The COMPASS is used as a placement tool for students that do not have an ACT score. It is given at the beginning of each quarter to determine the placement of students in Math and English. The COMPASS is a computerized exam and scores are available immediately upon completion of the exam.
Scheduling A COMPASS Exam and Testing Policy
- Tests are given by appointment in 318 Wyly Tower
- Please call 257-4882 for an appointment
- A fee of $5 per test is accessed to all students
- Student ID number is required
- The COMPASS is available to the non-traditional student by referral only
- This exam is not timed
Study Guides and Sample Tests
The Mathematics Placement
Multiple-choice items in each of the five mathematics placement areas test the following:
- basic skills – performing a sequence of basic operations
- application-applying sequences of basic operations to novel settings or in complex ways
- analysis – demonstrating conceptual understanding of principles and relationships in mathematical operations
Calculators are not allowed on the MATH test.
View a small sample of non-secure test items for:
- Numerical Skills/Pre-algebra
- Algebra
- College Algebra
- Geometry
- Trigonometry
http://act.org/compass/sample/prealg.html and http://act.org/compass/sample/algebra.html
The Writing Skills Placement
The Writing Skills Placement Test helps institutions determine whether students are ready for entry-level college writing courses or other courses with significant writing loads or whether students require developmental writing instruction prior to entry into those courses. The test asks students to find and correct errors in essays presented on the computer screen. The test items include the following content categories:
Usage/Mechanics
- Punctuation
- Basic grammar and usage
- Sentence structure
Rhetorical Skills
- Strategy
- Organization
- Style
View a small sample of non-secure test items for the Writing Skills Placement Test by clicking on the link below.
http://www.act.org/compass/sample/pdf/writing.pdf and http://www.act.org/compass/sample/write-s.html
Remote Compass Testing
With the COMPASS Internet National Remote Testing Network, you can quickly and conveniently arrange to have our COMPASS placement of diagnostic tests administered in 550 supervised COMPASS testing centers across the country.
When a student needing remote testing calls LA Tech Univ the students zip code is used to locate the nearest COMPASS test site, and then register the student from within the COMPASS Internet Version software.
A confirming email message is automatically sent to the student with information on how and where to take the test.
Students pay a proctor fee (typically $20-$45) to the remote test site and the COMPASS units used are charged to the university requesting the exam.
