Need some help!

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I am reposting this in the student LPN section. I am new to the site and didn't realize there was a seperate student forum.

Hey everyone. I am about to move back home due to my husband leaving me. And I was actually waiting to start nursing. But now that I have to find a way to support myself I really want to first become a LPN. I am looking into going to the local technical school near where I will be living. The biggest thing so far from what I have found online is the compass test. I have to score a certain amount in math, english and reading in order to get into the program. I haven't found much information online about this test and examples. I really need to study and do as well as I can the first time. Does anyone have experience with this test? I am very nervous about math and most of what can be on there. I have been out of school for about six years now so I have forgotten tons of basic stuff. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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The best place to start would probably be the local library. I went there when I took my entry test, not being able to order the expensive tests offered by the school, and did well. Never being good at math, I was as concerned as you are now.

Usually there is a blurb with the paperwork you get when you sign up about how you can buy materials that help prepare you, but if you are like me, money is a big issue, and the older books at the library cover the same basic math that the newer one do.

Good luck on preparing to take the test. There are a lot of us out here who decided to start out as an LVN. Hang in there!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

this is information about the compass from this website:

http://www.testprepreview.com/nursing_practice.htm. they supposedly have sample questions from this test. i didn't look at them, but the site, i believe, is wanting to give a taste because they want to sell you study guides. i've got all kinds of math weblinks posted on a sticky thread that i'm listing below for you.

compass - computer-adaptive placement, assessment, and support system

the compass is actually a group of exams created by the american college test program (act) that are designed to evaluate a particular individual's math, reading, and writing skills. the exam is most commonly used in university settings as a means of determining exactly what courses a particular student should be placed in based on their level of ability. these exams are computer-adaptive exams and the questions that the individual receives are therefore based on whether or not the preceding question was answered correctly. if the preceding question is answered correctly and the student is not already at the hardest level of questions, the next question will be harder. however, if the student answers incorrectly and the student is not already at the lowest level of difficulty, the next question will be easier. each question is multiple-choice, but the exact number of questions varies from student to student depending upon how skilled the student is in a particular area. the compass consists of three main exam groups known as measures, which includes a mathematics measure, a reading placement measure, and a writing skills placement measure. the compass also has a measure for english as a second language designed to test a student's ability to understand written and spoken english. these exams are separate and an individual may be required to take an individual exam rather than all of the exams or any combination of these exams.

the mathematics measure covers five areas including numerical skills and pre-algebra, algebra, college-level algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. the reading placement measure includes passages and questions related to those passages regarding topics such as the humanities, practical reading, prose fiction, natural sciences, and social sciences. the writing skills measure examines the student's ability to correct errors in basic grammar, usage, punctuation, and sentence structure as well as the student's ability to improve the style, organization, and content of a particular piece of writing. each exam is scored based on the percentage of questions answered correctly. this percentage is weighted based on how many responses are answered at each difficulty level. the compass measures are usually administered at the university or institution that requires them. as a result, the registration procedure, course placement, and fee, if any, depends on the specific university or institution.

links

the best grammar books to get for brush up, no lie, are ones used by kids. questions about english don't get asked a lot on the forums, but there are probably all kinds of kid's websites out there in cyberspace for grammar.

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Thank you so much for the information! Its very appreciated!

I have a old ACT prep book but I am not sure how different the tests are...I know the compass/asset is supposed to be easier.

I will just start studying basics.

Thanks again!

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