As noted by CollegeBoard.com, the Accuplacer serves a variety of purposes, such as performing off-site orientation programs for new students in different locations, determining standards for students joining a Distance Learning program and calculating the educational skills of outsourced workers for the initial phase of a job-training contract.
Accuplacer tests are computer-adaptive which means that the complexity of the next questions on the test is based on how the person answered the preceding ones. For example, if he answered the first few questions correctly, the ones to follow would be more difficult than those of a person who answered the first ones incorrectly.
The Accuplacer is administered online, which means that test takers have the freedom to do it in a number of locations that have Internet access. The results can be obtained immediately after they have finished.
Traditional Accuplacer tests cover the areas of reading comprehension, sentence skills, arithmetic, elementary algebra and college-level mathematics. Additionally, there is a written essay portion.
Accuplacer tests are only intended to evaluate a person's skills within particular areas to help with her placement (within a class). The tests are not meant to score you in on a general pass and fail basis.
The written essay portion of the test is the only one that is timed, so it is important to take the time you need before submitting your answers in the other sections. The test does not allow you to go back to a question once you have moved past it. Make sure you do not skip any questions.