Helping Students Prepare for ACCUPLACER Testing

One of the most challenging aspects of college admissions is the dreaded Entrance Assessment. Fayetteville Technical Community College, like any other college, has admissions requirements that include an entrance assessment. Traditional and nontraditional students whose SAT or ACT scores do not meet certain criteria can take the ACCUPLACER© assessment to satisfy this requirement. However, as with any other test, the ACCUPLACER© creates anxiety for students. After all, many of them have been out of school for years. Adding to their anxiety is the belief that, with an assessment, there is no way to prepare. Either you know the information, or you do not.

This is untrue.

The brain, like any other muscle, needs exercise. A former athlete who has stopped working out is likely to incur an injury if he or she suddenly begins vigorous training. Similarly, students who attempt to jump right into the ACCUPLACER© will not succeed. Instead, they end up taking classes that they probably wouldn’t have needed if they had had a little refresher.

At Fayetteville Technical Community College, we are pleased to offer free ACCUPLACER© preparation assistance for new, prospective and current students. One of our free services is a diagnostic test that has been designed to focus on areas where students may need extra assistance. Staff and faculty members are available to discuss the results with students and to work on plans to boost the skills necessary for doing well on the ACCUPLACER©. The free resources include workshops, use of the computer labs for online preparation, and accessibility to faculty and staff who will meet with students for individual assistance on weak areas.

The goal is to prepare students for the ACCUPLACER©. Preparation can save time and money and students who do not prepare for the test often place into numerous precurriculum courses. These courses do not count toward graduation and can add an extra year to a student’s commitment to college. With the recent changes in Federal Financial Aid, students cannot afford to take unnecessary classes.

For those of you who have already taken the ACCUPLACER© and did not do as well as you had hoped, all is not lost. Please come in or call (910) 678-0140. We are happy to assess your scores and help you prepare to take the test again. We are located in The I-PASS Center in rooms 313 and 314 of Cumberland Hall, at FTCC’s Fayetteville campus. Our summer hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. You can also visit www.faytechcc.edu/student_services/IPASS.asp.