COMPASS©
Computerized Adaptive Placement Assessment & Support System
American College Testing

COMPASS (see www.act.org/compass for information and sample questions) is used by Northwestern Michigan College to assist in determining a successful placement of students in mathematics and English courses. Correct placement is essential to ensure the student has an optimum opportunity for success in his or her course work.

Purpose

COMPASS, or an alternative assessment, is administered to all new students to establish their competency level in reading, writing, and mathematics. COMPASS uses a computer adaptive testing technology, which means that the questions are administered on a computer terminal at various levels of difficulty to determine the examinee's level of competency. The results are automatically printed and saved to the student's permanent record.

Where And When Is This Assessment /Placement Test Offered?

1. Careers & Employment Services offers walk-in testing, Monday through Friday, between 8:15 A.M. and 2:30 P.M. in the Career and Employmement Services located in the Osterlin Library. Call (231) 995-1041 if you have questions.
2. Instructional Support administers COMPASS or an alternative assessment for those who require accommodation or specific facilitation. Those who wish to utilize this service should contact Instructional Support at (231) 995-1138.

What To Bring To The Test.

You need to bring a picture identification, know your social security number, and a calculator if desired. Calculators with memory/storage capability or printing devices are NOT allowed and include:

• pocket organizers
• hand held or laptop computers
• electronic writing pads or pen-input devices (Sharp EL9600 is allowed)
• Models with QWERTY (typewriter style) keyboards
• Models with built-in capability to simplify algebraic expressions, multiply polynomials, or factor polynomials (often designated Computer Algebra Systems).
• Specifically prohibited models include CFX-9970g, Casio Algebra fx 2.0, TI-89, and TI-92.
• Cell phones

Compass Test Content

The COMPASS system assists students by gathering information about their educational needs and plans (demographics), and measuring their skills in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. COMPASS organizes the information and communicates the information to counselors and advisors who assist in advising and placing students in appropriate courses that match their skills and reflect their educational goals and plans. All or some of these sections may be administered to an examinee depending on their individual assessment needs.

Demographics

The demographics section consists of a number of questions to assist you and your counselor/advisor to make course and scheduling decisions. It consists of information about your past and future education, working hours, career desires, and related information. This section takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Instruction

Each examinee is taken through a series of exercises that familiarize the test taker with how to use the computer for testing purposes. No prior experience or computer knowledge is required. Each applicable function of the computer is explained, and the test taker has the opportunity to use each function until they are familiar with the computer. If problems completing the test arise, examinees are encouraged to ask proctors for assistance.

The Reading Placement Test

This section, like all sections of the test, is not timed and examinees are encouraged to take their time.

The Passages.

The emphasis of this section of the assessment is the examinee's ability to construct meaning from what is read. This section consists of a pool of reading passages with an average length of 215 standard words. The passages are:

• prose fiction that emphasize the narration of events and revelation of character
• humanities passages that describe or analyze ideas or works of art and craft
• social science passages with information gathered by research
• natural sciences passages that present a science topic along with an explanation of its significance
• practical reading passages that present information relevant to technical and vocational courses

The Questions

Each of the passages is accompanied by reading comprehension questions. The questions consist of multiple choice questions. The test taker can switch from the passage to the question an unlimited amount of times to determine the answer. The reading comprehension questions for each passage consist of:

• questions that ask about the main idea of a passage or paragraph
• explicit information in a passage (who, what, when, where, why, and how)
• sequential relationships (what comes first, second, etc.)
• cause and effect relationships
• comparative relationships (greater than, less than, etc.)
• explicit evidence presented to support a claim and stated assumptions

Questions in the section also ask the examinee to determine:

• the main idea of a passage with more than one paragraph
• the main idea of a paragraph
• details related to the main idea
• conclusions made from the facts given
• comparisons using stated information
• appropriate generalizations
• recognize fallacies, stereotypes, and points of view
• judge relevance and appropriate application of information
• distinguish between supported and unsupported claims

The Writing Skills Test

This section, like all sections of the test, is not timed and examinees are encouraged to take their time.

The COMPASS Writing Skills Test is designed to help determine whether a student possesses the writing skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a typical entry-level college composition course. Items in the Writing Skills Placement Test assess student abilities in the categories of usage/mechanics, punctuation, basic grammar and usage, sentence structure, rhetorical skills, strategy, organization, and style.

Composition of Passages and Items. Examinees are presented with a passage on-screen and asked to read it while looking for problems in grammar, usage, and style.

Text passages are presented to the examinee as an unbroken whole, with no indication of where the errors are located. Upon finding an error, the examinee highlights the segment he/she wishes to change and five alternative segments are shown of which the examinee chooses one to change the segment. One of the alternative segments will always reproduce the original text segment.

In addition to the items that correspond to passage segments, this test has one or two multiple-choice items that appear after the examinee is finished revising the passage. These items pose global questions related to the passage.

Mathematics Tests

This section, like all sections of the test, is not timed and examinees are encouraged to take their time.

The COMPASS Mathematics Tests consists of five domains of mathematics including numerical skills/prealgebra (Arithmetic), algebra, college algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. The examinee may begin the test at anyone of three levels including Easier Items (prealgebra), Medium Items (algebra), and More Difficult Items (college algebra). The information below describes each domain and recommends where the examinee should begin the test.

Numerical Skills/Prealgebra

The Numerical Skills/Prealgebra Placement Test is the most elementary of the five Mathematics Placement tests. Typically, this test should be taken by examinees that have had a limited or an undetermined exposure to algebra, have performed poorly in previously algebra courses, or have not used their algebra training for a long time. Scores from this test will be used to place them below that level into a Prealgebra, Beginning Algebra, or appropriate "refresher" course. Students who score high on this test will be automatically routed to the Algebra Placement Test.

Items in the Numerical Skills/Prealgebra Placement Test range in content from basic arithmetic concepts and skills including basic operation with integers, fractions, decimals, exponents, square roots, scientific notation, ratio and proportion, percentages, conversion between fractions and decimals, multiple and factors of integers, absolute numbers, averages, range, order, estimation, number theory, counting, and simple probability. These concepts and skills are considered prerequisites for a first algebra course.

Algebra

Items in the Algebra Placement Test is most appropriate for students who have recently completed a Prealgebra or Beginning Algebra course and for students whose current level of performance suggests a lack of readiness for a college-level algebra course. In addition, students who score high on the Numerical Skills/Prealgebra Placement Test or those who scored low on the College Algebra Placement Test will be automatically routed to the Algebra Placement Test to clarify their current level of competence. Scores on this test are used with other available information to help guide decisions regarding placement in Beginning Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, or College Algebra courses.

Students who score high on the Algebra Placement Test will be automatically routed to the College Algebra Placement Test. Students who begin in the Algebra Placement Test and score low, will be automatically routed to the Numerical Skills/Prealgebra Placement Test.

College Algebra

The College Algebra Placement Test is most appropriate for students who have recently demonstrated proficiency in intermediate algebra courses. Students who score high in the Algebra Placement Test will automatically be routed to the College Algebra Placement Test. Items in the college algebra item pool test algebra knowledge and skills in a variety of content areas. Content includes functions, exponents, complex numbers, factorials, matrices, linear equations in three or more variables, logic and proof techniques, and roots of polynomials.

Students who begin and score low in the College Algebra Placement Test will be automatically routed to the Algebra Placement Test. Students who score fairly high on the College Algebra Placement Test will automatically be routed to the Trigonometry Placement Test. Scores from these tests are used in conjunction with other available information to help guide placement into intermediate algebra, college algebra, trigonometry, or calculus courses.

Retesting Policy

Students are allowed one retest on english and math.