CPT Preparation

Home > Admissions and Registration > Testing Services > CPT Preparation

CPT Preparation

What Will I Be Tested On?

Writing - This test measures your abilities in the categories of usage/mechanics (punctuation, basic grammar and usage, and sentence structure) and rhetorical skills (strategy, organization and style). You will be presented with a passage on screen and asked to read it while looking for problems in grammar, usage and style.
Reading Comprehension - This test measures your ability to understand what you read. Some questions will ask you to read the statement or passage and then choose the best answer to the question. Answer the question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passage.
Numerical Skills/Prealgebra - The items in this test range from basic arithmetic concepts and skills (basic operations with integers, fractions and decimals) to the knowledge and skills that are needed to enroll in a first Algebra course (understanding the use of exponents, absolute values and percentages).
Algebra - This test will measure your skill level in elementary algebra, coordinate geometry and intermediate algebra. Some of the test items include exponents and radicals, factoring polynomials, rational expressions and linear equations.
College Algebra - This test is designed to assess whether or not a student is ready for college algebra. You will be tested on items such as functions, operations with matrices and factorials.
Trigonometry - This test assesses your skills in the understanding of trigonometric concepts and their application in problem solving. Items in this test include trigonometric functions and identities, right-triangle trigonometry and polar coordinates, among others.
Written Essay - Depending on your score on the Writing and Reading Comprehension tests, you may be asked to prepare a multiple paragraph writing sample of at least 300 words on a specific topic. The writing sample will be scored on the basis of how effectively it communicates a whole message to the readers. The score will be based on your ability to express, organize and support your opinions and ideas, not the position you take on the essay. You will have one hour to complete the essay.

Test Taking Tips

Be prepared to take the test by practicing the sample questions.
Relax but give the test your best effort. COMPASS was designed to help you succeed in college. Your score is used to determine which courses are most appropriate for your current level of knowledge and skills. Once you identify your academic strengths and needs, you can get the help you need to improve underdeveloped skills before they can interfere with your learning.
You will be able to concentrate better on the test if you get plenty of rest and eat properly prior to the test. You should also arrive a few minutes early so you can find the testing area, bathrooms, etc., and gather your thoughts before the test begins.
Pay careful attention to directions, and be sure you understand the directions before you begin each test.
You should understand that this is an adaptive test. Questions are chosen for you on the basis of your answers to previous questions. Because the test works this way, you must answer every question; you may change the answer on a particular question before you have moved ahead to another question.
If you do not know the answer to a question, try to eliminate one or more of the choices.
Remember to bring a picture I.D.