esl accuplacer essay sample

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Accuplacer Math, Reading, and Writing Practice Tests

Accuplacer ESL

Accuplacer esl information & sample questions.

You may like to try some Accuplacer ESL sample test questions if English is not your first language.

This test is also known as the LOEP test .

Get LOEP Test Practice Downloads

The study guide and practice tests cover all of the skill areas on the actual Accuplacer ESL exam.

Accuplacer ESL Practice Test & Study Guide Book

If you would prefer a paperback book instead of a download, please have a look at these books on Amazon.

What’s in the Accuplacer ESL Study Guide?

Below you will find a description of the subjects included in the Study Guide.

The ESL Study Guide includes:

Grammar Guide

– An extensive guide of the rules of grammar most commonly tested on the test, with examples and explanations.

Grammar Exercises

– Ten chapters of exercises of the aspects of grammar on the  test, including verb tenses, gerunds, infinitives, sentence inversion and combination, passives, prepositions, and conditionals.

– It also has Accuplacer ESL sample grammar questions for you to study, with answers.

– Knowledge of high-level idioms is so important for success on the test. In fact, the test has a full section that examines your knowledge of idioms. This list provides the idioms most commonly tested on the LOEP exam, with definitions and examples.

Reading Comprehension Advice

– This part of the study guide explains the types of questions that are included on the reading section of the test.

–  It has Accuplacer sample ESL reading questions and gives advice and strategies for the day of your test.

Listening Supplement

– The ESL test may include an optional listening test. For this reason, we provide you with a list of the best websites for listening practice for the exam.

Essay Writing Supplement

– You may also be asked to write an essay as part of the exam. The study guide includes a list of essay topics, like those tested on the exam.

More Accuplacer Sample Questions

Official Test Bulletin

Improve Your Grammar

WritePlacer Essay Prep

The Accuplacer Essay is known as the WritePlacer. Use these resources to prepare for your essay question. Start by reading through our essay guide and then try our practice essay questions. After writing your WritePlacer practice essays you can view our sample responses to see what a high-scoring essay looks like.

WritePlacer Guide

Practice Essay 1

Sample Essay 1

Practice Essay 2

Sample Essay 2

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ACCUPLACER Skills Assessment

• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Math Skills
• Reading Skills
• Writing Skills

ACCUPLACER ESL Placement Tests

Use the study app to practice and get prepared, practice tests in the learning express library database, writeplacer esl guide with sample essays, do you have books to help me build skills, websites to help you study grammar, stlcc writing centers provide writing assistance, helpful guides, selected esl book titles, esl resources.

ACCUPLACER offers four tests to place ESL students in appropriate college or university courses. These tests measure the abilities of students who are not native English speakers in the following areas:

ESL - Language Use

Comprised of 20 questions, this test measures a student's proficiency in using correct grammar in English Sentences.

ESL - Listening

Comprised of 20 questions, this test measures the ability to listen to and understand one or more people speaking in English. Conversations take place in a wide range of locations including lecture halls, grocery stores and libraries.

ESL - Reading Skills

Comprised of 20 questions, this test measures a student's ability to read English through the comprehension of s hort passages.

ESL - Sentence Meaning

Comprised of 20 questions, this test measures how well students understand the meaning of sentences in English.

• Use the Free Web-Based Study App Create an account using any email address. You will be required to enter this information each time you login to access the ACCUPLACER practice tests.

The ACCUPLACER web-based study app features practice tests in each test subject, including ESL Practice Tests. It is accessible from most devices with internet access, and will help you become familiar with the content and format of the ACCUPLACER test questions. Create an account with any email address to get:

• “Learn as you go” tests with explanations of the correct or incorrect responses.
• Sample tests similar to the real thing, so you’ll know ahead of time what your experience will be like on test day.
• The ability to save your work at any time, and come back when it’s convenient for you.
• The ability to review your score history to see what you’re already doing well and what skills you should focus on improving.
• TOEFL iBT® and IELTS™ practice tests Create a free account in the Learning Express database to access, use and store these practice tests. Scroll down to access TOEFL iBT® and IELTS™ practice tests.
• PrepStep for Colleges, Learning Express Library Find Tests, Tutorials, and Ebooks for building skills in Core English, Math, Reading, Placement Tests, Computer Software and more.
• WritePlacer ESL Guide with Sample Essays Provides a direct measure of the writing skills of students who identify as English language learners. Students taking WritePlacer ESL are presented with a prompt and asked to write an essay of 300 to 600 words. WritePlacer ESL prompts are carefully designed to be culturally accessible to English language learners. They are short, free of technical or specific literary references, and don’t require specialized knowledge. Students are asked to respond to the prompt by drawing on a broad range of experiences, learning, and ideas.

Definitely! If you need help finding them or any other item in the library, just Ask a Librarian. We love to help! Suggested resources are listed below.

• GrammarBook
• Grammar Girl

"The Writing Centers have fully-trained staff members available to critique papers, offer grammar assistance, assist with research and answer questions."

• Writing Assistance: Scroll down to view hours by campus and Online assistance From skilled labor to the corporate ladder, employers consistently rank one skill as a top priority: written communication. Our writing centers can help you learn the skills to not only improve your college composition paper but also excel in your career.
• English as a Second Language (ESL) / English for Non-native Speakers by Janice Hovis Last Updated Jun 18, 2024 1726 views this year
• Learning Express User Guide by Janice Hovis Last Updated Jun 14, 2024 892 views this year

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• URL: https://guides.stlcc.edu/accuplacer

• ACCUPLACER Test
• ACCUPLACER WritePlacer Essay

Prepare for the ACCUPLACER Essay

Learn everything there is to know about the essay section of the ACCUPLACER English test. Prepare for the test with our TestPrep-Online comprehensive ACCUPLACER English practice pack.

Free ACCUPLACER Sample Questions

• ACCUPLACER English Essay: What You Need to Know

How Is the ACCUPLACER Writing Test Graded?

Accuplacer writeplacer essay writing tips, start preparing for the accuplacer english test, the accuplacer english essay: what you need to know.

The ACCUPLACER Writing Test , or WritePlacer Test, evaluates writing skills such as focus of the text, sentence structure, and organization. The purpose of the ACCUPLACER Writing Test is to measure how well a student can develop an argument, using evidence-based support as well as the appropriate mechanical conventions. The student is given one hour to complete the test. The essay itself should be no more than 300-600 words. When preparing for the ACCUPLACER WritePlacer , it is very important to understand the expected outline of an essay. This will help you map out your ideas and stay on topic. Straying from the topic, or not sticking to the word count results in an immediate zero. To help you feel fully prepared for the ACCUPLACER essay, our ACCUPLACER English Pack offers information about the section, tips for writing, and standard examples of ACCUPLACER essay prompts.

The essay test is graded using a computer software known as Intellimetric . Intellimetric bases its grading method on an analysis of a large body of graded essays. The system analyzes factors such as conventions, language use, development, and organization, as well as essay length and relevance. You should try your best to write an organized, well-developed essay just as you would in an English class.  A CCUPLACER essays are graded on a scale of 0-8, with "clear and consistent mastery" of essay-writing required to get an 8, the highest score.  Though many are skeptical about this method of grading, there is one very clear benefit: With a computer graded essay, students can receive their grade immediately, and thus have more motivation to improve. In addition, students preparing for the ACCUPLACER essay can better understand what factors to employ into their writing. Our ACCUPLACER English Practice Pack includes past ACCUPLACER essay samples as well as typical ACCUPLACER writing prompts.

Unlike the Reading Comprehension section and the Sentence Skills section of the ACCUPLACER test, the essay portion is timed , which means you need to use your time wisely. Though you may feel that a good essay requires you to “wow” the grader, remember that at the end of the day, the grader is not a human, but a computer. It is not looking to be wowed by you; it is simply looking to grade you. Below are some tips to help you achieve a great score on the ACCUPLACER Essay :

• Stick to a standard format , including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This will help you to maintain a consistent idea and will prevent you from straying from the topic. The ACCUPLACER Essay is a test of your formal writing skills, not of your creativity.
• Keep your argument in line ; the ACCUPLACER WritePlacer is grading you on how well you can deliver and develop an argument. Make sure that you do so thoroughly by remembering the main points of your essay, and not going off on a tangent. Each paragraph should be relevant to the thesis, and each sentence within a paragraph should be relevant to the paragraph's topic sentence.
• Use evidence . Don’t worry, the evidence does not have to be science-based, but it does have to be, well, evident. The ACCUPLACER Essay wants to see how you bring a claim forward. Make sure that you do so not as a magician conjuring things from thin air, but as a detective, showing the basis of your argument. What you choose to argue is not important, but how you make your argument is.
• Read the prompt carefully —remember that your work is graded on relevance. If you do not answer the question that is asked, then it will not be graded, no matter how good the essay is.

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At TestPrep-Online we offer you the ACCUPLACER English Practice Pack. In addition to a grammar guide with exercises, sample questions, and full practice tests, the pack also includes essay assignments with full high-scored essay samples from which you can learn how to write effectively. Grammar that you learn while preparing for the other parts of the ACCUPLACER English section can help you write an essay with better mechanics. Your preparation for the ACCUPLACER Reading section can help you improve the organization and development of your ACCUPLACER Essay. Start now! Want tips for the ACCUPLACER math test as well? Try our ACCUPLACER Premium Pack, which has all the material you need to prepare for every section of the ACCUPLACER. 

ACCUPLACER® and WritePlacer® are trademarks and property of COLLEGE BOARD. The trademark holder is not affiliated with TestPrep-Online or this website.

Related Links

Placement Testing

The Testing Center administers placement tests or accepts  measures of readiness to help determine a student's starting courses. Incoming college students must take a test or submit their measures after they submit an application but before registering for classes. Students who still need to satisfy college readiness may take one or more academic preparation courses before starting credit courses.

Take the placement tests using this link . Incoming traditional college students will take a placement test. The Testing Center administers the following placement tests to new students to measure their readiness for college courses:

• CollegeBoard ACCUPLACER Reading and WritePlacer for U.S. students whose primary language is English.
• The ESL ACCUPLACER test for international students.
• The ALEKS-PPL math test for all traditional students.

Find Exemptions and waivers using this link . The Testing Center also accepts other measures that grant exemptions to the placement test. Students may submit any or all of the following if they are less than 5-years-old:

• High SAT, ACT, or GED scores.
• A cumulative GPA of 2.6 or higher for graduates of U.S. high schools.
• Transfer credit from other institutions.
• Recent, high placement test scores from other institutions.

Take Continuing Education placement tests using this link . Students in some WDCE programs need a special version of the ACCUPLACER placement tests, which they may take in person or online. Traditional college students should not use these instructions.

Transfer placement test scores using this link . PGCC accepts some placement test scores from other institutions if they are less than four years old . Other institutions may accept some placement test scores taken at PGCC under certain rules and conditions. Please verify the other institution's rules for sending and receiving scores before attempting a score transfer.

The Placement Test Requires a Photo ID

Students must present one of these forms of photo ID for placement tests, waivers, and exemptions.

• PGCC student ID or employee ID card (with name and photo).
• State-issued driver's license.
• Maryland state (MVA) ID card.
• Employer's ID (with name and photo).
• Valid passport.
• U.S. Uniformed Service ID Card (military ID).
• U.S. DoD Common Access Card.
• Permanent Resident Card (Green Card/Form I-551).
• Employment Authorization Document (work permit).

Rules for Placement Testing

Please complete all tests on your own using appropriate resources, such as a pencil and blank scratch paper.

• Math tests provide a built-in calculator resource only for questions that require them. Students are not permitted to use their own calculators on the placement test.
• Inappropriate resources include, but are not limited to, the following: other people, books, notes, the internet, phones, tablets, calculators, computers, smart watches, etc.
• If the College finds evidence that a student used an inappropriate resource while taking a placement test, their test scores will be invalidated and removed from their student record. Then, the student must take all future placement tests in person.
• Incoming students must follow the College's Code of Conduct and other Testing Center rules .

PGCC uses ACCUPLACER and ALEKS-PPL Placement Tests

Prince George’s Community College uses different placement tests to help determine college readiness .

We use CollegeBoard's ACCUPLACER to evaluate reading and writing readiness for students educated in the United States and other countries. International students must take an ESL test to determine their English readiness. High school graduates will take ALEKS-PPL to evaluate their math readiness, while students in Early College Access programs will take ACCUPLACER's math tests.

Multiple Attempts

If you took a placement test multiple times, the College uses the best outcome to determine your final course placement. However, you may not take a placement test after you enroll in English or math courses since the test results cannot be used as a substitute for course performance. This applies even if you have only taken the placement test once.

Taking Each Test

All of the College's placement tests are web-based, but they will not work on phones or tablets. Click or tap the name of each placement test to read more about it. When you’re ready to take a placement test, please read our instructions for taking the placement test .

ACCUPLACER, from CollegeBoard, is a web-based test of English and Reading readiness for U.S. English-speaking students. ESL students are not eligible to use ACCUPLACER scores for placement.

• ACCUPLACER WritePlacer is a single-question essay test of English readiness.
• The platform will assign a single topic and you must write a roughly 300-word essay about it. The essay must be completed in one sitting.
• This test takes around one hour to complete and is usually evaluated immediately. A result of “Score Pending” will become a final score on the next business day.
• ACCUPLACER Reading is a multiple-choice test of Reading readiness.
• You will have to read passages and answer questions about them.
• The ACCUPLACER Reading test is adaptive. It usually has 20 questions, but may vary for each student and attempt.
• This test takes around 40 minutes to complete and results are available immediately.

Current policy allows only two attempts at any ACCUPLACER test within a two-year time period. You may only take the test again if you did not enroll in an English or ESL class.

ALEKS-PPL is a web-based test of math readiness intended to replicate the pencil-and-paper experience. Students should use paper and pencil to work out the solution to each test question and enter it into ALEKS. It is not multiple-choice.

• The ALEKS-PPL test is adaptive, and the number of questions changes as it measures your mathematics readiness. This test must be completed in one sitting and never exceeds 25 questions.
• You have a time limit of two hours to complete and submit the test. If you exceed the time limit, the test will end, and you will receive a score and placement based on the work completed.
• Most students need roughly one hour and 30 minutes for the test. Test results are available immediately.

When you finish, the ALEKS platform creates a series of prep and learning modules to help you improve your math skills for another attempt.

• The Prep and Learning modules are self-paced math review lessons tailored to the results of your first ALEKS-PPL score.
• You must spend at least five (5) hours of total work in the modules and wait at least one full day before you can retake the test. You do not have to complete all the work in one sitting.
• ALEKS-PPL allows up to one year of time to work on the modules and retake the test before your access expires. Your previous scores will remain, but you may lose access to your modules and second test attempt. It is strongly recommended that you complete your required hours and retake the test as soon as possible.
• Current policy allows only two attempts at the ALEKS-PPL test within a two-year time period. You may only retake the test if you did not enroll in a mathematics class.
• The modules do not work on phones and tablets. You must use a desktop or laptop computer running recent versions of Windows, macOS, or recent Chromebook models.
• The yellow button below lets you to log into ALEKS-PPL and continue working on your prep and learning modules. This link is not the placement test .

ALEKS-PPL STUDY MODULE

Starting in 2023, PGCC uses Accuplacer ESL to measure English and Reading readiness for international students. There is not a registration process. Students may take the ESL test immediately after applying to the college.

• The ESL Test has four required sections: the ESL WritePlacer essay, Sentence Meaning, Language Use, and Reading Skills. You must complete all sections to get a final score.
• The ESL WritePlacer section is a single-question essay. The platform will give you a topic and you must write a roughly 300-word essay under a 90-minute time limit.
• The Sentence Meaning, Language Use, and Reading Skills sections have 20 multiple-choice questions each.
• Each section can only be taken once.
• The whole test takes roughly two and a half hours to complete, and results are available after two to three business days.

Students may only take the ESL test twice within a two-year time period.

Who takes the ESL Accuplacer test?

The ESL Accuplacer test is for  incoming international students who need to demonstrate their level of English and Reading Readiness . However, international students may take the same English and Reading placement test as U.S. students if they satisfy any of the following conditions:

• They completed all of their middle and high school education in the U.S.
• They have a diploma from passing the  GED tests in the U.S. Students with a GED diploma should submit their official GED transcripts to PGCC .
• Antigua & Barbuda
• The Bahamas
• Cayman Islands
• Commonwealth of Dominica
• New Zealand
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• St. Vincent & the Grenadines
• Solomon Islands
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Turks & Caicos Islands
• United Kingdom
• United States of America
• Virgin Islands

Sample Tests and Study Guides

This list of online resources can help students improve skills needed for the placement tests . Some may also be useful after starting courses.

• Official CollegeBoard ACCUPLACER Guide
• ESL Accuplacer Sample Test
• Khan Academy
• Purdue Online Writing Lab
• Read Theory
• Calculus Help
• S.O.S. Mathematics

myPGCC, Owl Link, and Navigate

The College creates a myPGCC account for every student, unlocking many College services such as Owl Link and Navigate, without needing to visit our campus. These services will only work for students who  submit their applications , pay any outstanding fees, and activate their myPGCC accounts.

You will need  Owl Link to register for classes. Go to myPGCC  and log in, then click Owl Link. If you have never used myPGCC, click First Time Login. New users may need to change their passwords. After you verify your Owl Link account, you can use PGCC Navigate to schedule appointments with advising and other offices.

Please contact the Technology Service Desk to resolve any issues.

Doing Well on the Placement Tests

No student will be denied admission to the College based on placement test results except for international students (F-1 visa) , who must score high enough to allow full-time enrollment. However, your test performance will determine which college courses you may or may not take. Academic preparation courses may be required for students whose scores do not satisfy college readiness. Students are advised to take the placement tests seriously and employ a common-sense approach when preparing for the test:

• Eat well and get plenty of rest.
• Allow yourself ample time to review the sample tests and study guides.
• Review math operations with decimals, fractions, exponents, and algebra.

After Finishing the Placement Tests

For the in-person placement tests, students will receive a printed copy of their scores immediately. Instructors must evaluate the ESL test, which takes 2-3 business days. Typically, all scores will be posted to a student's record within two business days of receiving final scores from tests or assessments. Still, holidays and other college closures might delay this process.

Contacting an Advisor

After you finish the placement process, you must contact an advisor to register for courses. Please visit the College's advising site  for the best ways to ask questions and schedule appointments.

ALEKS-PPL Prep and Learning Modules

When you finish the ALEKS-PPL math placement test, the ALEKS platform creates a series of prep and learning modules to help you improve your math skills for another attempt. The study modules do not work on phones and tablets . You must use a desktop or laptop computer running recent versions of Windows or macOS. You may also use recent Chromebook models. Use the yellow button below to log into ALEKS-PPL and continue working. This link is not the placement test.

Getting Copies of Placement Test Scores

If you have already taken a placement test at a PGCC campus within the last four years, you may request a printed copy of your placement test scores from the Testing Center. You must come to the Testing Center in person and show a valid photo ID to get your scores. The testing center is located in Bladen Hall, Room 100, at PGCC's main campus in Largo, MD.

Transferring Placement Test Scores

Students may also request a transfer of certain placement test scores directly to other accredited institutions. The College cannot guarantee which scores other institutions and organizations will accept or use. Contact us below for more information.

Contact the Testing Center

Email: [email protected] Phone number: 301-546-0147

• Get Ready to Take the Placement Test
• Learn About Exemptions and Test Waivers
• Sample Tests
• WDCE Program Tests
• Transfer placement test scores