Placement

Students meeting one of the criteria below are placed into college-level math courses and do not need to take the math placement test.

Placement measure (within 3 years)	Minimum score	Eligible for these math courses
High School cumulative GPA of 3. 0 or higher of an unweighted 4.0 scale with successful completion of a 4th year of math.	3.0+ (on 4.0 scale)	MAT 101, 150, 201, 208
ACT Math Score	22	MAT 101, 150, 201, 208
SAT Math Score*	530	MAT 101, 150, 201, 208
GED Mathematical Reasoning Section Score	165	MAT 101, 150, 201, 208
Prior college coursework, Advanced Placement (AP) scores & CLEP scores may also qualify a student for college-level placement and/or credit.

Students meeting one of the criteria above are placed into the first level of college-level math (MAT 101, 150, 201, 208). They do not need to take the placement test. To place into upper-level math courses (MAT 155, 210, 211, 229), students need to take the ACCUPLACER Advanced Algebra & Functions test. The next step in the Getting Started process is to schedule an appointment with an advisor (815-825-9375).

Students who do not meet one of the criteria above or whose test scores are more than 3 years old will need to take the ACCUPLACER Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, & Statistics (QAS) test to determine placement in math. Contact Student Services to schedule appointments for both placement testing and advising (815-825-9375).

Determining English Placement

Students meeting one of the criteria below are placed into college-level English courses and do not need to take the English placement test. Placement for English can be determined by one of the following methods:

Placement Measure (Within three years)	Minimum Score	Eligible for These English Courses
High School G.P.A. (The cumulative G.P.A. must be figured after at least 6 high school semesters completed)	3.0+ (on a 4.0 scale)	ENG 103 or ENG 109
High School G.P.A — Dual Credit (The cumulative G.P.A. must be figured after at least 5 high school semesters completed)	3.5+ (on a 4.0 scale)	ENG 103 or ENG 109
ACT English Score	19	ENG 103 or ENG 109
ACT Composite Score	19	ENG 103 or ENG 109
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Score	480	ENG 103 or ENG 109
GED Reasoning Through Language Arts Section Score	165	ENG 103 or ENG 109
Prior college coursework, Advanced Placement (AP) scores and CLEP scores may also qualify a student for college-level placement and/or credit

 

Once transcripts are evaluated, students meeting one of the criteria above are placed into college-level English (ENG 103 or ENG 109).  They do not need to take the placement test.  The next step in the Getting Started process is to schedule an appointment with an advisor  (815-825-9375).

Students who do not meet one of the criteria above or whose test scores/GPA are more than 3 years old will need to take the ACCUPLACER test (WritePlacer, possibly also Reading Comprehension) to determine placement in English. Contact Student Services to schedule appointments for placement testing & advising (815-825-9375).

You may not need to take the placement test.  Please see the above sections, Determining Math Placement and Determining English Placement, to see if you qualify for a waiver based on ACT, SAT, AP or CLEP test scores, high school G.P.A. or previous coursework. 

Students who do not meet the above criteria or whose scores have expired will take the ACCUPLACER placement test.

Math

• Students needing to take ACCUPLACER for math courses will take the ACCUPLACER Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, & Statistics (QAS) test, which is 20 multiple-choice questions. From this test student can be placed into developmental or college-level courses.
• Students scoring 200-225 on the QAS test will also take the Arithmetic test (20 multiple-choice questions). 
• Students scoring 245-300 on the QAS test will also take the Advanced Algebra & Functions (AAF) test (20 multiple-choice questions) to place into upper-level math courses (Trigonometry, Finite Math, Calculus I, and Calculus for Business).
• Students with SAT Math scores of 530 or higher are considered college-level (Tier 1) but may take the ACCUPLACER Advanced Algebra & Functions test for possible placement into upper-level math courses (Trigonometry, Finite Math, Calculus I, and Calculus for Business).
• All math tests are adaptive. 
• Students cannot skip questions or return to previous questions. 
• There are no time limits for the multiple-choice math tests. 
• Access to an online calculator is available for certain questions, but hand-held calculators are not allowed. 
• The score range for all math tests is 200-300.

English

Students needing to take ACCUPLACER for English courses or admission into certain programs will write an essay on the computer (ACCUPLACER WritePlacer test). 

WritePlacer

Students will read a short passage and an assignment question.  Students will then have an hour and a half (90 minutes) to plan and write a multi-paragraph essay (300 – 600 words).  Essays will be graded by the computer software on these six characteristics:

• Purpose and Focus
• Organization and Structure
• Development and Support
• Sentence Variety and Style
• Mechanical Conventions
• Critical Thinking

Scores on WritePlacer range from 1 to 8.  An essay will be given a score of zero if it is too short to be evaluated, written on a topic other than the one presented or written in a language other than English.

Students scoring 5-8 (on an 8 point scale) will place directly into college-level English (ENG 103 or ENG 109). Students scoring below 5 on WritePlacer will also take the ACCUPLACER Reading Comprehension test to determine placement.

If the computer cannot assess the exam properly (which happens about 10% of the time), the essay will be marked pending and human readers from ACCUPLACER read the essay and assign a score.  Results of pending essays are usually available within 24 hours.

Students must complete the essay in one sitting. They will not be permitted to save and return at a later date.

Reading

The Reading Comprehension test consists of 20 multiple-choice questions.  There is no time limit. If students take the Reading Comprehension test, placement will be determined by a combination of WritePlacer and Reading Comprehension scores.

Students with documented disabilities may contact Disability Services to request testing accommodations. Once accommodations are approved for testing, students will schedule an appointment with Testing Services (815-825-9841).  

Possible accommodations include:

• Extra time on WritePlacer essay (the math & reading tests are not timed)
• Private room
• Scribe

If you are dissatisfied with your ACCUPLACER scores, you may appeal your placement. 

• Only 1 retest in each ACCUPLACER section (math, writing, and reading) is permitted. 
• Students must wait a minimum of 24 hours to retest.
• To retest math costs $10. To retest English (writing, reading, or both) costs $10. The fee is paid in the Business Office prior to retesting.
• Students are advised to use their one retest option wisely. Without study and preparation, it is unlikely that placement will change. For sample questions and study tools, please see the section labeled Preparing for the ACCUPLACER Placement Test.
• Students are not eligible to retest once they have taken a course in that subject (math, English).
• Students who previously took the placement test for dual credit in high school are permitted (but not required) to test ACCUPLACER for no fee once they apply as incoming college students.

Math Retest Policy:

The math placement retest process is for students who have a reason to believe that they have been inappropriately placed and have not attempted any mathematics courses.  Students are allowed one placement retest in mathematics. The retest fee is $10.

1. Prepare for your retest.  Without study and preparation, it is very unlikely that your math placement score will change. To prepare you are highly encouraged to consider utilizing the resources found in Preparing for the ACCUPLACER Placement Test section on this Kishwaukee College placement webpage.  There are sample questions, suggested websites, additional resources, and video links for review.
2. Schedule an appointment with Testing Services for the ACCUPLACER math retest (815-825-9841).
3. Pay the $10 retest fee at the Business Office (C2140) and retest ACCUPLACER math section in Testing Services.

English Retest Policy:

• If you received a score of zero on the Kish WritePlacer, you must retest (no fee). If you score a zero again, you will be referred to the dean of ACSS.
• If you score 1-4 on WritePlacer, you can accept your placement or take WritePlacer again for a $10 retest fee. Only one retest is permitted.
• Students who have written 2 essays in WritePlacer (a test & retest) and are still dissatisfied with their placement can request an English instructor to read the essay and determine placement ($4 charge).
• Students may also retest the Reading Comprehension test one time for a $10 fee. 
• Contact Testing Services at 815-825-9841 to schedule a retest appointment. Retest fees are paid in the Business Office (C2140) prior to testing.