ASSET is a placement test administered by ACT Inc. for course selection in post secondary education. It is an undergraduate test that is recognized by more than 400 colleges and universities. Its results help academic counselors assisting the students in selection of the courses. It may also be used by colleges to determine whether a student requires taking developmental courses or not.
Eligibility-
The test can be taken before applying to a college or after enrolling in one. It depends on the particular college, when it wants a student to take the test. The test evaluates academic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. One or more individual scores may be considered depending upon the requirement of respective college. For example, in case of post secondary technical programs, emphasis may be on the scores of mathematical test instead of reading or writing sections.
Test Overview-
There are two types of ASSET tests- Basic Skills Test and Advanced Mathematics Test. The basic skills test examines three aptitude areas- reading, writing and mathematics. The advanced mathematics tests are based on high school level algebra and geometry. Both the types of ASSET tests are delivered in paper and pencil format.
Test Format-
All the questions in both the test types are in multiple choice formats. There are three tests in the basic skills test series- reading, writing, and numerical skills. There are 24 questions in reading skills test, based on given passages. The writing section has 36 questions pertaining to grammar, punctuations, sentence structure, organization, transition, and writing style. The mathematical section is derived from topics like number system and operations, algebra, and arithmetic. There are 32 questions in this section. Each section is administered in a time of 25 minutes.
There are four advanced mathematics tests- elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, college algebra, and geometry. The elementary algebra test encompasses topics like algebraic expressions, linear and quadratic equations, monomials, polynomials etc. The intermediate algebra test is based on topics like factorization, graphs, distance and measurement, linear inequalities etc. College algebra test is derived from topics like functions, graphs, complex numbers etc. The geometry test is based on topics such as straight lines, circles, triangles, and other high school level geometry topics. Each of these tests in advanced mathematics test battery has 25 multiple choice questions, which are to be solved in 25 minutes.
Marking Scheme-
No official information is provided by ACT Inc. about how the test is scored. It provides three scoring and reporting options to the students- self-scoring, machine scoring, and scoring by a microcomputer database system. The criteria of acceptable ASSET scores vary from college to college. The student must check the requirements of the desired college beforehand, in order to confirm suitability of his/her scores for desired college.
Schedule-
The test is conducted by the college administration itself. The students must contact the academic counselor in his/her college for taking the test.
Exam Fees-
The exam fee varies with colleges. The fee depends on the college administration.