FAQ for Quantitative Reasoning Assessment

What are Core Competencies?
Core Competencies are general education areas in which graduates of Virginia higher education institutions should attain some level of proficiency. The Core Competencies are: Written Communications, Technology/Information Literacy, Quantitative Reasoning, Scientific Reasoning, Critical Thinking, and Oral Communication.

Why is NOVA assessing Quantitative Reasoning? And why this way?
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) require that all community colleges in VA take part in assessments of state-mandated Core Competencies. The Quantitative Reasoning Assessment (QRA) has been chosen by VCCS to measure general student abilities in math.

Why have I been contacted to take this test?
VCCS uses the QRA to assess math abilities of beginning students and graduating students. Data about our beginning students were collected last fall. This semester we are collecting data for graduating students.

Is this assessment mandatory?
No, this activity is voluntary. However, participation by NOVA students is extremely important and we hope that students will want to take part, because these kinds of assessments help us improve teaching and learning.

How can my taking the test help NOVA improve teaching and learning?
The more evidence we have about our students' abilities, the better we can accurately evaluate the types of courses and programs that have an impact on student learning.

Will this assessment affect my grades or graduation?
No, this will affect neither your grades nor your graduation status.

While my instructor see the results?
No, your instructor will not see your results.

What happens with my score?
Student scores will be aggregated so that they are combined with those of all the NOVA students and with the scores from all the other Virginia community colleges.

Should I study for this test?
No, you do not need to study for this test. The purpose of this assessment is to learn about the general skills our students have in mathematics and quantitative reasoning, not to test the content of any one course or book.

How long will the test take?
You should set aside about 60-90 minutes to take the test.

How do I access the test?
This links to the instructions to take the test. 

How will you know if I've taken the test?
Once you have completed the exam, the results are submitted to the QRA database.