tailieunhanh - COMPASS/ESL ® Sample Test Questions— A Guide for Students and Parents Writing Skills

Academic writing is complex in that it involves more than grammar. It involves familiarity with the writing conventions of university culture and disciplinary subcultures in which the second/foreign language learner participates (Schneider & Fujishima, 1995). Ballard and Clanchy (1984) found that while a student is inducted into a particular discipline through lectures, discussions, and laboratory work, it is through the written assignments that success is most commonly judged. Although foreign language proficiency is at the heart of writing, the real problem for overseas students is not language-related errors, but the fact that students have not met the expectations of the. | COMPASS ESL Sample Test Questions A Guide for Students and Parents Writing Skills Note to Students Welcome to the COMPASS Sample Writing Skills Test You are about to look at some sample test questions as you prepare to take the actual COMPASS test. The examples in this booklet are similar to the kinds of test questions you are likely to see when you take the actual COMPASS test. Since this is a practice exercise you will answer just a few questions and you won t receive a real test score. The answer key follows the sample questions. Once you are ready to take the actual COMPASS test you need to know that the test is computer delivered and untimed that is you may work at your own pace. After you complete the test you can get a score report to help you make good choices when you register for college classes. We hope you benefit from these sample questions and we wish you success as you pursue your education and career goals Note to Parents The test questions in this sample set are similar to the kinds of test questions your son or daughter will encounter when they take the actual COMPASS test. Since these questions are only for practice they do not produce a test score students answer more questions on the actual test. The aim of this booklet is to give a sense of the kinds of questions examinees will face and their level of difficulty. There is an answer key at the end. COMPASS Writing Skills Sample Test Questions The Writing Skills Placement Test presents one or more passages each containing several errors. When an error is detected in a passage clicking on that section of the passage brings up several alternative segments of text from which a more appropriate segment can be selected and inserted automatically into the text. Items in the Writing Skills Placement Test assess basic knowledge and skills in usage and mechanics . punctuation basic grammar and usage and sentence structure as well as more rhetorical skills such as writing strategy organization and .