Are you a student or worker that needs the TABE test to move to the next step of your career? If yes, you need to know what the test consists of and how to pass it. The Test of Adult Basic Education consists of questions from different subjects. The difficulty level of the test depends on how well you prepare, but bear in mind that you’ll see questions in language, reading, and math. That said, this article contains everything you should know about the TABE test, including helpful tips to make your preparation more effective.
What Does TABE Test Consist Of?
What Does TABE Test Consist Of?The TABE test is a diagnostic test used to determine a person’s skill levels. Today, many companies have adopted this exam for hiring, selecting, and promoting employees. Some public service agencies also use the TABE test when they need to guide people into adult education programs like trade schools and HSEs.
The TABE test is designed to test candidates’ skills and aptitudes in math, English, and reading. It also tests your ability to apply these subjects in a work environment. Generally, there’s no such thing as passing or failing the TABE test, but test scores determine eligibility for several impactful programs.
The test consists of 195 multiple-choice questions. The questions are divided into four sections: math, reading, language, and applied math. Here’s what to expect with each subject.
What Kind of Math is on the TABE Test?
The math section of the TABE test usually consists of decimals, integers, and fractions. You’ll also need to learn how to solve word problems and problems dealing with measurements and estimation. Data analysis is also an important part of this section, with several questions coming from it every year.
What is the TABE Reading Test?
The TABE reading section tests your ability to read, understand and recall passages. It’ll usually contain a comprehension passage with questions that you are expected to answer after reading the passage. Parts of the section also deal with analyzing texts and explaining their purpose.
What is the TABE Language Test?
The language section of the TABE test deals mostly with grammar and language structure. Therefore, candidates are usually advised to get comfortable with these topics beforehand. You’ll also need to understand paragraph usage, spelling, and essay writing as a whole.
What is the Passing Score for the TABE Test?
As we explained earlier, there’s no single metric for deciding a passing score in the TABE test. Results will include several different scores for each part of the test. Here, let’s break down the scores commonly used by college administrators and instructions.
Raw scoreÂ
This is the most basic way of scoring the exam, and it shows the number of correct answers you collected in the test. Your total score, known as number correct (NC), would be used to calculate your scale score.
Scale score
The scale score helps you compare your performance with what’s generally acceptable. That is, it shows your level of performance compared to the average candidates taking the test at the same level and content areas as you. The scale score is usually between 0 to 999. You can use the score to set training goals for the future since it shows the areas you’ve performed well in and areas that need improvement.
Grade equivalent score
This scoring format mirrors the typical structure of the K-22 education and uses numbers 0-12.9 to represent school months and years. The score helps to indicate your progress in each subject area. However, the scores are not ideal for comparing performance at different test levels.
How to Study for the TABE Test?
While preparing for the TABE test, you’ll hear different opinions about the difficulty level of the test. However, the overall difficulty depends on your level of preparation and what subjects you are good in. Better preparation gets acquainted with the exam format beforehand. But, how can you prepare? Here are tips to help you study well for the TABE test.
Know what the exam consists
This is the first and most crucial aspect of your preparation. If you study, you want to be sure that you’re studying the right thing. This is where knowing what topics to expect comes into play. We’ve reviewed some of the topics you can expect in this article. However, we still expect you to do your research by looking up the board’s curriculum.
Understand score requirements
Yes, there’s no set passing score for the TABE test. However, depending on why you’re taking the test, you may need to reach a particular score. Whether you’re writing the test as part of your adult education curriculum, for placement into technical programs, or office promotion, you’ll need to know what score the school/organization requires. Once you know the minimum score required, you can study appropriately to meet that score.
Practice past questions
Practicing past questions does two things:
- It helps you understand the exam structure
- It builds the confidence needed to approach the exam
Fortunately, you can easily find TABE practice tests online, so it shouldn’t be a problem for you. The TABE test is usually timed, so we can’t deny the importance of regular practice. We recommend combining practice tests with self-assessment, also available online to prepare your mind for the exam. Also, you can target your practice to focus more on subjects and topics that you find difficult.
Explore the right textbooks and study guides
Like every other exam, the TABE exams require detailed study. Yes, it’s a multiple-choice test, but you’ll still need adequate knowledge of the different topics to succeed. There are so many textbooks and TABE study guides out there. Some of them are advertised as the ultimate solutions to preparing for the TABE exams. But don’t take the word of the marketers for it. Investigate properly to find the right textbooks and study guides for this purpose. If you’re unsure what to look out for, visit the TABE official website for recommendations. On the other hand, you can check out the book’s content to know whether it contains a detailed explanation of the topics we’ve talked about in this article.
Read the questions carefully and follow all instructions
The exam day comes with lots of tension and anxiety. It’s easy for candidates to get carried away and forget to read instructions. Make sure you read and listen to all institutions. If you’re not sure about anything, ask.
Before answering each question, make sure you understand what is being asked. We recommend reading each question twice before answering. Remember, the exams hardly contain trick questions, so there’s no need to try to second-guess your answers.
Benefits of Preparing Well for The TABE Test
As expected, proper preparation results in better performance. While improved performance is a broad benefit of preparing well, there are other specific benefits. Some of these benefits include:
- Increases your speed: as we’ve mentioned before, the TABE test is a timed test, meaning that you’re expected to finish each section under a time limit. Many past candidates of the TABE test feel that the timing is sufficient, but you’ll still do better if you prepare better.
- Familiarizes you with the TABE test format: the TABE test has its unique format like most other standardized exams. The series of practice tests you’ll typically take during preparation will help you become more comfortable with the actual TABE test. You’ll not have surprises springing up on the day of the test.
- Improves your problem-solving skills: beyond preparing you for better performance in the test, consistent practice can also improve your problem-solving ability. The more sample questions you see during this period, the better problem solver you’ll become.
Wrapping Things Up: How to Study for the TABE Test
There you have it, a look at some of the most effective strategies for preparing for the TABE test. The test is designed to determine your academic strength and identify your areas of weaknesses, so technically, you can’t fail the test. However, you’ll still need to prepare well to remember everything you know and give the best representation of your knowledge and abilities during the test. Adequate preparation is especially important for people that have been away from the academic environment for some time. The tips in this article will not only help you prepare better. They’ll also ensure that you go into the exam well aware of what to expect.
