ACCUPLACER Next-Generation Writing Study Notes

The College Board Overview

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    • Founded in 1900, aimed at expanding access to higher education.

    • Membership includes over 6,000 leading educational institutions globally.

    • Focuses on promoting excellence and equity in education.

    • Aids over seven million students yearly in transitioning to college via programs such as:

    • SAT®

    • Advanced Placement Program®

    • Provides research and advocacy for students, educators, and schools.

    • More information available at collegeboard.org.

ACCUPLACER Writing Assessment

  • The Next-Generation Writing test is a computer adaptive assessment.

    • It evaluates test-takers' abilities to revise and edit prose texts effectively.

    • Assessment themes include:

    • Expression of Ideas: Development, organization, and effective language use.

    • Standard English Conventions: Sentence structure, usage, and punctuation.

    • Test content spans various areas:

    • Literary nonfiction

    • Careers, history, and social studies

    • Humanities and science

    • Writing modes assessed include:

    • Informative/explanatory

    • Argument

    • Narrative

    • Passages are original, designed specifically for the test to introduce relevant errors.

    • Questions are multiple choice and grouped around common passages.

    • No stand-alone questions are present; responses require context from passages.

Sample Questions Overview

  • Sample questions are based on a fictional essay draft related to

    • The prevalence of nectarines in US supermarkets.

    • The narrative details the founding and success of the Kim Brothers truck company.

Essay Draft Overview

  1. Sentence 1: Discusses the relationship between the prevalence of nectarines and the Kim Brothers.

    • Key Points: Inventive mindset of two men with the same last name.

  2. Sentence 2: Introduces Ho "Charles" Kim and Harry Kim's company founded in 1921.

  3. Sentence 3: Details the type of freight transported by their trucks, predominantly fruit.

    • Question 1:

      • Choose the best version of the underlined portion of sentence 3 to correct verb agreement or structure.

      • Options: A) (as it is), B) have been, C) are, D) was.

      • Correct answer: D, as it matches the singular subject "much".

  4. Sentence 4: Company expansion into nurseries, orchards, and packing sheds.

  5. Sentence 5: Discusses employment figures during harvest seasons.

    • Question 2:

      • Invest decision about underlined text regarding clarity and relevance.

      • Correct answer: D, deletion leads to clarity.

  6. Sentence 6: The company thrived despite the Great Depression by producing nectarines.

  7. Sentence 7: Defines the nectarine as a hybrid fruit.

  8. Sentence 8: Describes characteristics of nectarines.

  9. Sentence 9: Discusses Kim Brothers' horticulturist and their invention.

  10. Sentence 10: Differentiates the Sun Grand nectarine.

  11. Sentence 11: Company's growth statistics by the 1960s.

  12. Sentence 12: Recognition of Charles and Harry Kim as millionaires.

  13. Sentence 13: Their contributions to the community, including Koreatown in LA.

Further Sample Questions

  • Example exploration of spider behavior in the Sahara, focusing on:

    • The species Cebrennus rechenbergi.

    • Questions related to sentence structures, combinations and clarity in descriptions.

      • Question 7: Effective sentence combination focusing on clarity of location and characteristics of discovered species.

Lucille Clifton Poetry

  1. Quotations: Clifton’s approach to poetry expressing personal and community struggles.

  2. Themes: Family, injustice, identity as an African American female.

  3. Example Analysis: Examining a poem's line reflecting memory and the passing down of skills.

  4. Question Analysis:

    • Questions regarding sentence structure and relevance to the thematic focus.

Answer Key and Rationales

  • Includes explanations for choosing correct answers emphasizing grammatical understanding and coherence in writing.

    • Major mistakes noted include:

    • Subject/verb agreement issues,

    • Clarity and relevance of additional information,

    • Proper use of punctuation and conjunctions.