COMPASS Placement Testing
All new students who are seeking a degree or entering a program of study, students planning to receive financial aid, students entering the first semester of mathematics or English courses (includes transfer students who do not have credit in mathematics or English) must either take the COMPASS assessment for placement in English and mathematics or they must provide documentation for a waiver of this placement test requirement.
In order to be exempt from the Writing and Reading Skills portion of the COMPASS, a student must provide documentation of having met one of the following criteria::
1. Completed academic or college-bound English with grades of B or better for both the junior and senior year of high school.
2. Achieved a score of 475 or higher on the verbal section of the SAT or a score of 19 or higher on the ACT
In order to be exempt from the mathematics portion of the COMPASS assessment, the student must meet one of the following criteria:*
1. For a transfer program of study taking liberal arts mathematics (MTH 151) and/or statistics (MTH 157), provide documentation of completion of both algebra I and geometry and algebra II with grade of C or better
For a transfer program requiring MTH 163 or 166, provide documentation of completion of both algebra I and geometry and algebra II with a grade of A within the past 3 years or have taken a 4th unit of math (either pre-calculus or calculus)
MTH 06 - Students may be placed directly in MTH 06 without testing provided the student has completed Algebra I or the equivalent developmental course.
MTH 103 & MTH 120 - Students who made a grade of B or better algebra I within the past three years may be placed in MTH 103 or MTH 120 without testing.
MTH 175 - Students who have completed four units of high school mathematics including Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Trigonometry within the past three years with a grade of A in either Algebra II or Trigonometry may be placed in MTH 175 without testing.
MTH 271 - Students who have completed four units of high school mathematics including Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and either Trigonometry or Pre-Calculus within the past three years with a grade of A in either Algebra II or Trigonometry or Pre-Calculus may be placed in MTH 271 without testing.
For a non-transfer degree, a grade of C or better in algebra I only is required in most programs
For a career studies or certificate program without a mathematics requirement, this portion of the COMPASS is waived without documentation
*Due to the variety of math courses offered and the various requirements for each one, students may wish to consult an advisor for exact criteria for waivers in mathematics.
The COMPASS test is administered and scored on the computer. For those students unable to take a computerized test, the ASSET may be substituted which is a paper and pencil exam. Placement tests are given in the college’s Learning Technology Center and no appointment is necessary. Hours are 8 AM to 7PM Monday through Thursday, 8AM to 4 PM on Friday and 9 AM to 12 Noon on Saturday. Testing hours may change by semester - please check with the center.
If you need practice and/or samples - please link to the following: