COMPASS®

COMPASS® is an untimed computer-adaptive college placement test.  Students’ skill levels in mathematics and English (Writing Skills) are quickly evaluated. As a computer-adaptive test, COMPASS® adjusts the item difficulty to the skills of the individual student, eliminating items that are too easy or difficult and that contribute little to the student’s score.  Such flexibility reduces the number of items and testing time, while maintaining the accuracy of the results.
The adaptive nature of COMPASS® means that few students receive the same items or even the same number of items.  Students begin testing with a medium level difficulty question.  If the student answers correctly, a more difficult level question is provided to the student.  If the student answers the medium level question incorrectly, a less difficult question is provided to the student.  The software continues to provide more and less difficult questions until a reliable score is obtained. 
Students may not return to previous questions.  Once the student clicks on the button marked “Go On,” he or she is unable to return to the previous question.
COMPASS® is not a college admission exam.  Taking COMPASS® does not replace taking the ACT® or SAT®.