Writing on the ParaPro Assessment

Is the ParaPro Assessment in your future? Know what’s covered in the writing section!

What Part of the ParaPro Exam Assesses Writing?

Many school districts use the ParaPro exam to make sure paraprofessionals have the skills necessary to work with students in the classroom. The entire exam lasts 90 minutes and is administered on a computer. The writing portion is one-third of the overall test and will be given a time limit of \(33\frac{1}{2}\) minutes.

How is Writing Tested on the ParaPro?

Although most of the questions revolve around your understanding of writing, including grammar, use, and syntax, approximately one-third of them test your ability to actually apply your writing knowledge in a classroom setting. Studying general rules of writing, the English language, and organization will be pivotal in succeeding on the ParaPro test.

What Do I Need to Know for the ParaPro Test?

The ParaPro test is intended to make sure you have a working knowledge of the covered subject and the ability to translate your knowledge into an effective, consistent teaching model. To adequately be able to teach writing, you must be able to identify parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, subjects, predicates, and subject-verb agreement), punctuation (correct use of commas, periods, exclamation points, question marks, semicolons, and colons), and word usage. One of the most effective ways to improve your grasp of these subjects is to read regularly and familiarize yourself with sentence structure of all types. Study parts of speech, grammar, capitalization, and agreement to succeed in this area of the exam.

How Does This Affect Work with Students?

The smaller portion of the ParaPro test is the application section, which examines your ability to help students create high-quality work via pre-writing (brainstorming, planning, and organizing), composing drafts (writing rough drafts, editing, re-writing), and publishing (implementing all edits and turning in the assignment). To effectively coach students in this arena, you must be able to edit for proper punctuation, structure, and grammar, and you must be able to organize ideas based on the desired audience and designated purpose of the assignment. The ParaPro test asks questions using example paragraphs to ensure you are able to properly correct and explain problem areas in a student’s work.

Free ParaPro Review

Even if English and writing seem easy to you, it’s a good idea to review before taking this test and Union Test Prep has you covered! Check out our study materials for the ParaPro Test.

We also have a general review of all of the basics of the English language, including writing, at this location:
English Basics review materials. There, you’ll find more free study guides, practice test questions, and flashcards to help you fine-tune your writing expertise.

Know the goals and then prepare—keys to doing well on the ParaPro test.