Placement Testing

Each institution in the Alabama Community College System requires all students who enroll in an associate degree or a certificate program and those who enroll for more than seven credit hours or fourteen weekly contact hours, be assessed using a comprehensive assessment instrument. As mandated by the Alabama Community College System, the assessment instrument is ACCUPLACER. The purpose of the placement test is to determine the math and English course level in which the student is eligible to enroll. Test results can be challenged once per academic year, and the student can retest for a fee of $10.00. Review of resource materials is required prior to retesting. Test results are valid for a period of five years.

For information on placement testing, students should review the Testing Services webpage.

For additional information email testing@gadsdenstate.edu or contact one of the following test centers: Gadsden, telephone 256.439.6819; Ayers, telephone 256.832.1217.

The following students are exempt from the assessment requirement:

  1. Those who have acceptable ACT, SAT or GED scores; consult with an advisor for recommended course placement.
  2. Those who have an associate degree or higher with college-level math or English
  3. Those who transfer degree-creditable, college-level English or mathematics courses in which they earned a grade of “C” or better
  4. Those enrolling for personal enrichment purposes only
  5. Those enrolling in short certificate programs having no English, reading or mathematics requirements
  6. Those who have completed required developmental coursework at another Alabama Community College System institution within the last three years
  7. Those enrolling to audit a course
  8. Those who can provide documentation of assessment by the Accuplacer placement test within the last five years
  9. Those who are transient students

Some persons may delay taking the placement test until or unless they plan to enroll in English or a mathematics course. These persons include the following:

  1. Senior citizens
  2. Anyone not seeking a degree or a certificate but taking courses for vocational reasons only
  3. Those in certain short certificate programs having no English or mathematics requirements
  4. Transient students

Placement Test Screening

There are three separate screening placement levels to determine proper English and/or math course placement of students. Placement is progressive. Advisors will follow each level (in sequence) in order to correctly place students.

NOTE: Reversing the order of or skipping screening levels is not allowed, for in doing so, one could inadvertently place a student in a developmental class incorrectly. Screening should be followed in the sequential order.

Placement scores and the high school GPA are valid for five years only. If older than 5 years, the student must take the Accuplacer.

Students who meet placement criteria on the basis of approved ACT sub-scores or high school markers in both math and English are exempt from taking Accuplacer. That is why it is important to screen all students under Level 1 and Level 2 screening before moving to Level 3.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Screening should take place in sequential order: Level 1, Level 2 to Level 3. Keep in mind, while screening, that the ultimate goal is to find the highest student placement, not the lowest. Thus, if a student is screened into developmental placement under Level 1 (ACT), you should move to Level 2 (high school GPA and grades) to see if you can screen the student out of developmental placement at this level. If not, move to Accuplacer testing. For example, if the ACT score is not high enough to place a student out of development, but the GPA and applicable high school grades are high enough, you must input that information and place that student out of developmental and into the gateway course. This approach holds true for Accuplacer scores as well. Therefore, placement is a graduated process. The highest placement pathway stands.