Need some help!

lvnhopeful · Jun 14, 2008

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!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2008

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

https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/nursing-math-thread-264395.html - the nursing math thread
http://regentsprep.org/ - this is a high school site that has several subject areas that they cover, math and science among them. english may be there also. check the links at the very bottom of the web page.

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.

MSRF26 · Jun 15, 2008

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!