accuplacer essay samples

• ACCUPLACER Test
• ACCUPLACER WritePlacer Essay

Prepare for the ACCUPLACER Essay

Learn everything there is to know about the essay section of the ACCUPLACER English test. Prepare for the test with our TestPrep-Online comprehensive ACCUPLACER English practice pack.

Free ACCUPLACER Sample Questions

• ACCUPLACER English Essay: What You Need to Know

How Is the ACCUPLACER Writing Test Graded?

Accuplacer writeplacer essay writing tips, start preparing for the accuplacer english test, the accuplacer english essay: what you need to know.

The ACCUPLACER Writing Test , or WritePlacer Test, evaluates writing skills such as focus of the text, sentence structure, and organization. The purpose of the ACCUPLACER Writing Test is to measure how well a student can develop an argument, using evidence-based support as well as the appropriate mechanical conventions. The student is given one hour to complete the test. The essay itself should be no more than 300-600 words. When preparing for the ACCUPLACER WritePlacer , it is very important to understand the expected outline of an essay. This will help you map out your ideas and stay on topic. Straying from the topic, or not sticking to the word count results in an immediate zero. To help you feel fully prepared for the ACCUPLACER essay, our ACCUPLACER English Pack offers information about the section, tips for writing, and standard examples of ACCUPLACER essay prompts.

The essay test is graded using a computer software known as Intellimetric . Intellimetric bases its grading method on an analysis of a large body of graded essays. The system analyzes factors such as conventions, language use, development, and organization, as well as essay length and relevance. You should try your best to write an organized, well-developed essay just as you would in an English class.  A CCUPLACER essays are graded on a scale of 0-8, with "clear and consistent mastery" of essay-writing required to get an 8, the highest score.  Though many are skeptical about this method of grading, there is one very clear benefit: With a computer graded essay, students can receive their grade immediately, and thus have more motivation to improve. In addition, students preparing for the ACCUPLACER essay can better understand what factors to employ into their writing. Our ACCUPLACER English Practice Pack includes past ACCUPLACER essay samples as well as typical ACCUPLACER writing prompts.

Unlike the Reading Comprehension section and the Sentence Skills section of the ACCUPLACER test, the essay portion is timed , which means you need to use your time wisely. Though you may feel that a good essay requires you to “wow” the grader, remember that at the end of the day, the grader is not a human, but a computer. It is not looking to be wowed by you; it is simply looking to grade you. Below are some tips to help you achieve a great score on the ACCUPLACER Essay :

• Stick to a standard format , including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This will help you to maintain a consistent idea and will prevent you from straying from the topic. The ACCUPLACER Essay is a test of your formal writing skills, not of your creativity.
• Keep your argument in line ; the ACCUPLACER WritePlacer is grading you on how well you can deliver and develop an argument. Make sure that you do so thoroughly by remembering the main points of your essay, and not going off on a tangent. Each paragraph should be relevant to the thesis, and each sentence within a paragraph should be relevant to the paragraph's topic sentence.
• Use evidence . Don’t worry, the evidence does not have to be science-based, but it does have to be, well, evident. The ACCUPLACER Essay wants to see how you bring a claim forward. Make sure that you do so not as a magician conjuring things from thin air, but as a detective, showing the basis of your argument. What you choose to argue is not important, but how you make your argument is.
• Read the prompt carefully —remember that your work is graded on relevance. If you do not answer the question that is asked, then it will not be graded, no matter how good the essay is.

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At TestPrep-Online we offer you the ACCUPLACER English Practice Pack. In addition to a grammar guide with exercises, sample questions, and full practice tests, the pack also includes essay assignments with full high-scored essay samples from which you can learn how to write effectively. Grammar that you learn while preparing for the other parts of the ACCUPLACER English section can help you write an essay with better mechanics. Your preparation for the ACCUPLACER Reading section can help you improve the organization and development of your ACCUPLACER Essay. Start now! Want tips for the ACCUPLACER math test as well? Try our ACCUPLACER Premium Pack, which has all the material you need to prepare for every section of the ACCUPLACER. 

ACCUPLACER® and WritePlacer® are trademarks and property of COLLEGE BOARD. The trademark holder is not affiliated with TestPrep-Online or this website.

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WritePlacer Practice Essay 1

Below is a sample prompt for the WritePlacer essay. Make sure you have reviewed our WritePlacer Essay Guide and then use this prompt to type your first practice Accuplacer essay.

“Just because a child’s parents are poor or uneducated is no reason to deprive the child of basic human rights to health care, education, and proper nutrition.”

-Marian Wright Edelman   Assignment

As more politicians are proposing a move towards universal healthcare in America, people are debating the role of the government in the US healthcare system. Those in favor of universal healthcare argue that healthcare is a basic human right. Opponents of universal healthcare don’t believe that they should be forced to pay higher taxes to provide health care to people who don’t have it. Should the government use taxpayer money to ensure that every citizen has access to medical care?

Plan and write a multi-paragraph essay (300–600 words) in which you develop your point of view on the above question. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

  Use this WritePlacer sample prompt to write your Accuplacer practice essay. After you complete your essay, you should try to get feedback from a friend, mentor, or teacher. You can also review our WritePlacer Sample Essay 1 .

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115 Most Interesting Accuplacer Essay Topics For College Students

Every level of the academic system has a certain prescribed assessment process that is introduced, which has become a necessary aspect of qualifying into the academic space of which any student aspires towards. This is exactly the case for Accuplacer, a series of tests that helps to determine any student’s readiness for college courses.

Almost every student plans to take Accuplacer in any college system they are enrolling in. These courses consist of a three-part testing technique of mathematics, reading, and writing. The writing test is taken specifically on WritePlacer. These tests are carried out through a digitized examining model designed by the school.

With the help and presence of your test score on Accuplacer, as a student, you save yourself the stress of spending exorbitant amounts enrolling for courses in which you are not grounded. One important and relaxing thing to note about the exam is that it’s not timed. Regardless, here are over 100 Accuplacer essay sample topics to explore for excellent test results.

Accuplacer Essay Topics for Test Practice and Guide

As a testing technique that comprises both mathematical questioning, reading, and writing, there are so many essay topics that can emerge from Accuplacer. This is essentially the case for people taking WriterPlacer which is the essay test of Accuplacer. Knowing some of the topics that could emerge from this section gives you an edge while preparing for your test as they all come with the different instructions included in the essay topics. Here are some Accuplacer essay sample topics to look into.

• What is the situation of capitalism in the world today and how do you think is best to control it
• Should capitalism be encouraged or curbed?
• As a CEO of a company, what are the major aspects of a company to pay the most attention to
• Choose any socio-political issue and elaborately explore its merits and demerits
• What is a dream job and why should people dream for labor
• Is dreaming about labor as capitalist as the 21st century?
• What is your dream job and why do you aspire towards it?
• Pick one major situation every president should pay deep attention to
• Vacation goals: why do we need to aspire towards vacation
• “You can make your work life a Vacation” how true is that?
• What are the basic demerits of vaccinations without legal approval
• “You dress how you’re addressed” how true is this statement?
• How do you manage burnt-out culture in a capitalist system
• Explore detailing if burn-out is manageable within the capitalist system
• Argue for or against wellness culture
• Argue for or against beauty culture
• Argue for or against the implication of imperialism
• Imperialism and neo-imperialism, what are their striking difference
• How important are learning and the teaching of critical race theory in colleges?
• In what ways can digital humanities enhance academia?

WritePlacer Sample Essay Topics

WritePlacer is a testing category that requires critical thinking and falls well within the Accuplacer testing technique. One of the aspects of your Accuplacer test scoring will be graded based on your essay construction. As Accuplacer is categorized into mathematics, reading, and writing, WritePlacer deals with essaying and how best to tackle these essay topics that will very often appear on the Accuplacer test script. Here are some Accuplacer writing prompts and WritePlacer topics to look into.

• Given the opportunity to be a president, what is your first call of action?
• How different is the Presidency from the president?
• How does the role of the president differ from that of a mayor?
• How can society be moved forward?
• Explain why we need to practice sustainable living
• What are the benefits of short vacations
• Explain why we choose different careers
• Why are there so many different careers in the world?
• How can we better manage insecurities developed due to social media?
• Do social media truly distort the image of reality?
• What are the benefits of the influencing jobs and when did it spring off?
• Argue for or against why people promote unrealistic beauty standards
• “Books are better than people” How true is this assertion?
• How important is food security
• How important is the creation of sewage and drainage systems?
• Ways through which floods can be managed
• Hurricane and flood, which strikes the hardest?
• Argue for or against female privilege
• If the Army protects the land, what’s the work of the naval force?

Noteworthy Accuplacer Essay Examples for Guide

Still on the sample essay topic for Accuplacer. There are virtually a lot of topic essays that can come up during this test and having a wholesome view of what some of the topics could look like is paramount during your test preparation period. Here are some accuplacer essays and Accuplacer essay practice topics to enhance your test abilities with.

• How important is wellness culture
• What are the major distinctions between self-care culture and wellness culture
• In what ways do self-care and wellness culture align
• How can you describe the phrase “divine timing”
• How important is formal learning in the 21st century?
• How is digital learning competing with traditional learning?
• What are the primary benefits of schooling online?
• Explore the major areas in which digital learning is important
• Digital literature and hard print literature, which is leading the pace?
• Is there the possibility for the “death of the novel?”
• What does the phrase “death of the novel” entail?
• How beneficial is education
• What are the sustainable ways to promote thrifting
• Dangers of fast fashion to sustainable development in the human society
• How can the addiction to fast fashion be controlled?
• What are some of the benefits of sports items in schools
• Argue for or against students going to school with cell phones
• How has digital technology affected the children psyche
• What is the significance of cell phones especially towards teenagers in high school

Accuplacer Essay Prompts for College and Post-High School Students

With Accuplacer, the questions on its essay version take up different interesting shapes while answering them. It can either be the need to defend a choice, to argue, or some other techniques to write with. The point is in understanding how these different essay answering methods appear to properly equip you for the testing period. Here are more Accuplacer essay prompts.

• Argue for or against the war in underdeveloped countries
• How important is reading to the mind
• Do poor reading habits affect brain development?
• Demerits of using cellphones in class
• Argue for or against alcoholism and the abuse of alcohol
• How destructive is drug abuse towards young college students?
• Importance of health insurance in the healthcare system
• Explore the expensive healthcare system in America
• How important is consensus to the development of any society?
• What are the striking differences between art and literature
• How could the widespread erosion in the American south be controlled
• The importance of drainage and sewage systems
• Hurricane and the possible ways to manage it better
• How does beauty culture promote westernization and a vague knowledge of beauty?
• What are the follow-up consequences of policing women’s bodies?
• How can global warming be resolved?
• What are the different sustainable goals that have the potential to curb climate change?
• How can climate change be explained to people without knowledge on the subject?
• What is the importance of animals to both man and the earth and how can this be promoted in human society?

Comprehensive Writing Sample Topics

Most students panic when they realize that they will be required to do some writing as part of their Accuplacer testing technique. But, this writing isn’t usually exhaustive as it’s designed to be summarized as a 5 paragraph essay. The essay can only be from 300-600 words, this is mostly because you don’t have the whole day to do it. Here are some other writing sample topics to look into.

• Should joining the military be coercive or individually motivated?
• What are the side benefits of being in the military?
• Argue for or against the need to eat healthily
• Why should more people embrace veganism?
• Importance of kindness towards others
• Is stopping school after high school advisable?
• How can student loan debt be controlled?
• Importance of borrowing a student loan?
• What are the benefits of attending college?
• What virtues does college imbue in one?
• Importance of choosing a major while in college
• Importance of taking your time to choose a major
• How can insecurity be reduced in a country?
• In what ways does education enhance one?
• Importance of the teaching profession
• Why education should be free
• Argue for or against free education
• Is Private tutorship important?
• Benefits of having a private tutor

Additional WritePlacer Prompts for Good Essays

As one of the categories within Accuplacer, WritePlacer requires as much attention as every other aspect of the test. It’s a part of the testing that requires a lot of critical thinking, understanding style, and having the ability to develop solid sentence structures that conveys the meaning of your essay to the reader/examiner. Your WritePlacer topic could take different angles and here are some other WritePlacer prompts.

• Can obstacles or disadvantages spiral into something good?
• How can you channel positivity into improving your general lifestyle?
• What are the ways to improve healthy eating in general?
• How can one manage college and personal activities?
• Should dissent be encouraged within the academic setting?
• What is the social importance of dissent?
• What is a gag order and how can it affect freedom of speech within any institution?
• Argue for or against capitalism
• Should socialism be promoted as against capitalism?
• Is teaching different from lecturing?
• Of what purpose is lecturing instead of teaching?
• What does it cost to promote peace in society?
• Do we need more social platforms or less?
• Argue for or against the benefits of social media
• Argue for or against provocative dressing
• How can harmony be promoted in college?
• Importance of friendship in college
• Should more than one major be encouraged?
• Importance of hybrid learning

Are you preparing for your college essay test and will require the best writing help? Look no more for there are trustworthy university professors and teachers who are experts in this field and are willing to provide you with assistance. Whether you want our experts to take my test exercise and other easy, quick, fun, and informative essay service, they are more than ready to help you prepare for excellent test scores.

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Placement Testing

The Testing Center administers placement tests or accepts  measures of readiness to help determine a student's starting courses. Incoming college students must take a test or submit their measures after they submit an application but before registering for classes. Students who still need to satisfy college readiness may take one or more academic preparation courses before starting credit courses.

Take the placement tests with these instructions . Incoming traditional college students will take a placement test. The Testing Center administers the following placement tests to new students to measure their readiness for college courses:

• CollegeBoard ACCUPLACER Reading and WritePlacer for U.S. students whose primary language is English.
• The ESL ACCUPLACER test for international students.
• The ALEKS-PPL math test to assess mathematics readiness.

Exemptions and waivers are here . The Testing Center also accepts other measures that grant exemptions to the placement test. Students may submit any or all of the following if they are less than 5-years-old:

• High SAT, ACT, or GED scores.
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for graduates of U.S. public high schools.
• Transfer credit from other institutions.
• Recent, high placement test scores from other institutions.

WDCE programs have special instructions here . Students in some WDCE programs need a special version of the ACCUPLACER placement tests, which they may take in person or online. Traditional college students should not use these instructions.

Transfer placement test scores with these instructions . PGCC accepts some placement test scores from other institutions if they are less than four years old . Other institutions may accept some placement test scores taken at PGCC under certain rules and conditions. Please verify the other institution's rules for sending and receiving scores before attempting a score transfer.

The Placement Test Requires a Photo ID

Students must present one of these forms of photo ID for placement tests, waivers, and exemptions.

• PGCC student ID or employee ID card (with name and photo).
• State-issued driver's license.
• Maryland state (MVA) ID card.
• Employer's ID (with name and photo).
• Valid passport.
• U.S. Uniformed Service ID Card (military ID).
• U.S. DoD Common Access Card.
• Permanent Resident Card (Green Card/Form I-551).
• Employment Authorization Document (work permit).

Rules for Placement Testing

Please complete all tests on your own using appropriate resources, such as a pencil and blank scratch paper.

• Math tests provide a built-in calculator resource only for questions that require them. Students are not permitted to use their own calculators on the placement test.
• Inappropriate resources include, but are not limited to, the following: other people, books, notes, the internet, phones, tablets, calculators, computers, smart watches, etc.
• If the College finds evidence that a student used an inappropriate resource while taking a placement test, their test scores will be invalidated and removed from their student record. Then, the student must take all future placement tests in person.
• Incoming students must follow the College's Code of Conduct and other Testing Center rules .

PGCC uses ACCUPLACER and ALEKS-PPL Placement Tests

Prince George’s Community College uses different placement tests to help determine college readiness .

We use CollegeBoard's ACCUPLACER to evaluate reading and writing readiness for students educated in the United States and other countries. International students must take an ESL test to determine their English readiness. High school graduates will take ALEKS-PPL to evaluate their math readiness, while students in Early College Access programs will take ACCUPLACER's math tests.

Multiple Attempts

If you took a placement test multiple times, the College uses the best outcome to determine your final course placement. However, you may not take a placement test after you enroll in English or math courses since the test results cannot be used as a substitute for course performance. This applies even if you have only taken the placement test once.

Taking Each Test

All of the College's placement tests are web-based, but they will not work on phones or tablets. Click or tap the name of each placement test to read more about it. When you’re ready to take a placement test, please read our instructions for taking the placement test .

ACCUPLACER, from CollegeBoard, is a web-based test of English and Reading readiness for U.S. English-speaking students. ESL students are not eligible to use ACCUPLACER scores for placement.

• ACCUPLACER WritePlacer is a single-question essay test of English readiness.
• The platform will assign a single topic and you must write a roughly 300-word essay about it. The essay must be completed in one sitting.
• This test takes around one hour to complete and is usually evaluated immediately. A result of “Score Pending” will become a final score on the next business day.
• ACCUPLACER Reading is a multiple-choice test of Reading readiness.
• You will have to read passages and answer questions about them.
• The ACCUPLACER Reading test is adaptive. It usually has 20 questions, but may vary for each student and attempt.
• This test takes around 40 minutes to complete and results are available immediately.

Current policy allows only two attempts at any ACCUPLACER test within a two-year time period. You may only take the test again if you did not enroll in an English or ESL class.

ALEKS-PPL is a web-based test of math readiness intended to replicate the pencil-and-paper experience. Students should use paper and pencil to work out the solution to each test question and enter it into ALEKS. It is not multiple-choice.

• The ALEKS-PPL test is adaptive, and the number of questions changes as it measures your mathematics readiness. This test must be completed in one sitting and never exceeds 25 questions.
• You have a time limit of two hours to complete and submit the test. If you exceed the time limit, the test will end, and you will receive a score and placement based on the work completed.
• Most students need roughly one hour and 30 minutes for the test. Test results are available immediately.

When you finish, the ALEKS platform creates a series of prep and learning modules to help you improve your math skills for another attempt.

• The Prep and Learning modules are self-paced math review lessons tailored to the results of your first ALEKS-PPL score.
• You must spend at least five (5) hours of total work in the modules and wait at least one full day before you can retake the test. You do not have to complete all the work in one sitting.
• ALEKS-PPL allows up to one year of time to work on the modules and retake the test before your access expires. Your previous scores will remain, but you may lose access to your modules and second test attempt. It is strongly recommended that you complete your required hours and retake the test as soon as possible.
• Current policy allows only two attempts at the ALEKS-PPL test within a two-year time period. You may only retake the test if you did not enroll in a mathematics class.
• The modules do not work on phones and tablets. You must use a desktop or laptop computer running recent versions of Windows, macOS, or recent Chromebook models.
• The yellow button below lets you to log into ALEKS-PPL and continue working on your prep and learning modules. This link is not the placement test .

ALEKS-PPL STUDY MODULE

Starting in 2023, PGCC uses Accuplacer ESL to measure English and Reading readiness for international students. There is not a registration process. Students may take the ESL test immediately after applying to the college.

• The ESL Test has four required sections: the ESL WritePlacer essay, Sentence Meaning, Language Use, and Reading Skills. You must complete all sections to get a final score.
• The ESL WritePlacer section is a single-question essay. The platform will give you a topic and you must write a roughly 300-word essay under a 90-minute time limit.
• The Sentence Meaning, Language Use, and Reading Skills sections have 20 multiple-choice questions each.
• Each section can only be taken once.
• The whole test takes roughly two and a half hours to complete, and results are available after two to three business days.

Students may only take the ESL test twice within a two-year time period.

Who takes the ESL Accuplacer test?

The ESL Accuplacer test is for  incoming international students who need to demonstrate their level of English and Reading Readiness . However, international students may take the same English and Reading placement test as U.S. students if they satisfy any of the following conditions:

• They completed all of their middle and high school education in the U.S.
• They have a diploma from passing the  GED tests in the U.S. Students with a GED diploma should submit their official GED transcripts to PGCC .
• Antigua & Barbuda
• The Bahamas
• Cayman Islands
• Commonwealth of Dominica
• New Zealand
• St. Kitts & Nevis
• St. Vincent & the Grenadines
• Solomon Islands
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Turks & Caicos Islands
• United Kingdom
• United States of America
• Virgin Islands

Sample Tests and Study Guides

This list of online resources can help students improve skills needed for the placement tests . Some may also be useful after starting courses.

• Official CollegeBoard ACCUPLACER Guide
• ESL Accuplacer Sample Test
• Khan Academy
• Purdue Online Writing Lab
• Read Theory
• Calculus Help
• S.O.S. Mathematics

myPGCC, Owl Link, and Navigate

The College creates a myPGCC account for every student, unlocking many College services such as Owl Link and Navigate, without needing to visit our campus. These services will only work for students who  submit their applications , pay any outstanding fees, and activate their myPGCC accounts.

You will need  Owl Link to register for classes. Go to myPGCC  and log in, then click Owl Link. If you have never used myPGCC, click First Time Login. New users may need to change their passwords. After you verify your Owl Link account, you can use PGCC Navigate to schedule appointments with advising and other offices.

Please contact the Technology Service Desk to resolve any issues.

Doing Well on the Placement Tests

No student will be denied admission to the College based on placement test results except for international students (F-1 visa) , who must score high enough to allow full-time enrollment. However, your test performance will determine which college courses you may or may not take. Academic preparation courses may be required for students whose scores do not satisfy college readiness. Students are advised to take the placement tests seriously and employ a common-sense approach when preparing for the test:

• Eat well and get plenty of rest.
• Allow yourself ample time to review the sample tests and study guides.
• Review math operations with decimals, fractions, exponents, and algebra.

After Finishing the Placement Tests

For the in-person placement tests, students will receive a printed copy of their scores immediately. Instructors must evaluate the ESL test, which takes 2-3 business days. Typically, all scores will be posted to a student's record within two business days of receiving final scores from tests or assessments. Still, holidays and other college closures might delay this process.

Contacting an Advisor

After you finish the placement process, you must contact an advisor to register for courses. Please visit the College's advising site  for the best ways to ask questions and schedule appointments.

ALEKS-PPL Prep and Learning Modules

When you finish the ALEKS-PPL math placement test, the ALEKS platform creates a series of prep and learning modules to help you improve your math skills for another attempt. The study modules do not work on phones and tablets . You must use a desktop or laptop computer running recent versions of Windows or macOS. You may also use recent Chromebook models. Use the yellow button below to log into ALEKS-PPL and continue working. This link is not the placement test.

Getting Copies of Placement Test Scores

If you have already taken a placement test at a PGCC campus within the last four years, you may request a printed copy of your placement test scores from the Testing Center. You must come to the Testing Center in person and show a valid photo ID to get your scores. The testing center is located in Bladen Hall, Room 100, at PGCC's main campus in Largo, MD.

Transferring Placement Test Scores

Students may also request a transfer of certain placement test scores directly to other accredited institutions. The College cannot guarantee which scores other institutions and organizations will accept or use. Contact us below for more information.

Contact the Testing Center

Email: [email protected] Phone number: 301-546-0147

• Get Ready to Take the Placement Test
• Learn About Exemptions and Test Waivers
• Sample Tests
• WDCE Program Tests
• Transfer placement test scores