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CCAC Placement Testing

Because CCAC is an open-admissions institution, college entrance examinations (such as the SAT) are not required for admission. However, in order to evaluate your educational background, CCAC uses various methods to determine your placement into our college-level courses.

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Registering for Placement Testing

Please read these instructions very carefully!

  1. Complete your admissions application
  2. Review our Placement Test Exemptions below. If any exemptions apply to you, submit your high school and/or college transcripts via email to admissions@ccac.edu or registration@ccac.edu
  3. If none of the exemptions apply, and you are a degree-seeking student, you are required to register for placement tests.
  4. If American English is not your native language, you should take the EAL (English as an Academic Language) placement test, instead of the Reading Placement Test. See the instructions under EAL Placement Test below.
  5. If you are a student with a disability, you may be eligible for accommodations for the Placement Test. To request accommodations, please contact Supportive Services at SupportiveServices@ccac.edu prior to taking any placement tests.

    Click here for Remote Placement Testing for Reading
    • There is not a set date or time for this placement test
    • Be sure to use the email address and password you created when completing your admissions application to register for the placement test event
    • After your event registration is processed, you will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to create your CCAC NetID account and access the Reading Placement Test online in our Blackboard system
    • Please allow one hour to complete the Reading exam

    Click here for Remote Placement Testing for Math
    • There is not a set date or time for this placement test
    • Be sure to use the email address and password you created when completing your admissions application to register for the placement test event
    • After your event registration is processed, you will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to create your CCAC NetID account and access the Math Placement Test series online in our Blackboard system
    • Please allow up to three hours for the Math series. The entire Math series must be completed within 48 hours of beginning your first exam

    EAL Placement Test
    • If American English is not your native language, you should take the EAL (English as an Academic Language) placement test, instead of the Reading Placement Test. Contact Dr. Anyango-Kivuva at lanyango-kivuva@ccac.edu after obtaining your CCAC Student ID, username and password.
    • Dr. Anyango will assist you to set up a time to take the reading test online. She will also set up a Zoom meeting with you to take the oral test.

After completing the placement test(s), you will receive an email notification to complete online student orientation and meet with an academic advisor virtually to discuss your education plan and register for classes. New students and students in several other categories are required to meet with an academic advisor.

Placement Test Exemptions

You may not need to take all or part of the placement tests if any of the following circumstances apply to you:

  • Students who submit a high school transcript with an unweighted* cumulative (overall) GPA of 2.7 or better (or 80% for schools with a percentile grading system) are exempt from taking the English and Reading placement tests and will be placed in ENG 101, English Composition I. Transcript must include the grades from the first half of the senior year in high school or show high school graduation within 5 years of the date the transcript is submitted to be eligible. International, home school and GED documentation are not accepted under this exemption. (Effective Spring 2019)
  • You already have a college degree.
  • You have already taken college-level English and/or mathematics with a grade of "C" or better.
  • You plan to register for a class or classes that have no specified skill requirements.
  • Students with SAT Verbal test score of 510+ or ACT Verbal test scores of 21+ will be exempt from the reading placement testing, but still must take the English writing test (there is no SAT/ACT exemption for English.) Verbal and mathematics scores are reported separately.
  • Students with SAT Math test score of 550+ or ACT Math test score of 21+ will be exempt from developmental math courses, but must complete the placement test if intending to take a course above the Intermediate Algebra MAT-108 level. Verbal and mathematics scores are reported separately.
  • Students who have taken the TOEFL or IELTS exams may submit these scores for exemption or placement into English as an Academic Language (EAL) courses.
  • A student may re-test for placement out of a course in which he/she was enrolled after four years.
  • Once a student has re-tested after four years and scores into the same course(s) for which he/she was enrolled, there is no further alternative, regardless of the results.

*For high schools that do not have an unweighted GPA, the weighted GPA will be used.

If any of the above exemptions apply to you, please submit your high school and/or college transcripts via email to admissions@ccac.edu or advising@ccac.edu.

Placement Testing Tips

  • Placement tests are free.
  • Early testing means early registration: the sooner you test, the better your chances of getting into the courses you want to take.
  • The length of time required to take the placement tests varies, depending on how many of the tests you need to take. You only get one attempt to complete each placement test.
  • The Reading placement test consists of 24 questions each worth 1 point. You will have 60 minutes to complete the exam.
  • The Math placement test consists of a series of 30 minute exams with increasing difficulty.
    • Each Math exam part includes a mandatory practice exam
    • The Math practice exams do not affect your placement results
    • You must complete the full Math placement test series within 48 hours of beginning your first exam
  • Please know there is no wrong or bad placement. Test results will be interpreted for you when you meet with your academic advisor.
  • Along with your educational record, test results will determine your initial placement in English, Mathematics and reading skills classes.