Chapter 6: Placement Information
10
Math and ESOL Placement Testing
Instead of placement testing, MCC is now using academic records to determine placements into Math and English.
The only students taking an Accuplacer test are students with an alternate HS diploma (foreign, homeschooled, etc.), English language learners who received ESOL/ENL services in US high school, or students who have been given permission to challenge their math placement via academic transcript.
For questions about a student’s placement by transcript, please contact Admissions.
Questions Students May Ask About Math Placement Testing
- Should I prepare for my Placement Test?
- Absolutely! Even just a little bit of review can help you place into a higher level of math.
- How much time should I spend preparing for my Placement Test?
- You should spend at least a few hours reviewing your math skills. There are many wonderful free, online resources that can help you. The math portion of the placement test evaluates your skills in algebra, geometry, and arithmetic. When you study using the resources below, keep those in mind. You also need to be able to perform functions like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division without the use of a calculator.
- What? I can’t use a calculator?
- Since some questions are testing your ability to do arithmetic, you do not automatically get to use a calculator on the placement test. You will, however, see a little calculator icon pop up for selected questions. If the calculator appears, you get to use it! If the online calculator is missing, then you are not allowed a calculator for that question.
Resources to Prepare for the ACCUPLACER
In addition, read about MCC’s information on preparing for your test.
Retest Procedure
Students will take the placement test only once for placement purposes. On rare occasions, under extenuating circumstances, an authorization to retest may be given. The option to retest should only be conveyed to the student by the office or individual that approves the retest. Students are responsible for preparing for their test with guidance from Admissions, Advisement and Transfer Services, Downtown Student Services, and/or other MCC student and academic support offices. Students who indicate that they did not study are strongly encouraged by TestingServices staff to study and test at a later date.
The rare instances in which a decision is made that a student may retest will be based on an individual review of the student’s overall academic profile. The following situations may reflect the need to grant authorization for retest:
- Students who are reapplying for admission who cannot be placed on their academic record.
- Necessity to meet new program requirements requiring higher level mathematics than the previous program.
- Other situations as deemed appropriate by the approval authority.
In all retest situations, the authority granting the retest should strongly encourage students to take appropriate remedial action before retesting. A wait time before retesting is a minimum of two weeks, which will be required, and highly encouraged with remedial study. Authority for retesting is normally granted by the chair of Mathematics. Overall academic records should be considered when making this determination, as well as an estimated likelihood of a successful outcome with remediation. Those with authority to approve retests must place the appropriate code in SOATEST. Those testing can also have authorization checked by examining the appropriate INB Banner form, SAAADMS.
Granting additional retests beyond the first are normally authorized under extreme mitigating circumstances and only after the student has shown proof that would demonstrate a high probability of a successful outcome (proof of remediation).
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Updated 10/25/2022
