COMPASS Writing Assessment Review Module

COMPASS® Writing Skills Assessment Review

To help you be successful, proper course placement is important in fostering the academic success of students at Triton College. In order to ensure you enroll in courses that match your individual skill level and prior preparation, all new students take placement tests in Writing, Reading and Mathematics. The placement test results are used to aid academic advisors as they help students plan their courses. Not all students are required to take the placement test. Upon admission to the college, Admissions office personnel, using specific waiver criteria, determine whether you are required to take the placement test.

This module reviews the necessary information which will help prepare you to take the COMPASS® placement assessment for writing. The COMPASS® assessment is designed to determine your skill level in college level writing. Taking the assessment doesn't mean that you've 'passed' writing but your score indicates which courses you can enroll in at Triton. Since the score you receive will help determine which courses you should take it's important for you to take the assessment seriously.

Once you're ready to take the actual COMPASS® assessment, you can contact assessment services to schedule your appointment. Remember, parts of the computerized assessment are untimed—that is, you may work at your own pace so be sure to answer all questions even if you're not sure of the answer. But the essay portion of the assessment is a timed essay submission. After you complete the COMPASS® assessment, you can get a score report to help you make appropriate choices when you register for college classes.

We hope you benefit from this review material, and we wish you success as you pursue your education and career goals!

Understanding the Writing Skills Placement Test

The COMPASS® Writing Skills Placement Test presents one or more passages, each containing several errors. When an error is detected in a passage, clicking on that section of the passage brings up several alternative segments of text from which a more appropriate segment can be selected and inserted automatically into the text. Items in the Writing Skills Placement Test assess basic knowledge and skills in usage and mechanics (e.g. punctuation, basic grammar and usage, and sentence structure) as well as more rhetorical skills such as writing strategy, organization, and style. Sample of items from these knowledge and skill areas are provided in the following pages.

Note that in the sample passages that follow, each section is numbered. In the computerized COMPASS® Writing Skills Placement Test, sections are not numbered; instead, errors are identified by moving the cursor to the section of text in which an error is identified and then clicking the left mouse button to make the alternative text options appear. Also note that for each set of answer options, option A is always identical to the text as it appears in the passage. As such, option A represents "no change."

Terms You Should Know

1. Usage and Mechanics - Items that measure usage and mechanics offer alternative responses, to underlined portions of the text. You must decide which alternative employs the conventional practice in usage and mechanics that best fits the context. Items examples include:

a. Basic Grammar - Grammar tells us how the classes of words (nouns, pronouns, prepositions, etc.) are related to one another, and how they all go together to make up a sentence. Grammar shows us how to build meaningful communications out of isolated words and phrases. Specific examples include:

• Assuring grammatical agreement
• Forming verbs
• Using pronouns
• Forming modifiers
• Observing usage conventions

b. Punctuation - Use and placement of commas, colons, semicolons, dashes, parentheses, apostrophes, and quotation, question, and exclamation marks. Specific examples include:

• Punctuating breaks in thought
• Punctuating relationships and sequences
• Avoiding unnecessary punctuation

c. Sentence Structure - Relationships between/among clauses, placement of modifiers, and shifts in construction. Specific examples include:

• Relating clauses
• Using modifiers
• Avoiding unnecessary shifts in construction

2. Rhetorical Skills - Items that measure rhetorical skills may refer to an underlined portion of the text or may ask a question about a section of the passage or about the passage as a whole. You must decide which alternative response is most appropriate in a given rhetorical situation. Item examples include:

a. Focus - consistency and clarity in identifying and maintaining the main idea or point of view. Specific examples include:

• Establishing logical order
• Making decisions about cohesion devices: openings, transitions, and closings

b. Organization - Organization of ideas and relevance of statements in context (order, coherence, unity). Specific examples include:

• Establishing logical order
• Making decisions about cohesion devices: openings, transitions, and closings

c. Content - Appropriateness of expression in relation to audience and purpose, strengthening of writing with appropriate supporting material, and effective choice of statements of theme and purpose. Specific examples include:

• Making decisions about adding, revising, deleting supporting material
• Making decisions about appropriateness of expression for audience and purpose
• Judging relevancy

d. Style - Precision and appropriateness in the choice of words and images, rhetorically effective management of sentence elements, avoidance of ambiguous pronoun references, and economy in writing.

• Managing sentence elements effectively
• Editing and revising effectively
• Choosing words to maintain style and tone

COMPASS® Writing Skills Assessment Examples

Note that in the sample passages that follow, each section is numbered. In the computerized COMPASS® Writing Skills Placement Test, sections are not numbered; instead, errors are identified by moving the cursor to the section of text in which an error is identified and then clicking the left mouse button to make the alternative text options appear. Also note that for each set of answer options, option A is always identical to the text as it appears in the passage. As such, option A represents "no change."

 The essay below contains the same number and types of errors that an actual Writing Skills Test unit would contain; however, for demonstration purposes, only a handful of the segments below have been selected for revision. These segments are indicated by bold type, and the items associated with them are shown below. (Note: There are additional errors in the essay that are not in bold that a student in an actual testing situation would need to respond to.)

An increasing number of lakes and rivers in the northern United States are being invaded 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. 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 are 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 Passage)

Select the appropriate correction, remember "A" means "NO CHANGE"

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

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.

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

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.

These items 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.

Sample Writing Skills Passage 1

Read the passage below. Use the quiz prompts to the right of each passage to determine the correct structure. Once you check your answer you can click the question title to close the question block. All answer responses are saved and results are available at the end.

Sample Writing Skills Passage 2

Sample Writing Skills Passage 3

What does my score mean?

The writing skills score you receive on the actual COMPASS® exam determines which course you'll take to fullfill your English competency requirements. Writing scores are used in conjunction with the reading score to determine if you're eligible for RHT101: Freshman Composition.

A writing skills practice score of 54 - 68: indicates you may be ready for college level reading.

A writing skills practice score of 40 - 53: indicates you may be ready for Introduction to College Writing Level 2, RHT096.

A writing skills practice score of 0 - 39: indicates you may be ready for Introduction to College Writing Level 1, RHT095.

Again, these are just the possible outcomes you might expect when you actual take the COMPASS® assessment. Just remember to take the test seriously and don't rush through your responses.

Schedule your Appointment

Now that you've completed the review material, schedule your testing time with the assessment services office. If you think you need more information about reading and the comprehension process make an appointment with an English department or College Readiness Department instructor or visit the Academic Success Center. Once you've taken the COMPASS® Placement Assessment talk to your counselor about your score to determine your next step. Good Luck!!!

Please take a few minutes and complete our anonymous survey and remember these test taking tips.

Thanks