ACCUPLACER Reading Practice Test
Updated October 27, 2026
The ACCUPLACER Reading test has 20 questions. You read short passages, some paired, and answer questions about what they say, what they suggest, how they’re written and what words mean in context. Colleges use your score to decide whether you’re ready for college-level reading or need a developmental course first. Read the passage below, then try the free questions.
What ACCUPLACER Reading covers
- Information and ideas: main idea, supporting details and inferences.
- Rhetoric: the author’s purpose, point of view and how the text is organized.
- Synthesis: comparing two passages on the same topic.
- Vocabulary: working out word meaning from context.
Practice passage
Urban gardens have spread across many American cities over the past two decades. Beyond providing fresh vegetables in neighborhoods that lack grocery stores, the gardens often turn vacant lots into gathering places. Researchers have found that neighborhoods with community gardens report stronger ties among neighbors. Critics note, however, that gardens on rented land can disappear when the owner decides to sell, leaving volunteers with little to show for years of work.
Free ACCUPLACER Reading practice questions
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What is the main idea of the passage?Answer: AThe passage describes the gardens' benefits and then a drawback. The right answer covers both; the others aren't supported.
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According to the passage, what have researchers found?Answer: CThe third sentence says researchers found stronger ties among neighbors in neighborhoods with community gardens.
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The word "gathering" as used in the passage most nearly means:Answer: BThe gardens become "gathering places," places where people meet.
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What is the purpose of the last sentence?Answer: C"Critics note, however" signals a drawback: gardens on rented land can be lost.
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Which statement can be inferred from the passage?Answer: AThe passage says gardens on rented land can disappear, "leaving volunteers with little to show for years of work," which suggests this has happened.
Place into the college courses you want
- All 180 questions for Arithmetic, QAS, Advanced Algebra and Functions, Reading and Writing
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- Unlimited practice tests for each placement test, the same length as the real one