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ACCUPLACER sample questions, with worked answers

Here are 12 original ACCUPLACER-style questions covering all five Next-Generation tests, with the answer and the reasoning under each: 2 Reading, 5 Writing (one five-question draft), 2 Arithmetic, 2 QAS and 1 Advanced Algebra and Functions. Try each before you open the answer.

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Last checked · Original questions written for LifeScore, not College Board items

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated · How we check facts · How this is scored

What do ACCUPLACER Reading questions look like?

A short passage and one question about its main idea, a detail, an inference, the author's purpose or a word in context. Both samples are answered in full.

  1. ACCUPLACER-style question 1 · Detail

    According to the passage, what happens to seeds that borrowers return?

    1. AThey are added to the collection for the following year.
    2. BThey are returned to the borrowers who saved them.
    3. CThey are planted in the library garden.
    4. DThey are sold to raise money for the library.
    Worked answer

    A: They are added to the collection for the following year.. The last sentence says returned seeds "go back into the collection for the next year." Nothing is said about selling them or a library garden.

    The trap: Picking "planted in the library garden" because it sounds plausible. Only the last sentence answers the question, and it says the seeds go back into the collection.

  2. ACCUPLACER-style question 2 · Evidence

    Which claim is best supported by the information in the passage?

    1. ACoaches should stop runners from stretching at all.
    2. BRunners who warm up are never injured.
    3. CStretching before a run causes injuries.
    4. DAn easy jog may protect runners better than stretching before a run.
    Worked answer

    D: An easy jog may protect runners better than stretching before a run.. The review found no injury difference for stretching but a reduction in some injuries with a jogging warm-up. It does not say stretching causes injuries, and "never injured" overstates the evidence.

    The trap: "Stretching causes injuries" overstates the finding. The review found no difference, which is not the same as harm.

What do ACCUPLACER Writing questions look like?

A short draft with numbered sentences and several revise-and-edit questions about it: punctuation, parallel structure, transitions and what to add. Try all five, then open the answers.

  1. ACCUPLACER-style question 3 · Punctuation

    Which is the best way to write "model's" in sentence 2?

    1. ALeave it as it is.
    2. Bmodels
    3. Cmodel
    4. Dmodels'
    Worked answer

    A: Leave it as it is.. The reliability belongs to one model, so the singular possessive "model's" is right.

  2. ACCUPLACER-style question 4 · Parallel structure

    Which is the best way to write the end of sentence 3, "and you should take it for a test drive"?

    1. ALeave it as it is.
    2. Band a test drive
    3. Cand taking it for a test drive
    4. Dand take it for a test drive
    Show the answer

    D: and take it for a test drive. The list uses commands: "check," "look" and "take." Keeping the same form makes the sentence parallel.

  3. ACCUPLACER-style question 5 · Concision

    Which is the best way to combine sentences 7 and 8?

    1. AAn inspection costs about a hundred dollars but can reveal problems that would cost far more to repair later.
    2. BCosting about a hundred dollars, problems that would cost far more can be revealed by an inspection.
    3. CAn inspection, which costs about a hundred dollars, and it can reveal problems that would cost far more to repair later.
    4. DAn inspection costs about a hundred dollars, it can reveal problems that would cost far more to repair later.
    Show the answer

    A: An inspection costs about a hundred dollars but can reveal problems that would cost far more to repair later.. The correct choice joins the cost and the benefit with "but." The others contain a comma splice, a broken structure or a confusing passive construction.

  4. ACCUPLACER-style question 6 · Transitions

    Which word or phrase best begins sentence 4?

    1. ANext,
    2. BOn the other hand,
    3. CIn conclusion,
    4. DHowever,
    Show the answer

    A: Next,. The passage lists steps in order; "Next" continues the sequence.

  5. ACCUPLACER-style question 7 · Development

    The writer wants to add a sentence after sentence 1 that previews the passage. Which is best?

    1. AMany new cars lose value quickly.
    2. BA few careful steps can lower those risks.
    3. CCar dealers often work long hours.
    4. DElectric cars are becoming more popular.
    Show the answer

    B: A few careful steps can lower those risks.. The passage gives steps to reduce risk, so this preview fits. The others drift off-topic.

More questions like these

Eight full five-part mocks and 20 drills, with every answer worked like the ones on this page.

The ACCUPLACER Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 20 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The ACCUPLACER Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the ACCUPLACER Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked
8
timed mocks
20
topic drills
1
score predictor

What do ACCUPLACER Arithmetic questions look like?

Fractions, decimals and percents, often in a short everyday setting, where the trap is an arithmetic slip rather than a hard idea.

  1. ACCUPLACER-style question 8 · Order of operations

    What is the value of 14 + 8 × 8 − 5?

    1. A25
    2. B65
    3. C73
    4. D171
    Worked answer

    C: 73. Multiply before you add or subtract: 8 × 8 = 64, then 14 + 64 − 5 = 73. Working left to right without multiplying first gives 171.

  2. ACCUPLACER-style question 9 · Number comparisons

    Which number is between 1/7 and 17/70?

    1. A0.27
    2. B0.19
    3. C0.12
    4. D0.04
    Show the answer

    B: 0.19. As decimals, 1/7 ≈ 0.143 and 17/70 ≈ 0.243. Only 0.19 lies between them.

What do ACCUPLACER QAS questions look like?

Algebra and data: solving equations, ratios, exponents, probability and statistics, and some geometry, each with four options.

  1. ACCUPLACER-style question 10 · Ratio and proportion

    Fabric costs $12 per yard. How much do 30 feet of fabric cost? (3 feet = 1 yard)

    1. A$360
    2. B$1080
    3. C$132
    4. D$120
    Worked answer

    D: $120. Convert first: 30 feet ÷ 3 = 10 yards. Then 10 × $12 = $120.

  2. ACCUPLACER-style question 11 · Linear applications

    A taxi charges $3 plus $3.00 per mile. The total bill was $39.00. How many miles was the ride?

    1. A14
    2. B13
    3. C12
    4. D11
    Show the answer

    C: 12. Write the equation: 3 + 3n = 39. Subtract the fixed $3: 3n = 36, so n = 12. Dividing the whole bill by 3 forgets the fixed fee.

What do ACCUPLACER Advanced Algebra questions look like?

Functions, factoring, exponential and logarithmic equations and trigonometry: the content that decides precalculus and calculus placement.

  1. ACCUPLACER-style question 12 · Factoring

    Which expression is equal to x² − 7x − 18?

    1. A(x − 7)(x − 1)
    2. B(x − 2)(x + 9)
    3. C(x + 2)(x + 9)
    4. D(x + 2)(x − 9)
    Worked answer

    D: (x + 2)(x − 9). Find two numbers that multiply to −18 and add to −7: 2 and −9. So x² − 7x − 18 = (x + 2)(x − 9). Check by expanding: x² − 9x + 2x − 18 = x² − 7x − 18.

How should I use ACCUPLACER sample questions?

Answer each one before you open the working, then sort your misses by the rule behind them; sample questions are for finding rules, and a timed full test is for checking you have fixed them.

A sample set is small, so a good score here does not mean much on its own. A wrong answer, though, almost always points to a rule you can learn in minutes: a common denominator, part = percent × whole, a comma splice, a "not" you read past. Write each rule on a card.

Then take the free ACCUPLACER practice test, which has ten questions in each part and scores each part separately, or a free section drill on the math, reading or writing page, where every answer is explained.

College Board also publishes free official sample questions and a practice app. Use them too: they show the real screen layout, which ours does not copy exactly.

Are these like the real ACCUPLACER questions?

They follow the content and format College Board describes for each Next-Generation test, but they are original, they are not adaptive, and none is a real ACCUPLACER item.

On the real tests the next question depends on your last answer, so you will see harder or easier questions than a fixed set. The topics, the four-option format and the kinds of traps are what we copy. The ACCUPLACER test guide explains the format, and ACCUPLACER scores explains what colleges ask for.

Frequently asked questions

Are these real ACCUPLACER questions?

No. They are original ACCUPLACER-style questions written for LifeScore. Real ACCUPLACER items are College Board's and are not published.

Where can I find official ACCUPLACER practice?

College Board publishes free sample questions and a practice app on the ACCUPLACER site.

How many questions are on each real test?

Reading 20, Writing 25, and Arithmetic, QAS and Advanced Algebra and Functions 20 each.

Do these questions appear in your mocks?

No. This sample set is kept out of every mock and drill, so practising here never spoils a full test.

Ready for a full test?

Eight full ACCUPLACER-style mocks, 20 drills and every answer explained, for one payment.

The ACCUPLACER Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 20 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The ACCUPLACER Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See what is inside the ACCUPLACER Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked
8
timed mocks
20
topic drills
1
score predictor

LifeScore is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to College Board. ACCUPLACER and College Board are trademarks of College Board, and other test names are trademarks of their owners. Our ACCUPLACER-style practice tests use original questions written for this site and are not the official tests or a placement score.

Facts last checked by the LifeScore Editorial Team. How we check facts.