Frequently Asked Questions About the CUNY/ACT Skills
Test
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| What
is the purpose of the CUNY/ACT Skills Test? |
The CUNY/ACT Skills
Tests in Reading and Writing are replacing the basic skills tests (CUNY
WAT and RAT) that were used in these subjects before 2000. The new CUNY/ACT
Skills Tests will determine students’ readiness for college-level
work both when they apply to CUNY and when they are ready to exit from
remedial reading or writing course sequences.
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| Are
the placement and exit tests the same? |
Yes;
another form of the same test used to determine placement is used to determine
exit. Each time the test is administered, it is being used to answer the
same question: is the student ready for College Composition I - English
101?
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| What
parts do the new tests consist of? |
The new CUNY/ACT
Skills Tests have three parts:
- the ACT/ASSET
Reading Skills - a 25 minute objective test, which includes several
texts with multiple-choice questions based on them. The texts are college-level,
selected from existing text books or other materials.
- the ACT/ASSET
Writing Skills - a 25 minute objective test of editing skills, which
asks students to choose best versions of sentences for particular purposes.
- the ACT/CUNY
Writing Sample - an essay written in response to a prompt which
asks the student to choose one of two alternative proposed solutions
to a problem and to present an affirmative argument for it. The time
for this writing assignment in the pilot project is 60 minutes.
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| Who
is required to take these tests? |
- For initial
placement
Some students
are exempted from taking these tests. They satisfy the CUNY Skills
Requirements for Admission by submitting appropriate scores on SAT
Verbal (480), New York State English Regents (75) or ACT National
Test (20). Applicants who do not meet these standards take the new
CUNY/ACT -Asset Skills Tests in Reading and Writing and the CUNY Math
to determine their initial placement. Students who pass the tests
are deemed ready for College Composition I (Freshman English) and
college level math.
For transfers,
the same exemption rules apply; additionally, holders of previous
bachelor’s degrees are exempt from testing. Transfers who do
not meet the SAT or Regents standards take the new tests unless they
are non-CUNY transfers with equal to or greater than 45 credits. These
students are exempt from the initial tests because they will be required
to take the CPE their first semester.
- For Exit
from Remedial or Developmental course sequences
- Beginning
in Fall 2000, and thereafter, students registered in the top-level
course in Reading or Writing will take the exit from remediation
test at the end of the semester. At John Jay, this applies to students
taking ENG. 094-100 courses. Students who do not pass the test will
not be able to begin College Composition I (Freshman English) and
should take an extension program in January or June in order to
be re-tested.
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| Do
students who have passed the CUNY WAT and RAT have to pass the ACT tests
to exit remediation? |
Yes. You may not
exit remediation without passing the CUNY/ACT Skills Tests in Reading
and Writing.
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| Do
students who have not yet passed the CUNY WAT and RAT have to take the CUNY/ACT
Skills tests if they are not in remedial classes? |
No. They will still
have to take the CUNY WAT or RAT.
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What
happens if I fail the CUNY/ACT Skills Tests? |
Students who do
not pass the Reading and/or Writing Tests will be placed into appropriate
developmental or ESL courses to acquire the necessary skills before re-testing.
No one can take the test again without taking a course. Students who achieve
a passing score on one test will be retested only on the test they did
not pass.
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| Can
I see an example of the Reading Skills test? |
The Reading Skills
Test is a 24-item, 25-minute test that measures reading comprehension
as a combination of referring and reasoning skills. The test items require
students to derive meaning from several texts by (1) inferring what is
explicitly stated and determining the meaning of words through context,
and (2) reasoning to determine implicit meanings, to draw conclusions,
and to make comparisons and generalizations. The test consists of three
prose passages of about 375 words each that are representative of the
level and kinds of reading commonly encountered in college freshman courses.
Each passage is accompanied by a set of eight multiple-choice test items.
If
you want to try a passage from the Reading Skills Test, click here.
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| Can
I see an example of the Writing Skills test? |
The Writing Skills
Test is a 36-item, 25-minute test that measures the students' understanding
of the conventions in three major writing skills areas:
- usage and
mechanics (punctuation and grammar);
- sentence
structure;
- rhetorical
skills (organization, strategy, and style of standard written English).
Spelling, vocabulary,
and rote recall of grammar are not tested. The test consists of three
prose passages, each accompanied by 12-multiple-choice test items. In
order to provide a variety of rhetorical situations, the passages are
selected from different academic disciplines. Items measuring usage, mechanics,
and sentence structure offer alternative responses, including “No
Change,” to underlined portions of the text. The student must decide
which alternative best fits the context according to conventional practice.
Items that measure rhetorical skills may refer to an underlined portion
of the test or may ask a question about a section of the passage or the
passage as a whole. The student must decide which alternative response
is most appropriate in a given rhetorical situation.
If
you want to try a passage from the Writing Skills Test, click here.
If you want additional practice, click
here.
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Can
I see an example of the Writing Sample task?
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The Writing Sample
is a direct assessment of students’ writing skills. Students have
60 (sixty) minutes to prepare a writing sample. In the fall of 2000, when
the CUNY/ACT Basic Skills Test is operational, students will have a choice
of two assignments. The assignment they receive will include information
about a decision that must be made by a group of people. The group must
decide between two alternatives. The writer is asked to advise the group
on the best choice and explain why the group should agree with the writer's
position. In addition, the assignment will specify the basis upon which
the decision must be made.
Example assignment
Your college has received a large donation from a recent graduate
who has specified that the money be used to enhance the quality of
life for students. Two proposals for using the money have been made.
One proposal is to expand the campus bookstore to include music CD’s,
gifts, and a snack bar. The other proposal is to add more computers
to the computer lab. There is enough money to fund only one of these
proposals. Write a letter to the dean of the college in which you
argue for expanding the bookstore or for adding more computers to
the computer lab, explaining how your choice will enhance the quality
of life for students. |
Top
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| How
is the Writing Test scored? |
Because this is
a test of writing skills, responses should be written in complete sentences
and paragraphs. Papers should be organized and clearly written. Papers
will be evaluated for their focus on the topic, development and organization
of ideas, and correct sentence structure, grammar, usage, and mechanical
conventions. The writing should conform to the conventions of edited American
English.
Evaluators will use
a six-point scale to score the papers. Each score point reflects an evaluator's
holistic (overall) judgment of the writer's performance in relationship
to the skills identified above. Two evaluators who will be carefully trained
to score writing using this six-point scale will read each paper.
Upper-range
papers. These papers clearly engage the issue identified in the
prompts and demonstrate superior skill in organizing, developing, and
conveying in standard written English the writer's ideas about the topic.
- Exceptional.
(Score 6) These papers take a position on the issue defined in the
prompt and support that position with extensive elaboration. Organization
is unified and coherent. While there may be a few errors in mechanics,
usage, or sentence structure, outstanding command of the language is
apparent.
- Superior. (Score
5) These papers take a position on the issue defined in the prompt
and support that position with moderate elaboration. Organization is
unified and coherent. While there may be a few errors in mechanics,
usage, or sentence structure, command of the language is apparent.
Mid-range papers.
Papers in the middle range demonstrate engagement with the issue identified
in the prompt but do not demonstrate the evidence of writing skill that
would mark them as outstanding.
- Competent.
(Score 4) These papers take a position on the issue defined in the
prompt and support that position with some elaboration or explanation.
Organization is generally clear. A competency with language is apparent,
even though there may be some errors in mechanics, usage, or sentence
structure.
- Adequate.
(Score 3) These papers take a position on the issue defined in
the prompt and support that position, but with only a little elaboration
or explanation. Organization is clear enough to follow without difficulty.
A control of the language is apparent, even though there may be numerous
errors in mechanics, usage, or sentence structure.
Lower-range
papers. Papers in the lower range fail in some way to demonstrate
proficiency in language use, clarity of organization, or engagement of
the issue identified in the prompt.
- Weak. (Score
2) While these papers take a position on the issue defined in the
prompt, they may show significant problems in one or more of several
areas, making the writer's ideas often difficult to follow: support
may be extremely minimal; organization may lack clear movement or connectedness;
or there may be a pattern of errors in mechanics, usage, or sentence
structure that significantly interferes with understanding the writer's
ideas.
- Inadequate.
(Score 1) These papers show a failed attempt to engage the issue
defined in the prompt, lack support, or the problems with organization
or language are so severe as to make the writer's ideas very difficult
to follow.
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| An
example for an upper-range paper: |
| Dear College
Dean:
It is my understanding that this college has received
a large donation to be used to enhance the quality of life for students:
expand the bookstore or add computers to the computer lab. It is
the tradition of this school to promote education and to be at the
vanguard of new technology. That is why I strongly argue in favor
of the addition of more computers to the computer lab.
Although expanding the campus bookstore to include
CD’s, gifts, and a snack bar will give a nicer look to the
college, we have to think about a greater goal and a more practical
way to enhance the quality of life for students. What do we want
for our students and our college? Do we want our college to be known
as a place with a great bookstore where you can find CD’s and
gifts, or as a place where the students can explore and research
in their field using the best tools provided by technology? In addition,
there are already several snack bars on campus, and there are music
stores nearby, so students do not depend on the college bookstore
for these things.
We live in a highly technological world and computers
play an increasingly important role in how we live. As a learning
institution, this college has the responsibility to offer its students
the best technology to help them prepare for their future. Many
students will be expected to be familiar with the latest software
and other tools when they go on to work or to graduate school.
While they are in college, students find they are
expected to use computers. Many professors expect students to use
computers to do homework or to complete projects. Students are asked
to create PowerPoint presentations and use spreadsheets and database
programs, as well as to research many topics on the internet. Since
students are competing for good grades, those who have limited access
to computers are at a great disadvantage. Furthermore, being able
to do projects using the computer enhances the process of learning,
giving students the opportunity to find information that without
a computer would be much more difficult to find.
If there are more computers, students will also
be able to complete their work more efficiently. No more will they
have to wait in line, paper and disk in hand, while scanning the
room for an empty chair and computer. No longer will they have to
sit and wait while an outdated computer struggles to follow their
commands. Having more new and faster computers available will enable
students to finish their work more quickly.
The more computers are used in society the more
colleges will depend on them as a tool of teaching and learning.
Making computers more available to students facilitates their learning
process by making the process easier, more interesting, more engaging,
and in the process enhancing their quality of life. |
Comments
This paper takes a clear position on the issue described in the prompt
and supports that position with a counter-argument and several positive
arguments. The counter-argument is handled effectively: the writer acknowledges
the value of having a nice bookstore, but then explains why that is less
important than adding computers. The writer's supporting points include
some good detail, particularly in the fourth paragraph. Organization is
clear without being overly obvious, and transitions are used effectively
to help the reader understand connections among ideas. The paper has good
sentence variety and the writer handles complex sentence structures extremely
well. Correct grammar, usage, and mechanics not only show the writer's
grasp of standard edited English but also the writer's ability to use
sophisticated structures that serve the rhetorical purpose: e.g., the
two rhetorical questions in the second paragraph, the repeated structures
in the fifth paragraph (“No more will they have to wait in line,”
“No longer will they have to sit and wait”).
(Score 6)
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| An
example for a mid-range paper: |
| Dear College
Dean:
As a student at our college, I think I have an
obligation write this letter to you to support the proposal for
adding more computers to the computer lab.
If you could take a chance to visit our computer
lab, you would see lots of students eager for a spare computer crowded
in the waiting room area of the lab especially during the weeks
near the midterm and the final-exam. Then, you would know why I
am pleading you for the proposal. Yes, there are not enough computers
for us. We need computers to write papers for our classes, to do
computer work for class projects, to search academic or non-academic
but useful information, to check and write email, to help to improve
ourselves, etc. Our life is getting to depend on computers.
Some of the students own computers from family
or other sources of financial support. These students obviously
take advantage over those who do not have money to buy a computer
in pursuing their academic goal. With enough computers, each student
at our college has an equal chance to use a computer whenever he
or she needs to use it without wasting unnecessary time in waiting.
Furthermore, we can purchase less expensive books,
music cd’s, gifts, and even snacks through the internet if
we have enough computers. Our college already has enough snack-vending
machines and we have lots of grocery stores near our campus. Therefore,
our college should spend the money in adding more computers to the
computer lab instead of wasting money in expanding the bookstore.
School is a place to provide each student with
an equal opportunity. Not only could the proposal meet our computer
needs and provide us a fair learning environment, but also it could
serve the similar purpose of the other proposal for expanding the
bookstore. I strongly believe it would enhance the quality of life
for students. To serve the purpose of the donation is to use the
proposal for adding more computers.
Looking forward to hearing from you for approving
the proposal. |
Comments
The writer takes a stand on the issue in the prompt and supports his or
her position by presenting two counter-arguments and two positive arguments
for the addition of computers. In general, points are explained with some
detail; for example, the writer says, “We need computers to write
papers..., to do computer work for class projects, to search ... for useful
information, to check and write e-mail The paper has
a brief introduction, several paragraphs of development of the writer's
supporting points, and a paragraph of conclusion. Some transitions are
used to show connections within and among paragraphs (e.g., furthermore,
therefore). While there are some errors in grammar and usage (e.g., “If
you could take a chance to visit,” “you would know why I am
pleading you”), in general the writer shows a competency with language.
The paper includes several effective complex sentences; for example, the
fourth sentence in the second paragraph correctly uses parallel structure.
(Score 4)
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| An
example for a lower-range paper: |
| Dear College
Dean:
I am a student studying in the community college.
I heard that two proposals were given to enhance the quality of
life for students. I think the proposal which is to add more computers
to the computer lab is a better idea.
For most students, they have to work on homework
by computer. However not all students can afford one. Giving students
enough access to do their homework is the most important. I had
once been staying outside the computer lab for 20 minutes waiting
to use computer. This experience is awful in school life. Besides,
the world is going to be more and more computerized. Without the
computer access, we cannot stand in the world. It will be a good
experience for students to use computer access in school life. |
Comments
This paper takes a position on the issue defined in the prompt and includes
two ideas in support of the writer's position (the need for greater access
to computers and the need for students to be prepared to use computers
in their careers). There is a little development of the writer's first
point when he or she tells about wasting time waiting for a computer,
but there is no development of the writer's second point. The paper includes
a brief introduction, but it has no conclusion. The use of the word “however”
reflects an attempt to show connections between ideas, but the paper would
be stronger with more transitions. There are some errors in grammar, usage,
and mechanics. The writer shows control of simple sentence structure in
English.
(Score 2)
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