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Taking a Placement Test

Where is the sample placement test?

Student Assessment Services produces an online practice test for the Michigan Test and a practice test for Accuplacer. To pick up a print copy of the sample tests, you must come to the Testing Center at PGCC. There are many other practice tests available on the internet as well. Use your favorite search engine to find them. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view our sample tests which you may download from below:

When and where can I take the placement test?

All students must take the placement test after completing and submitting an application to the school and paying the admissions fee. Students who have not properly applied to the school may be turned away. The testing center is located in Bladen Hall, Room 100 at PGCC's main campus in Largo, MD. Hours for the Largo campus at the left. All students are expected to abide by the rules and guidelines of the Testing Center.

What's my student ID number?

After applying to the school and paying your application fee, the Admissions office will assign you a student ID number to be used for placement tests, registration, and exams. You may find this number on your bill, on your schedule, or by logging into your Owl Link account.

How do I get another copy of my placement test scores?

If you have already taken a placement test at a PGCC campus within the last 2 years, you may request a printed copy of your placement test scores from the testing center. You must come to the testing center in person and show a valid photo id to get your scores. The testing center is located in Bladen Hall, Room 100 at PGCC's main campus in Largo, MD.

You must have and show a valid Photo ID to take a placement test or get scores

Who needs to take a placement test?

Students who have not previously attended a college and earned college credit or who have attended a college in another country in which the primary language is not English. Students who have completed college courses and earned college credit should see an advisor to determine whether any placement tests need to be taken.

Which test do I need to take?

While most students born in the United States will take a computerized placement test known as ACCUPLACER, some students will instead be required to take the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency - a test designed for non-native English speakers.

To determine whether ACCUPLACER or the Michigan Test is the most appropriate placement test for you, please answer the following questions:

1. Are you a native of the United States of America or one of the following countries?

   Antigua & Barbuda Australia The Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Canada

   Cayman Islands Dominica Grenada Guyana Ireland Jamaica Montserrat

   New Zealand St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent & the Grenadines Trinidad & Tobago United Kingdom Virgin Islands

2. Did you attend Middle School and High School in the United States?

Did you answer NO to both questions 1 and 2?

You will probably be required to take the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency. This is a paper exam with 100 multiple-choice questions evaluating Reading, Grammar and Vocabulary skills. You will also submit a short, handwritten essay about an assigned topic which is evaluated by instructors from the ESL department.

Did you answer YES to either question 1 or 2?

You will take the ACCUPLACER Online Reading and Sentence Skills placement tests. Most students will also take both an Arithmetic and Elementary Algebra test. Some students may also take a College-level Mathematics test, if they demonstrate sufficient proficiency in Algebra. Most students may also complete a short background questionnaire and a career assessment survey.

What happens after I finish the test?

For the ACCUPLACER tests, you will receive a printed copy of your scores immediately. We encourage you to bring this copy to an academic advisor who will evaluate your scores and help you choose classes. The Michigan Test and the English Writing Sample must be evaluated by instructors, which takes 2-5 business days. Normally, all scores will be posted to a student's record within 2 business days of receiving final scores from Accuplacer or the instructors.

What happens if I do not do well on the placement tests?

No student will be denied admissions to the college on the basis of placement testing performance, except international students (F-1 visa), who must score high enough to allow full-time enrollment. However, your performance on the tests will determine which college courses you may or may not take. Non-credit developmental courses may be required for students who earn scores below the standards set for college-level courses. Accordingly, you are advised to take the placement testing requirement seriously and employ a common-sense approach when preparing for the test.

• Eat well and get plenty of rest prior to the test
• Allow yourself ample time to review the sample test before your actual test
• Review basic math operations with decimals and fractions before you test
• Calculator use is permitted during the College-Level Mathematics test; make sure your calculator has fresh batteries and is in good working order.

How many times can I take the placement tests?

Placement tests can be taken twice within a two-year period. You are encouraged to take the placement test a second time if the results from your first test indicate a need for developmental courses, or if the first test results do not meet your personal expectations. If you decide to retest, the higher score from either test will be used for placement. However, a third test will not be allowed until two years have passed since the second test.

Also, please be aware that no placement test can be taken after you enroll in a course or sequence considered to be preparatory in nature (for example, Developmental Studies, ESL courses). If you enroll in a developmental course, you cannot use the placement test to substitute for course performance - even if you have only taken the placement test once.

I took the SAT or ACT. Do I still have to take the placement test?

If you obtained a score of 550 or higher on the Critical Reading (formerly Verbal) or Math sections of the SAT (individually), then you may present your original report to Student Assessment Services to obtain a waiver for that test area (after being admitted to the College). If you took the ACT, a score of 21 is required in the applicable section.

What if I have a degree or college credits from another school?

If you are a transfer student and you have earned 12 or more transferrable credits from an accredited American school, you may be exempt from taking one or more placement tests. After your admissions application but prior to your actual course registration, you will need to show objective evidence of prior college work (such as a transcript or grade report) to an academic advisor to obtain approval for the exemption. Transfer students should discuss their previous academic history with an advisor in the Advising Center prior to taking any placement tests or attempting to register for classes.