Reading Placement Exam Schedule
Summer 2008

Please Note: Dates and Times are subject to change!

August 18, 2008

Time:  Check in at 8:00 a.m.    Test at 8:15 a.m.

Location:  Murphy Hall 101

What is Reading 095? Why is this reading course required for some students? What will I get out of this course?

Reading 095 is designed to give students the skills and techniques that are necessary in order to have more successful and enjoyable college classroom experiences at Missouri Western.

Students will learn how to:

• Be an active and engaged reader
• Actually remember what they read
• Increase reading speed
• Expand their vocabulary
• Become a critical thinker
• Find empowerment through reading

Reading 095 is required for freshman students who score 18 or below on the ACT reading section, and score 71 or below on the Accuplacer Reading Test approved by Missouri Western.

Students who score 18 or below on the ACT reading section may elect to take the Accuplacer Reading Test prior to the beginning of the semester.

Reading is assigned in almost every college course offered on campus; therefore, being able to complete, understand and remember everything you read is vital to your success as a college student. For example, general study courses in history, psychology, and biology as well as English rely heavily on reading assignments from textbooks, magazines, newspapers and journals; therefore, being able to actively and critically read an essay, a chapter from a textbook or an article from a magazine or newspaper is crucial to your success in these classes.

As part of this course, your instructor will provide you with pre-reading, reading, note-taking and studying strategies. In addition, you will also go beyond comprehending the main points of a text, and strengthen your academic reading skills by recognizing supporting details and the organizational pattern of a text.

This course will help you to see connections between what and how you read in this course and in other courses. Moreover, reading can help you to make sense of your experiences and of your life by providing you with connections between yourself and your larger community. In this course, you will read and participate in lively and intellectually challenging discussions about topics that affect you and events that are taking place around you. This response to reading and exchange of ideas is the cornerstone of the true college experience and, after completing this course, you will be a better-prepared student and citizen. This course will enable you to succeed.

What is the Reading Placement Exam?

The Reading Placement Examination provides students with the opportunity to "challenge" their placement in this course and helps us to determine if you will benefit from and are required to take Reading 095.

The Reading Placement Exam is Accuplacer, a nationally administered, computerized placement test designed to provide placement and advising information for students entering college. Accuplacer is a self-paced test given on a computer and consists of reading comprehension (questions related to reading skills, such as identifying the main idea and making references) and sentence skills (questions related to sentence structure and grammar).

You may prepare for the reading placement exam as much as you wish, but you may not bring any notes or written material with you.

Student Guide to Accuplacer
Accuplacer Practice One Test

Do I have to take the test?

No. If you are satisfied with placement according to RACT scores, you may accept that placement. Currently, an RACT score of 18 or lower places you in Reading 095. If you believe you have strong critical reading skills and wish to challenge this placement, you should consider taking the reading placement exam/Accuplacer.

If there any risk in taking this test?

No. You remain eligible for any class in which your RACT score would place you. This test is an additional way to receive a higher placement. You may also use the score to help you consider whether to take a lower course voluntarily.

When do I find out my score?

You will receive your scores the same day. You will be told how to access your results after your testing session.