Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) Test

The Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) testing requirement is for students who are seeking financial aid awards under the state's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) for the first time in the 2006-2007 academic year or thereafter and do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent (GED) from a United State high school. The Office of Admision will notify students who are required to take the examination, and the office of Evaluation and Testing will provide information regarding the testing appointment.

Students subject to the ATB requirement must take and achieve the minimum cut of scores established in reading, writing objective, and math 1 within the add/drop period of the term in order to be eligible for financial aid under the state's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

Students who do not achieve the minimum cut of scores on a test upon initial testing are eligible to be retested after receiving intervention. However, all retests must be completed before the deadline specified above. Students who test and meet the cut scores after the deadline qualify for TAP for their next semester.

Achieving the minimum cut scores on the Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) tests:

Score of 62 in COMPASS Reading
Score of 25 in COMPASS Math 1 (Numerical skills/Pre-algebra)
Score of 32 in COMPASS Writing Objective

The ATB test is given in Reading, Math 1 (Numerical skills/Pre-Algebra), and Writing Objective:

The ATB Test in Reading is:

un-timed
multiple choice
computer-based, and
designed to measure reading comprehension

You will be given several readings that may be practical or drawn from prose fiction, the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. Questions about the readings will ask you to refer to what is explicitly stated and to determine the meaning of words through context. They will also ask you to reason to determine implicit meanings, to draw conclusions, and to make comparisons and generalizations. The readings are like those commonly assigned in first-year courses in college. For each passage you will be asked a set of multiple-choice questions.
You must achieve a score of 62 or more to meet your ATB requirement in reading. For resources to help you prepare to take the test click here>>

The ATB Test in Writing Objective is:

un-timed
multiple choice
computer-base

The test presents one or more passages, each containing several errors. When an error is detected in a passage, clicking on that section of the passage brings up several alternative segments of text from which a more appropriate segment can be selected and inserted automatically into the text. Items in the Writing Skills Test assess knowledge and skills in usage and mechanics (e.g., punctuation, basic grammar and usage, and sentence structure) as well as such rhetorical skills as writing strategy, organization, and style.
You must achieve a score of 32 or more to meet your ATB requirement in writing objective. For resources to help you prepare to take the test click here>>

The ATB Test in Math 1 (Numerical skills/Pre-Algebra) is:

un-timed
multiple choice
computer-based
composed of Numerical skills/Pre-Algebra

The test is designed to measure your knowledge of a number of topics in mathematics. The Numerical Skills/Pre-algebra Test includes items from more than a dozen content areas; however, a majority of the questions come from the following categories:

Operations with Integers
Operations with Fraction
Operations with Decimals
Positive Integer Exponents, Square Roots, and Scientific Notation
Ratios and Proportions
Percentages
Averages (Means, Medians, and Modes)

You are permitted to use only the Microsoft Windows calculator while taking the test.

You must achieve a score of 25 or more to meet your ATB requirement in math 1. For resources to help you prepare to take the test click here>>

For questions about the Ability-to-Benefit tests contact the office of Evaluation and Testing.