The WGU Assessment Test

I have to say that the details of the Assessment test are not very clear in any of WGU's materials. So here are some details that they omit in their description.

The test is divided into four parts. These are Math, Language (which is a politically correct term for English), an Essay and an "Admissions Inventory." You can take them in any order you like. The site explains that you have two hours for the test. In fact, it actually says, "Allow for up to two (2) uninterrupted hours to complete all three sections. Most individuals take between 1 and 2 hours." The correct construction of this sentence should include the word EACH.You have 2 hours for EACH section. They do NOT have to be done at the same time. So, in reality, the test is scheduled to take 8 hours. This is overly generous on their part. I didnt even come close to the time limit on any of these sections. And, BTW, there are four sections, not three.

Math
The math section, like each of the other sections, is allotted 2 hours. Your time begins when the first question appears on your screen. I have never enjoyed math, and I was a bit trepidatious about it. Especially considering that a) I make my living with words and b) my math has been limited to calculating how much fire ant poison to put in the yard based on its area and doing Quickbooks for my employer. As a result, I hit a great site called Khan Academy and brushed up on my math skills. I did some research about the contents of the math portion online looking for some information about what to study. I dont believe in walking into anything blind and unarmed!

So what do you need to study beforehand? I am sure there are different versions of the test. In fact, the easiest way to set it up would be to have a test bank, and to draw random questions from each category. That way, the test is never the same twice. It is multiple choice, and so obviously scored by computer. That being said, I would recommend studying:

Order of Operations. Obviously, you wont solve any question correctly if you dont know that parens come before multiplication. You will need to be able to simplify (i.e., solve) simple problems. Imagine 2+5*6-7 all this over 3+2*7. Obviously, you process the multiplication first, leaving 2+30-7 over 3+14. Which further simplifies to 25/17 or 1.47.

Absolute Value. I have no idea where Absolute Value is used in real life, but there were a couple of questions that required taking the Absolute Value. Dead simple... if you remember what it is!

Probability. Damn. Everything I read online said, "basic probability." Well, that is not correct at all. Yes, everyone knows that your chances of rolling a 6 on a die is 1/6. But mixing two different types of random events, I did not remember how to do that. At all. So, I had to get out a piece of paper and literally draw and count the possibilities with two dice and a coin... or something like that. This question took awhile.

Graphing Equations. You have to match a graph to a particular equation. You dont have to find the slope or solve for X or anything of that nature. You just need to be able to recognize which graph is created by the equation given. Unless you graph equations on a regular basis or you clearly remember how these graphs work, I would suggest brushing up a bit on this. The graph was clear enough that you should be able to extract a couple of ordered pairs to punch into the equation to verify which graph is the right graph.

Geometry. You should familiarize yourself with the basic formulas of geometry and be able to find the radius of a circle from its circumference or the area of area of a rectangle. Maybe you even want to remind yourself about the formulas for triangles as well. Its easy, you just need to remember the formulas.

Algebra. You need to be sure you remember which way the "greater than" and "lesser than" point. Again, you need to remember the Order of Operations. I reviewed basic algebra for a week. Solving for X. Solving for X and Y. That sort of thing. I remembered basically how it worked, but refreshing was good. Sadly, I did not review solving an equation with an X+X in it and drew a complete blank when that type of question came up. Of course, I used the old fashioned method. I plugged in each of the multiple choice answers until one of them worked.

Fractions and Decimals. You will need to know how to simplify fractions, convert proper fractions to improper fractions, compare fractions and figure their decimal value, and all of these things the other way around. Like, comparing decimals and judging their fractions. You should be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions. So, that means changing the denominator for addition and flipping over the fraction for division. The questions are easy enough to do in your head... assuming you remember how!

Anyway... mostly simple stuff, its just a matter of remembering the steps and the terminology. Most of it can be done in your head, but I used a calculator because, with less than two dozen questions, there isnt much room for error!

Language
There isnt much I can tell you here. You need to be able to find the main idea of a paragraph, identify supporting arguments, and know the difference between passive and active voice. I, like most people, frequently write in passive voice. I often do this on purpose. It is often necessary when writing reports for a board of directors to write in a way that doesnt blame or accuse anyone, especially if the culprit is on your board. Passive voice is pretty handy for that. Again, there are only twenty some-odd questions, so you cannot afford to miss many of them.

Essay
Basically, you are given a prompt. Mine was related to technology. I used the technique I learned from my dad. Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them. It works every time. So, I wrote an opening paragraph with three points. I then wrote three paragraphs, one for each of those points. I then wrote a closing paragraph where I reviewed the points. I tend to write long sentences with a certain rhythm to them. In this sort of assignment, you should avoid doing that. Always write short clear complete sentences. Yes, that sort of writing is boring and inferior... but, it is what is expected in formal writing. AND, you have no way of knowing how this essay is graded. It could be by computer, in which case, the most important thing is to get your grammar and spelling right. It may be graded by some college student for $1 a paper... we dont know. If you write something over your graders head, you will fail. So, keep it simple. Keep it obvious. And use correct grammar and spelling. Oh... and avoid difficult word choice. I usually pick the longer of two two words because I believe in precision of meaning. In this assignment, you should use the shorter of two possible words because that is what graders typically like to see. Again... dont write over their heads!

Assessment (Admissions Inventory)
This was simple. Do you like to learn on your own, or do you need someone to walk you through everything? Obviously, if you need constant supervision, WGU is not for you. They just want to save you the aggravation, and make sure their completion rate stays at a decent level by weeding out those who arent cut out for self-directed learning.

So there you go... that was the Assessment test. My next step is to take the two classes that I am missing and then get started with the WGU program.