South Puget Sound Community College

Anyone who will be taking 10 credits or more, taking math or English courses, or working toward a degree or certificate is required to take the Placement Test. Test waivers may be granted to students with previous college English or math classes or to students who have taken the College Board ACCUPLACER CPT within the last three years. See the Counseling and Career Center in Building 25 to make an appointment for completing a placement test waiver. Call (360) 754-7711 ext. 5261.

1. Placement Testing is done on a walk-in basis. We offer the ACCUPLACER On-Line on Mondays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and 1st and 3rd Wdnesdays from 8:00a.m. to 3:00pm and 2nd and 4th Wednesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 am.

2. The test fee is $15.00. This fee must be pre-paid to the Cashier in Bldg. 25. The receipt must be brought to the test session. Cashier hours are from 7:30 am - 6pm, Monday through Friday. Students are allowed only one re-test in any subject area. The cost for re-testing is $15.00.

3. Parking permits are available from the Security Office in Bldg. 25 or a daily parking permit can be bought for $2.00 at the Mottman Rd. entrance to the campus.

4. Students must have Photo identification - State Driver's License, passport, State ID, Military ID, or School (ASB) card. No Exceptions!

5. Students must also provide their Student Identification Number.

6. Placement testing is held in the Testing Center, Room 126, Building 25. Test sessions average about 2 hours in length, and all testing materials are provided by the Testing Center. No calculators are allowed. Child care is not available and children are not allowed in the test session.

7. Your results are available immediately upon completion of testing!

** Should you require accommodations to take the test, contact Disability Support Services by emailing dss@spscc.ctc.edu or by calling (360) 596-5394.

Test Administration:
The Computerized Placement Test is administered on a computer. You will actually read the instructions and questions on the computer screen and you will select your answers using the keyboard or the mouse. When you have completed the test, your test results will print out for you to keep for advising purposes. Your test administrator can interpret your results before you leave. Keep these scores and bring them with you when you come for advising and registration.

Types of Tests:

• Reading Comprehension (20 questions)
• Sentence Skills (20 questions)
• Arithmetic Skills (17 questions)
• Elementary Algebra (12 questions)
• College Level Math (20 questions)
• Levels of English Proficiency (LOEP) Test for non-native speakers of English
• Three parts, 20 questions each (60 total)

Adaptive Testing:
Each test is designed using adaptive techniques. This means that the computer automatically determines which questions are presented to you based on your responses to prior questions. This technique "zeroes-in" on just the right questions to ask you without being too easy or too difficult. The greater your demonstrated skill level, the more challenging the questions that will be presented to you.

The tests are not timed. We have found that each single test (there are three tests normally taken per session) usually takes students about 30-40 minutes to complete. You should plan on spending two hours at the testing center, however, you may take as long as you need to complete your test.

Students are allowed one more opportunity to re-test prior to enrolling into an English, reading or math course. A third re-test in any subsequent quarter may be permitted if the student obtains approval from an advisor or counselor. There is a $15 fee for any re-test with the ACCUPLACER CPT.

The ACCUPLACER is a measure of initial placement, and should not be used as a challenge test for placement into higher class levels once a student is enrolled. Once you have enrolled in any basic skills class, additional placement testing is not recommended.