Placement Testing

Placement Testing Dates
(Click Here to Register)

Monday, January 14, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008

Check-in Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Center for Learning & Technology
................Room 117

WHO MUST TAKE THE TEST

Only students who have been admitted to Bowie State University are permitted to take the Placement Test.

All first-year students must take the Placement Test before participating in the New Student Orientation Program and before being permitted to register for classes.

All transfer students who do not transfer English composition with a “C” or better must take the English Placement Exam before participating in the New Student Orientation Program and before being permitted to register for classes.

Transfer students whose transfer evaluation does not indicate credits for MATH 116 or some higher math course must take the Math Placement Exam before being permitted to register. All questions about transfer evaluations should be directed to the Office of Enrollment, 301.860.3415.

In-state transfer students who have an associate degree are not required to take a placement test.

Special Accommodations

Students who have a disability and who need special accommodations should call Mr. Michael Hughes Coordinator of Disability Support Services, at 301.860.4067.

WHERE TO TEST

All students who are required to take the Placement Test must report to the Center for Learning and Technology (CLT), Lecture Hall 117 in order to take the Test.

The Placement Test is not accessible off campus.

WHAT TO BRING

Students who have been admitted to the University and who have registered to take the Placement Test must bring to the testing site a photo I.D., their student ID number, and two No. 2 pencils. Personal calculators are prohibited!

TEST SCORES AND COURSE PLACEMENT

Scores on the Placement Tests are determinant factors in whether students begin with developmental or regular college courses. A fee of $150, in addition to tuition, is charged per developmental course that a student takes. The grade earned in a developmental course is calculated into the semester and cumulative GPA. However, the credits earned for developmental courses do not count toward graduation.

Approximate Time for Testing, Advisement, & Registration

First time students should plan to be on campus from 9:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. in order to complete placement testing, advisement, and registration. Transfer students who are required to take only the math placement exam should plan to test for approximately one and a half hours. Transfer students who take both the Math and English Placement Exams should plan to test for approximately two and a half hours.

RETESTING

A student may retake the Mathematics and Reading Tests only once. All retesting must be completed within two weeks of the students' initial placement testing and before participating in the New Student Orientation. Students are not permitted to retake the English Placement Exam. Contact Ms. Kathy Williams, Administrative Assistant in the Office of Testing Services, at 301.860.3295 to schedule retesting.

ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT

Academic Advisement Specialists will be available to advise and to assist students with the selection of courses. According to their majors, students should contact an academic advisement specialist for additional information on academic advisement.

School of Business	School of Arts and Sciences	School of Professional Studies	School of Education
Harriett Taylor	Patrick Toney	Angela Williams	Aurora Burke
301-860-4064	301-860-4069	301-860-4071	301-860-4066

The Placement Test

The Placement Test, ACCUPLACER, is administered on a computer at the testing site (CLT 117) on campus. The test items themselves were developed by the College Board, with the help of committees of college professors, and are designed to help determine the initial English, reading, and mathematics courses most appropriate for students. The Placement Test consists of three areas: writing, reading, and math.

THE ESSAY

Students will be given 40 minutes to write an essay on a given topic. The essay should consist of an introductory paragraph with a clearly stated and appropriate thesis, three to five paragraphs of adequate support and an appropriate concluding paragraph. The essay will be evaluated in terms of development, unity, coherence, clarity/logic, correct grammar and usage, spelling, punctuation and other proper mechanics. Below is an example of an acceptable essay.

Community Service at BSU

Some people have suggested that Bowie State University should institute a community service requirement that all students would have to fulfill to graduate. Although some schools already have such requirements, starting a program like this could cause a great deal of controversy at BSU. I would not support this program because it could interfere with my schoolwork, it doesn’t directly pertain to education, and a requirement defeats the whole purpose of service. [THESIS STATEMENT]

Placing the additional requirement of community service on students who already work very hard at their studies to maintain BSU’s high standards of academic excellence would overburden them. [TOPIC SENTENCE] Students have enough on their minds trying to learn as much as possible, complete their homework, do well on their tests, and pass exams in order to graduate. Students taking 15 or 18 credit hours are often overwhelmed trying to meet deadlines and are very stressed out. College students tend to have high stress levels in general, and many of us at BSU hold jobs in addition to attending classes, which adds even more stress. Requiring community service would add even more stress to overworked students. [SUPPORT]

In addition, [TRANSITIONAL DEVICE] I don’t believe that community service is directly relevant to our education. [TOPIC SENTENCE] As an institute of higher learning, Bowie State’s purpose is to provide students with an education, which they earn by completing course work. In some cases, community service could be linked to course work; a math major might, for instance, volunteer to tutor at a youth center. Generally, however, community service is separate from schoolwork. Requiring community service hours, then, would not help students further their academic goals, and could in fact detract from their academic performance by requiring them to devote time on these activities that they need to spend studying. [SUPPORT]

Finally, [TRANSITIONAL DEVICE], BSU should remember that forced community service has a negative connotation. [TOPIC SENTENCE] “X hours of community service” is often used as a punishment for misdemeanor crimes in courts of law. Because of this, requiring students to complete a certain number of hours of community service might make students feel that they are being punished, even though they have done nothing wrong. I personally would be offended if I was required to pay for the “privilege” of being forced to do something that is commonly used as a punishment for illegal or questionable activities. [SUPPORT]

I think that instead of requiring a set number of community service hours from students, BSU should encourage students to participate in community service activities on the campus. [TOPIC SENTENCE] Bowie State University is a wonderful academic facility that could be of use to the whole community. If students could take an hour out of their schedule to help out, without leaving campus, for example by showing local citizens how to use the university library, or dropping by the cafeteria to help make a few bag lunches for the local chapter of Martha’s Village, then they might be inclined to do so. Helping out the community should always be a voluntary activity. Bowie State University should make community service activities accessible to the students—but not force a requirement on them. [CONCLUSION]

Reading Comprehension

This test is designed to measure how well one understands what he/she reads. It contains 20 questions. Some ask for the relationship between sentences. Others ask for the main ideas, details, and inferences.

Elementary Algebra

There are three categories in the Elementary Algebra Test.

The first is operations with integers and rational numbers, including computation with integers and negative rationale, the use of absolute values, and ordering.
The second category is operations with algebraic expressions. This tests one's skills with the evaluation of simple formulas and expressions, and the adding and subtracting of monomials and polynomials.

Both of these categories include questions about multiplying and dividing monomials and polynomials, the evaluation of positive rational roots and exponents, simplifying algebraic fractions, and factoring.

The third category tests one's skills in equation solving, inequalities, and word problems. These questions include solving systems of linear equations, solving quadratic equations by factoring, solving verbal problems presented in algebraic context, geometric reasoning, translation of written phrases into algebraic expressions, and graphing. Twelve questions are presented.

College-Level Mathematics (CLM)

The CLM Test assesses proficiency from intermediate algebra through precalculus. Six categories are covered. The first category, algebraic operations, includes simplifying rational algebraic expressions, factoring, expanding polynomials, and manipulating roots and exponents. The category, solutions of equations and inequalities, includes the solution of linear and quadratic equations and inequalities, equation systems, and other algebraic equations. Coordinate geometry asks questions about plane geometry, the coordinate plane, straight lines, conics, sets of points in the plane, and graphs of algebraic functions. Applications and other algebra topics ask about complex numbers, series and sequences, determinants, permutations and combinations, fractions, and word problems. The last category, functions and trigonometry, presents questions about polynomial, algebraic, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions. Twenty questions are asked.Access the Accuplacer study guides and practice exams for writing, reading, and mathematics.

TIPS FOR TAKING THE PLACEMENT TESTS

Relax! The Placement Tests were designed to help you succeed in college. Your score helps you and your advisor determine which courses are most appropriate for your current level of knowledge and skills.
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, restrooms, 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.
If you do not know the answer to a question, try to eliminate one or more of the choices. Then pick one of the remaining choices.

You may not bring textbooks, notebooks, dictionaries, or paper into the testing room.