langfam Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 My son has to take this test. I thought we were done with standardized tests!!!! He's just not a good timed test taker. ARGH! Does anyone know if Chalkdust's SAT review will help him on this test? TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Bumping this up so you can get an answer. The COMPASS is a math placement test, so it's not the same as the SAT or ACT. Our community college uses the COMPASS test for both math and English placement. The short answer is that I would imagine Chalkdust SAT review would help him on the test. Has your ds covered most of the topics for the SAT? If he has, the SAT review would certainly help him. But, you also want him to be placed where he'll fit the best, kwim? Community college math moves more quickly than high school math. We thought seriously about sending my oldest to the cc for this year, but one of the things that made me so uncertain about that possibility was that she did not do well in Algebra II here at home. We used the same books that our cc uses (Lial's Introductory and Intermediate Algebra), but what is covered in a year at high school both in the p.s. and here at home is covered in one semester at the community college! So, if I had enrolled her, I was seriously considering having her re-do Algebra I for review, simply because I felt like she might need a semester of Algebra I review before tackling Algebra II at the cc level. I hope this makes sense! There are others on these boards who are more well-versed in the COMPASS test and community colleges than I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Is it just for placement into a community college class? If so, don't try to prep. You want him placed where he belongs. Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langfam Posted February 21, 2009 Author Share Posted February 21, 2009 Phew...... it's not a timed test. The college he's applying to requires all freshman to take the math test. Thanks for your answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Langfam, Ria has given the short answer for what I was trying to say! Review isn't bad, but you do want him placed where he belongs in math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicki Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I have children who are not good test takers. There is a difference between being placed where you need to be and not being good at taking tests. 2 of my children had trouble with test taking. With my older ds we were able to talk to the head of the math department and they placed my oldest ds in a higher class then what he tested into. He made an A. My oldest dd took the test again about a year later, without taking any more math classes and tested higher so she did not have to take any remedial classes. I don't know what to tell you. I've had friends who have went ahead and had there children take the remedial classes and it was a waste of time and money because they already knew everything that was being taught. Over time my older children relaxed and now have no problems with tests. God bless, Vicki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonshine Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 math curriculums. My son, who is very good at math and had completed Saxon though at least Advanced math at that point, took it, and barely scored into Algebra. My husband looked at the test, and noticed that it had some unique types of problems, which were not covered in Saxon and are not on the SAT. He spent only a few hours teaching my son those specific types of problems, and my son scored into being able to take Calculus 1. A caveat- he did take calculus, and should have started with pre-calculus, but he was definitely past the Algebra 1 stage. It is better, in my opinion, to start just a litlle below what they think they are ready for. I would have your child take the test, see where he scores, and then have someone do what my husband did with my son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 math curriculums. My son, who is very good at math and had completed Saxon though at least Advanced math at that point, took it, and barely scored into Algebra. My husband looked at the test, and noticed that it had some unique types of problems, which were not covered in Saxon and are not on the SAT. He spent only a few hours teaching my son those specific types of problems, and my son scored into being able to take Calculus 1. A caveat- he did take calculus, and should have started with pre-calculus, but he was definitely past the Algebra 1 stage. It is better, in my opinion, to start just a litlle below what they think they are ready for. I would have your child take the test, see where he scores, and then have someone do what my husband did with my son. Just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 My bad test-taker (definately bad - predicted by ps teachers and confirmed by SATs and by CC class exams) had done NEM 1 and part of NEM 2 when he took the CC placement exams. He placed into pre-calculus. I wasn't at all sure he should be there, so we finished NEM2 and did NEM3 before he began CC pre-calc. "Doesn't line up well with homeschooling math curriculum" was our observation, too. Anyway, my advice is don't bother to prep, take the test, and then go show his math book to the math department and let them decide. : ) -Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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