Assessment
Get Assessed.
The Assessment Center staff provides a variety of services to students and the community. The Assessment Center is located in Room 133 of the Student Center (2-SC). Contact Disability Support Services if you need accommodations for the Academic Skills Assessment.
Testing Hours
| Days | Open | Check in by | All Testing Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 8:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 8:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 8:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | CLOSED | CLOSED | CLOSED |
| Friday | 10:00 a.m. | 4:00 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
The Assessment Center is closed on weekends and when the college is closed.
Before Your Test
- Have a valid photo ID ready upon check-in (driver's license, state ID, or military ID). This is required when taking tests or inquiring about test scores.
- If you are taking a make-up test for a class, your student ID number is required in addition to a valid photo ID.
- Appointments are not needed to take course placement tests or make-up tests.
- Please allow up to one hour to complete each placement test.
- We do not issue test less than one hour before closing.
Placement Process for English, Math, & Reading
All new students must meet with an academic advisor and submit their high school transcripts, college transcripts, and ACT scores (if available). Academic advisors will use a multiple measures approach and work with you to determine the best academic course placement for you. You may use the placement tool below if you have a recent High School GPA and ACT scores within the last three years.
Students may challenge their math, English or reading multiple measures placement by taking the ACCUPLACER in the Assessment Center. One challenge attempt is allowed. After one year, if you did not start a course, you may take the challenge test again. Once you start a course, no challenge will be allowed. For accommodations during testing, contact Disability Support Services at dss@stchas.edu before your test is scheduled.
If you are currently a high school student or you graduated from high school in the last 3 years, please bring a copy of your high school transcript and ACT scores to your advising session, in case they're not already loaded into our system.
Each of the sections in the ACCUPLACER Next Generation Math Assessment is untimed and consists of 20 multiple choice questions. The test is computer-adaptive, which means you must answer each question as it is presented to you before you can continue to the next question. Some, but not all, of the math questions contain pop-up calculators. If a question is configured to allow for the use of a calculator, the calculator icon will appear in the top right-hand corner of the screen. The assessment comprises three different tests aligned with different educational pathways.
Arithmetic Test
The ACCUPLACER Arithmetic test assesses computation, order of operations, estimation and rounding, comparing and ordering values in different formats, and recognizing equivalent values across formats.
Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics Test
The ACCUPLACER Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics placement test measures a student's developed ability for mathematics content suited for students entering non-STEM fields of study or those undecided on their major. Questions focus on computing with rational numbers, applying ratios and proportional reasoning, creating linear expressions and equations, graphing and applying linear equations, understanding probability and sets, and interpreting graphical displays.
Advanced Algebra and Functions Test
The ACCUPLACER Advanced Algebra and Functions placement test assesses a student's developed ability for mathematics content suited for students entering STEM fields of study or areas requiring some advanced math. Questions focus on equations and functions, including linear, quadratic, rational, radical, polynomial, and exponential. Questions also measure some geometry and trigonometry concepts.
Reading Test
The ACCUPLACER Reading test measures students' ability to read closely, determine central ideas from text, and analyze word choice, points of view, and the purpose of a text. Students challenging their reading course placement will take this test.
Writing Test
The ACCUPLACER Writing test measures the ability to express ideas in writing and evaluates students' use of sentence structure, word choice, and punctuation. Students challenging their English placement will take this test.
The ACCUPLACER was developed to assist in college academic advising and course placement. The results will help you choose courses and make appropriate career decisions. In other words, your scores will indicate where your academic strengths and needs lie in relation to college-level work for your chosen major. The following websites provide practice exercises to prepare for the Accuplacer assessments.
- ACCUPLACER Practice Application | College Board
ACCUPLACER's free practice tests provide students with practice resembling actual tests. You'll need to create an account to access practice tests. - Schnare Library offers the Learning Express Library through its database. The Learning Express Library has resources to prepare for the ACCUPLACER. Go to Library Databases, click L, then click Learning Express Library.
The Prepare for College tab has ACCUPLACER resources, including practice tests for each section of the test, and an e-book with has a pre-test and lessons covering the math skills tested on the ACCUPLACER. Click Prepare for College, then click Get Ready for College Placement Tests.
The Learning Express Library has additional English language arts and math learning resources under the High School Students tab, the College Students tab, and the Adult Core Skills tab.
Learning Express offers a mobile app available in the App Store and the Google Play Store.
Appealing Your ACCUPLACER Results
Students who did not place into a course or who would like to place in a higher-level course can appeal their results.
- If a student places below MAT 096, they will be given a resource sheet offering options on how to improve their math skills.
- If a student places below RDG 085, they must meet with an academic advisor to discuss remediation opportunities.
- There is no appeal for the writing test.
- An appeal can be made only once.
- A $10 fee is required for each appeal. Please download and complete the Appeal Form and take it with you to Student Accounts on the first floor of SCC Main, Room 1119 (1-SCM).
- Should you require assistance in meeting academic challenges, the college offers courses in math, reading, study skills, and English as well as instructional support services through our Academic and Career Enhancement (ACE) Tutoring Center.
The Academic ESL and Intensive English assessment process uses multiple measures, including an ESL ACCUPLACER and an oral interview. If you have already filled out the online application and obtained your student ID number, please schedule an appointment for the oral interview, which can be followed by the ESL Accuplacer. The Department of ESL, Applied Linguistics, and Global Studies will send the referral for the ESL Accuplacer to the Assessment Center.
Students who wish to inquire about the Academic ESL and INE programs before applying or who cannot schedule an interview may email staff at esl-elci@stchas.edu and dhuffman@stchas.edu.
International students on F-1 visas should refer to Brian Wiltowski in the International Student Service office for an explanation of their assessment policies.
Credit ESL Courses that fulfill the requirements of the developmental and reading courses are available for non-native speakers. These speakers may go through the Non-Native Speaker Assessment Process. Contact elci@stchas.edu for information.
Credit courses that can be taken by non-native speakers to prepare for English 101
include:
ESL 104: College Reading
ESL 106: Advanced Reading
ESL 107 Intensive Grammar for Non-Native Speakers. This is practice in paragraph writing
to essays.
ESL 108 Intermediate Composition. This is practice in essays to the research paper.
ESL 109/ECI 109 Research Writing
Non-Native Speaker Appeal: The English Language and Culture Institute, part of the ESL, Applied Linguistics,
and Global Studies Department, encourages students to appeal their placement when
they believe it is incorrect. The appeal, considered by the ELCI team, may consist
of one or more of the assessment measures used by the department. Contact Dr. Dawn
Huffman, dhuffman@stchas.edu or elci@stchas.edu.
Other Assessment Center Services