Rejection is a part of life. Everyone who has tasted success has also tasted rejection. This doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. Parents can be supportive by giving students the appropriate amount of time to take the difficult news, but they should also not let students sulk for any longer than needed.

For many teens, the worst part of rejection is telling peers they didn’t get in or where they are going (especially if others will question why someone of their caliber did not get into a ‘better’ school). When dealing with a rejection, it’s important to keep things in perspective and to not allow one or two letdowns to overshadow other successes.

If a student is dealing with a rejection, here’s what to do next:

• Allow time for mourning. It’s okay to take some time to feel disappointed. Students may need some space and time to process, so let them have it.
• But don’t dwell. While it’s okay to take some time to feel sad, students shouldn’t spend all their time sulking. After an appropriate amount of time has passed, remind him or her that it’s time to move on and focus on the institutions that did grant admission.
• Focus on where they did get in. Students should go back and look at past research, compare financial aid packages, and consider the factors that prompted them to apply in the first place in order to choose where they want to enroll. A student may have an idea of his or her “second” choice, but it’s still good to weigh all other offers of admission. After a rejection, a student’s feelings about the other institutions he or she applied to may have changed.
• Stay positive! As I said before, rejection is a part of life. If students planned ahead and applied to a wide range of schools, any of which they would be happy to attend, then they will be attending a great-fit college. Focus on the journey ahead and get excited about all the new opportunities come fall.

The ALEKS is a placement test designed to measure a student’s understanding of advanced mathematics. Colleges and universities use it to ensure that a student is capable of carrying out the curriculum of designated advanced math courses. ALEKS exam practice ensures that you’ll get placed into the right classes.   

Unlike most other tests you’ve encountered in your academics, the ALEKS is not multiple-choice. This test is also adaptive, meaning that questions will scale in difficulty based on previous answers. Students are given 20-30 questions that are chosen depending on whether the previous answer was correct or incorrect. More difficult questions always follow a correct answer while the difficulty lessens after an incorrect answer. However, this also means that answers cannot be changed once submitted. 

The test is designed using a state-of-the-art interface that simulates manual writing, which is explained in the beginning. There’s even a tutorial to help you get a feel for it. 

Here are some key features of the ALEKS assessment test:

• Questions adapt to a student’s knowledge based on the way they answer each question. 
• No grade or raw score is given. Instead, the ALEKS is designed to identify areas where you might need some extra studies. 
• Students must solve problems using the interactive writing interface. There are no multiple choice questions. 
• There isn’t a time limit for taking the ALEKS.

ABOUT ALEKS MATH PLACEMENT TEST PRACTICE

When searching for the right ALEKS practice test, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. However, not all practice tests are created equal. It’s important that you find ones that cover the necessary topics. 

Here are some of the topics that you should expect to find on an ALEKS math practice test. 

INTEGERS AND REAL NUMBERS

Real numbers are what we all use every day. However, you’ll also encounter integers on the practice test. Integers include both real numbers and negative numbers. 

POLYNOMIALS

This is the most basic math concept and it is guaranteed to show up in a practice test. In this type of equation, only basic math concepts like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and real number based exponents are used. 

ORDER OF OPERATIONS

The order in which a math problem must be solved. Needless to say, this will be used to solve every question. The way most people remember this is PEDMAS:

1. Parenthesis
2. Exponents
3. Division
4. Multiplication
5. Addition
6. Subtraction

FRACTIONS, PERCENT, AND PROPORTIONS

You can expect to find the majority of questions on the ALEKS to be based on fractions. It’s just that some equations will be more difficult than others. Fractions, percentages, and proportions can be converted into each other. Expect to have everything on the test presented using one of these three conversions. 

ALGEBRAIC EXPRESSIONS

Algebra will be a standard type of question found on the practice exam. Students are expected to have the ability to solve basic algebraic expressions so be sure you brush up on these beforehand. 

EXPONENTS

This is another basic mathematical component that will show up in just about every test. An exponent tells you that a number must be multiplied by itself a specific number of times. 

LOGARITHMS

These are the opposite of exponents because they undo them, much like subtraction is the opposite of addition. Logarithms are found in more advanced questions on the ALEKS. 

EQUATIONS AND INEQUALITIES

Expect to find several questions using inequalities. These are just statements that use a symbol other than an equal sign. Compound inequalities might also show up, which are multiple inequalities in a single statement. Keep in mind that these questions might be presented in word form. 

LINEAR FUNCTIONS

Linear functions are always graphed in a straight line and contain both an independent variable, as well as a dependent variable. Expect these questions to show up as you get into more advanced areas. 

QUADRATIC FUNCTIONS

Intermediate algebra questions are found when you answer several questions correctly in a row. So be prepared to see quadratic functions on the ALEKS practice test. 

RADICAL EXPRESSIONS

Problems containing a radical expression will show up during ALEKS placement test practice. Be sure that you’re ready to tackle these tricky questions. 

GEOMETRY

Geometry is another core mathematical concept that is going to be found in a lot of problems on the ALEKS. Any questions that involve shapes fall under this category. 

PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS

Statistics is used to measure past events while probability uses that information to predict the likelihood of a specific future event. Both are mathematical concepts that will be found on the ALEKS practice test. 

COMPLEX NUMBERS

Complex numbers are created when real numbers are combined with imaginary ones. You’ll find these with more advanced problems on the ALEKS. 

TRIGONOMETRY

This advanced mathematical concept is designed to simplify certain equations and plays an essential role in a lot of career paths such as electronics and engineering. You’ll probably be presented with trigonometry at some point during the ALEKS.

HOW DO YOU PASS THE ALEKS TEST?

The ALEKS is infamous for the anxiety it creates. Fortunately, this anxiety can be held at bay with proper ALEKS math placement test practice. But remember that this test is supposed to be difficult since its sole purpose is to determine what level program you start in college math. 

In the end, your goal should be to view this test for exactly what it is – a tool used to optimize your placement in college. This saves you time and money in the long-term. 

With that said, you should study efficiently so that you are placed at the highest level possible. Here are some tips that you should follow:

#1: CHOOSE THE RIGHT STUDY RESOURCES

Taking an ALEKS practice test on a regular basis will ensure that you’re prepared for the real test but it’s not the only preparation you should make. You’ll need to find the appropriate study resources as well. I recommend that you start with the resources given to you by the college providing the placement test. They will point you in the right direction. 

#2: GET A HANDLE ON BASIC MATH

Having a solid foundation is an absolute must when taking the ALEKS test so be sure you dedicate some study time into brushing up on all of your basic math skills. Without this knowledge, you’ll have a tougher time tackling more advanced math concepts. Regular ALEKS placement test practice will help ensure you’re ready! 

#3: SOLVE A FEW PRACTICE PROBLEMS EVERY DAY

Make sure you solve some problems related to the specific area you studied for the day. This helps you memorize what you learned by putting it into practice. The absolute best way to learn math is through practice. 

#4: TAKE AN ALEKS PRACTICE TEST EVERY WEEK

Don’t skip this important step. Weighing your study progress will reveal your strengths and weaknesses. This ensures that you’re able to focus your future studies in the right areas. Additionally as stated earlier, putting your math skills into practice is the best way to learn essential skills.

 The ALEKS test is considered by most test-takers to be difficult due to its adaptive nature. It will push you to the limits so there will be a point in the test where you simply don’t have the knowledge to correctly answer the question. That’s a cause for stress for most people.

Just keep in mind that the ALEKS is designed to place you into the correct college curriculum. It’s supposed to push all of your limits.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Always keep in mind that the goal of the ALEKS is not centered on the concept of passing or failing, but to ensure that you are placed into the correct college math program. So don’t stress too much.

There’s a pattern to the way the media, as a whole, covers college admissions. A typical year of coverage for most—that’s most—media outlets goes something like this:

Mid-September—The US News rankings come out, and everyone clamors over the top-ranked college. It’s typically the same top-ranked college from last year; if isn’t, one of the top five from last year climbed the pile, which is seen as a real shocker. Like we’d never heard of that college until now, and this suddenly makes it a better school.

Late September/Early October—Coverage turns to the upheaval of applying to college, with every article featuring seniors discussing the anxiety of applying to Brown, Yale, Smith, or one of the only 25 colleges mainstream media acknowledges as existing.

Late March—Admissions decisions are out, and in a paean to the principles of mathematics, every media article cites increased application numbers at The Big 25, and—wait for it—decreased admission rates at all of them as well. Not a single one of these articles points out that the former is the cause of the latter—but that involves math, so there we are.

What’s wrong with this picture?

College Lists The media spotlight on the Top 25 launches many parents into action, for all the wrong reasons. If these are the best colleges, why isn’t my child applying to them? This upends a wealth of work done by the student and (one hopes) their school counselor; it also upends the self-esteem of more than one student who knows these schools are bad fits. But arguing with Mom and Dad’s “let’s see what happens” is a tough hill to climb, so off they go to apply, much like Faramir’s efforts to recapture Osgiliath in Return of the King.

Unnecessary Panic More than a few seniors are indeed intimidated by the college application process in mid-September. That’s normal, since they’re just getting started. If I handed a student a plumber’s wrench on September 15 and said “show me how it works”, that too would be stressful. Now, if I came back in a week and asked, “How’s it going?”, they would have mastered the thing with ease, because they had time to understand what they were doing. Huh.

Those “Other” Schools The media myopia pays a big price on the other 2000 colleges that serve all kinds of students in personalized and appropriate ways, but now appear to be second rate. This keeps students from looking at some schools just right for them, because—well, you know…

To be fair, not all media outlets treat college admissions like a celebrity sighting, although Varsity Blues hasn’t helped. Eric Hoover writes moving human stories about the real challenges some students face in this process, stories so good they have led to admissions policy changes. Inside HigherEd isn’t a household name, but their coverage of the entire range of colleges is nothing short of inspiring.

Still, the best-selling papers run up the same limited coverage of college admissions every year, and their effect is palpably bad on the college plans and psyches of far too many students. A modest step in the right direction would be running an October story that returns to the freaked out students of September, revealing they’ve largely got the hang of things right now. Even better, interviews with students applying to a great school like Northern Michigan, where the application takes a whopping 25 minutes to complete and the admit rate is 65%—a reminder that the current media lens on college admissions is clear, but too tightly focused.