar, it will affect your
Accuplacer writing score. Following are some web
sites to help you practice English Grammar:
 http://blackboard.bccc.edu This web site offers links
to various other sites, such as one that has 170
interactive quizzes; one that has an interactive book
of traditional grammar help; ones that offer online
English exercises; and others that have tests and
quizzes designed to strengthen English grammar
from basic to advanced levels.
 http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm
This site has interactive grammar quizzes.
 Tutoring can help you prepare
 The Writing Tutors at the Tutoring and
Learning Center (TLC) can help you with the
entire writing process. You can meet with a
tutor to discuss how to outline a topic and
later to review your essay with regard to
focus, organization, development and
support, sentence structure and mechanics.
 The TLC Learning Assistance Lab also has
software called Easy Writer on which you can
practice revising pre-written essays.
 The Writing Room
The TLC Writing Room is open during the following
hours:
Mondays through Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Fridays from 9:00 am to 12 Noon

 Services are offered on a walk-in, first-come, first-

serve basis and are free to currently enrolled UTEP
students. Services are also extended free of charge
to students who are preparing to take UTEP entrance
exams, such as Accuplacer.
English Course Placements based on
Accuplacer Writing Scores
 Essay Sentence Skills UTEP Placement
0-2 N/A ENGL 0309 (at EPCC)
3-4 N/A ENGL 0311
5 20-120 ENGL 0311
6 N/A ENGL 1311 and
ENGL 0111
7-8 N/A ENGL 1311

 Essay Sentence Skills EPCC Placement

0-4 N/A ENGL 0309
5 20-79 ENGL 0309
5 80-120 ENGL 0310
6-8 N/A ENGL 1301
 Sentence Skills Section
 When taking the Writing Accuplacer Test, the
Sentence Skills section will only be required if you
score a 5 on the Essay. In this case, the score you
get on the Sentence Skills test will indicate whether
or not you have satisfied the Texas Success Initiative
(TSI). What you score on the Sentence Skills test
does not affect your UTEP placement.
 If you score a 5 on the Essay and then you score an
80 on the on the Sentence Skills test, you will have
cleared TSI. This has been the TSI policy since
November 3, 2003.
 Sentence Skills
Sample Questions
 Sample Questions 1 through 7 are Sentence
Correction. The following directions apply to
these first 7 questions.

Select the best version of the bold part of

the sentence. The first choice is the same
as the original sentence. If you think the
original sentence is best, choose the first
answer.
 Sentence Skills
Sample Questions
1. Ms. Rose planning to teach a course in biology next
summer.

 planning
 are planning
 with a plan
 plans
 Sentence Skills
Sample Questions
2. The baby was obviously getting too hot, then Sam did
what he could to cool her.

 hot, then Sam did

 hot, Sam did
 hot; Sam, therefore, did
 hot; Sam, trying to do
 Sentence Skills
Sample Questions

3. She hoped to find a new job. One that would let

her earn money during the school year.

 job. One that

 job. The kind that
 job, one that
 job, so that it
 Sentence Skills
Sample Questions

4. Knocked sideways, the statue looked as if it

would fall.

 Knocked sideways, the statue looked

 The statue was knocked sideways, looked
 The statue looked knocked sideways
 The statue, looking knocked sideways,
 Sentence Skills
Sample Questions

5. To walk, biking, and driving are Pat's favorite

ways of getting around.

 To walk, biking, and driving

 Walking, biking, and driving
 To walk, biking, and to drive
 To walk, to bike, and also driving
 Sentence Skills
Sample Questions

6. When you cross the street in the middle of the

block, this is an example of jaywalking.

 When you cross the street in the middle of the

block, this
 You cross the street in the middle of the block,
this
 Crossing the street in the middle of the block
 The fact that you cross the street in the middle of
the block
 Sentence Skills
Sample Questions

7. Walking by the corner the other day, a child, I

noticed, was watching for the light to change.

 a child, I noticed, was

 I noticed a child watching
 a child was watching, I noticed,
 there was, I noticed, a child watching
 Sentence Skills
Sample Questions: Construction Shift
 In Construction Shift questions, you are
asked to rewrite the sentence in your head,
following the directions given. Keep in mind
that your new sentence should be well
written and should have essentially the
same meaning as the sentence given.
8. Being a female jockey, she was often interviewed.
Rewrite, beginning with
She was often interviewed...

The next words will be

 on account of she was

 by her being
 because she was
 being as she was
9. In his songs, Gordon Lightfoot makes melody and lyrics
intricately intertwine.

Rewrite, beginning with

Melody and lyrics...

Your new sentence will include

 Gordon Lightfoot has

 make Gordon Lightfoot's
 in Gordon Lightfoot's
 does Gordon Lightfoot
10. It is easy to carry solid objects without spilling
them, but the same cannot be said of liquids.

Rewrite, beginning with

Unlike liquids,...

The next words will be

 it is easy to
 we can easily
 solid objects can easily be
 solid objects are easy to be
11: Excited children ran toward the loud music, and
they told others about the ice cream truck outside.

Rewrite, beginning with

The excited children, who had run toward the loud...

The next words will be

 music, they told
 music told
 music, telling
 music and had told
 Answers to Sample Sentence Skills questions:
1 (d), 2 (c), 3 (c), 4 (a), 5 (b), 6 (c),
7 (b), 8 (c), 9 (c), 10 (c), 11 (c),