The web-based Virginia Placement Test English measures your core English grammar, reading and writing competencies in a single session, comprehensive test.
The first section evaluates the student’s knowledge of fundamental English grammar. Its
45-question set provides a thorough sample of the test taker’s standard grammar body of
knowledge.
Every question is presented as a multiple-choice format. The first
section is designed to use up
to 50 minutes out of the total allotted time, although you may use more or less of the
total 120 minutes during your exam session, depending on your requirements.
This section measures the student’s reading ability by creating an in-depth mapping of his or her analysis of written information presented. The reading section consists of 30 questions, based on 10 short passages up to two paragraphs long. Specific knowledge of the passages’ topic is not required to successfully analyze and answer the presented questions. Similar to the first section, every question has a multiple choice format. The second section is designed to use up to 40 minutes out of the total allotted time.
The final exam section establishes student’s ability to compose a short piece about the presented topic. The specific structure of the written answer will depend on the assignment. It may be required to defend a particular argument, or propose an analysis of an academic situation, among other similar tasks. In any case, there’s no need to possess an advanced knowledge of the particular topic to create a well graded writing piece. It is expected that the student uses about 30 minutes to create his or her answer.