Academic Placement Procedure

Procedure

1. Placement Testing Requirements
   
   
   1. After applying to the College, placement tests are required for:
      
      
      1. Individuals who are first-time college students seeking a degree or certificate, whether they enroll full-time or part-time.
      2. Individuals planning to take their first English or mathematics course.
      3. Currently enrolled students seeking a degree/certificate, whether enrolled full-time or part-time, who have not been tested in the past or whose placement scores and/or exemptions have expired.
      4. Transfer or readmitted individuals who have not completed a college-level math and/or English course.
      5. Individuals who are designated as Courses of Interest students and wish to enroll in courses with prerequisites of reading, writing, ESOL, or mathematics.
      6. Individuals who change their designation from Courses of Interest to certificate-or degree-seeking.
      7. Individuals who are registering for non-credit courses with prerequisites of reading, writing, ESOL, or mathematics that are provided through contract training or offered in the Continuing Education and Workforce Development (CEWD) course schedule.
         
         
   2. Upon completion of all required placement tests, individuals are required to consult with an advisor to develop a degree, certificate, or appropriate plan for completion, including course selection. Individuals will choose courses based on their placement scores and their individual career and college goals.
      
      
   3. Placement tests are not required for individuals as noted under “Exceptions and Exemptions to Required Placement Testing,” below.
      
      
2. Placement Guidelines
   
   
   1. Unless otherwise indicated, placement scores are determined using Accuplacer academic assessments.
   2. Placement scores will be valid for two years after the date of taking the placement tests.
   3. Minimum cut scores have been determined for college-readiness in reading, writing, and mathematics.
   4. Students, whose first language is not English, will take Accuplacer ESL tests to determine reading and writing placement scores when less than four (4) years of English as a Second Language high school coursework were completed.
   5. Individuals with documented disabilities as verified by the Disability Access Services Office will receive reasonable accommodations while completing the required placement tests.
   6. Individuals are permitted to retest once per Accuplacer Next Generation assessment, no sooner than twenty-four (24) hours after the initial assessment.
   7. Students who are continuously enrolled will not be permitted to retest once they have started attending developmental or English language acquisition course(s).
   8. Readmitted students must either retest or complete the developmental or English language acquisition course(s) as stipulated in the current FCC Academic Catalog.
   9. Individuals who demonstrate college-readiness as stipulated in Section VII “Exceptions and Exemptions to Required Placement Testing” will be eligible to enroll in the appropriate credit-level courses according to their specific college-readiness scores.
      
      
3. Exceptions and Exemptions to Required Placement Testing
   
   
   1. Individuals transferring from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education who present unofficial and/or official transcripts indicating successful completion (cumulative 2.00 GPA or higher) of the equivalent of at least twelve (12) college credits will be exempted from the reading placement test, if six (6) credits are general education courses.
      
      
   2. Individuals will be exempted from the reading and writing placement tests if they provide evidence of successfully completing one or more of the following:
       
      1. The equivalent of FCC course ENGL101 or the first college-level English composition course at an accredited U.S. institution or credit through College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).
      2. The Advanced Placement (AP) test with a score of 3 or higher in English Language and Composition or English Literature and Composition. For the purpose of placement test exemption, AP test scores are valid for five years from the test date.
      3. The International Baccalaureate (IB) full diploma or exams with a grade of 4 or above in one or more of the following exams: Language A Literature SL or HL, and/or Language A: Language & Literature SL or HL. IB test scores are valid for five years from the test date.
      4. The Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) at AS-Level or A-Level coursework. Exam scores of e(e) or E(e) or higher in English Language or Language & Literature. For the purpose of placement test exemption, Cambridge AICE grades are valid for five years.
      5. English 10 MCAP score of 3 or 4 (Early Fall MCAP score of 2 or 3). For the purpose of placement test exemption, this score is valid for one year after an individual’s date of high school graduation.
      6. The PARCC ELA test score of 4 or 5. For the purpose of placement test exemption, this score is valid for one year after an individual’s date of high school graduation.
      7. The GED Reasoning Through Language Arts test with a score of 165 or higher. GED scores are valid for one year from the test date.
         
         
   3. Individuals will be exempted from the math placement tests if they provide evidence of successfully completing one or more of the following:
      
      
      1. A general education math course, at the college level, at an accredited U.S. institution or credit through DSST or CLEP.
      2. The Advanced Placement (AP) test with a score of 3 or higher in Calculus AB, Calculus BC, or Statistics. For the purpose of placement test exemption, AP test scores are valid for five years from the test date.
      3. The International Baccalaureate (IB) exams with a grade of 4 or above on one or more of the following exams: Mathematical Studies, Mathematics SL or HL and/or Further Math. For the purpose of placement test exemption, IB test scores are valid for five years from the test date.
      4. The Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) at AS-Level or A-Level coursework. Exam scores of e(e) or E(e) or higher in Mathematics. For the purpose of placement test exemption, Cambridge AICE grades are valid for five years.
      5. Algebra II or Geometry MCAP score of 3 or 4 (Early Fall MCAP score of 2 or 3). This score is valid for one year after an individual’s date of high school graduation.
      6. The Algebra II or Geometry PARCC test score of 4 or 5. For the purpose of placement test exemption, this score is valid for one year after an individual’s date of high school graduation.
      7. The GED Mathematical Reasoning test with a score of 165 or higher. GED scores are valid for one year from the test date.
         
         
   4. Individuals from Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) who successfully completed the following math courses are exempt from taking the math placement tests. This exemption is valid for one year after the individual’s date of high school graduation, unless otherwise noted.
      
      
      1. Algebra II with an A or B, or Advanced Algebra with Trigonometry with an A or B or C, completed within the past two years, are eligible to enroll in courses up to and including FCC course MATH145.
      2. Intermediate Transitional Algebra with an A or B and earning the designated score on an FCC-approved college-readiness exam are eligible to enroll in non- STEM, FCC course MATH101 or MATH120.
      3. Pre-Calculus or higher-level math course with an A, B, or C are eligible to enroll in the equivalent college-level credit-bearing course.
      4. Designated transition math modules and earning the designated score on an FCC-approved college-readiness exam are eligible to enroll in non-STEM FCC course MATH101 or MATH120.
         
         
   5. Individuals from FCPS who successfully completed English 12 and earn a final letter grade of A or B will be exempted from the reading and writing placement tests. They will be deemed college-ready in reading and writing and will be eligible to enroll in FCC course ENGL101. This exemption is valid for one year after the individual’s date of high school graduation.
      
      
   6. Individuals from FCPS, whose first language is not English, will be exempted from the Accuplacer ESL placement tests and may concurrently enroll in FCC course ESOL100 while in high school, if they provide evidence of successfully completing EL English 10 with final letter grade of A or B. This exemption is valid only for rising juniors.
      
      
   7. Individuals who have provided a copy of their SAT/ACT scores that meet the exemption criteria set by statewide agreements will be exempted from individual placement tests. SAT and ACT scores are valid for five years from the test date.
      
      
      1. Individuals with a SAT Mathematics score of 530 or higher are exempted from math placement testing.
      2. Individuals with an ACT Mathematics score of 21 or higher are exempted from math placement testing.
      3. Individuals with a SAT Evidence-based Reading & Writing score of 480 or higher are exempt from reading and writing placement testing.
      4. Individuals with an average ACT score of 21 or higher on the English & Reading Tests are exempted from reading and writing placement testing.
         
         
   8. Individuals who provide an official copy of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score transcript and who score a 575 or higher on the paper-based test, or a score of 90 or higher on the internet-based test are exempted from the reading, writing, and ESL placement tests. TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date.
      
      
   9. Individuals who provide a copy of their official Accuplacer or alternative placement test score(s), and meet the FCC placement criteria that exempts them from developmental reading, writing, and/or mathematics, will also be exempt from the corresponding FCC placement tests. These scores are valid for two years from the test date. Testing Center Services Director will evaluate the scores and assign appropriate course placement(s).
      
      
   10. Individuals who provide an unofficial transcript indicating satisfactory completion (at a C or better) of the highest-level developmental course work in reading, writing, and/or mathematics at another Maryland community college or University System of Maryland college/university are exempted from corresponding placement tests. There is no expiration for this exemption regarding the age of the transfer course. Reading and writing placement exemptions do not apply to ESL course work.
       
       
   11. Visiting students from other institutions of higher learning who present a “Permission to Enroll” form will have prerequisites waived for the courses certified by the sending institutions. No placement exemption will be entered; complete the Visiting Student Form.
       
       
   12. Individuals who have provided an official transcript indicating they have been awarded an associate degree or higher from an accredited U.S. institution will be exempted from placement testing.
       
       
   13. Students who have successfully completed an FCC-approved academic intervention will be permitted one additional retest for a total of three placement test attempts, unless otherwise permitted by a specific FCC program.
       
       
   14. Individuals enrolled in FCPS or another school with a dual enrollment agreement with the College who wish to participate in dual enrollment and present a transcript that verifies a cumulative, unweighted high school GPA of 3.0 or better and a grade of A, B, or C in Algebra I or scored 3 or higher on Algebra I MCAP will be exempt from taking reading, writing, and mathematics placement tests. Additionally, individuals who have met Maryland College & Career Readiness (CCR) Standard by earning a 3 or higher on both English 10 MCAP and Algebra 1 MCAP are also exempt from reading, writing, and mathematics placement tests and placed into non-STEM FCC courses. For STEM courses, individuals must have both GPA of 3.0 or better and grade of B or better in Algebra II or meet any other math exemption or obtain appropriate Accuplacer math score.
       
       
   15. Individuals enrolled in FCPS or another school with a dual enrollment agreement with the College who wish to participate in dual enrollment may take the placement tests twice. Individuals may retake the placement test a third time within six months of high school graduation, with an unofficial transcript or report card indicating successful completion of grade 12 English and/or math, and verification of their placement testing records by the Testing Center.
       
       
   16. Individuals who have graduated from a Maryland high school, public or private, and present a transcript that verifies a cumulative, unweighted high school GPA of 2.6 or better will be exempt from taking the reading, writing, and mathematics placement testing and placed into non-STEM FCC courses. Individuals with a GPA of 1.9-2.59 will also be exempt from placement testing and placed into co-requisite courses with entry-level English and math credit (ENGL100-101, ESOL100, MATH101A, MATH120A, and MATH145S). This measure does not apply to grades earned in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. For STEM courses, individuals must have both GPA of 2.6 or better and grade of B or better in Algebra II. This GPA exemption will be valid for five years after the date of the individual’s high school graduation.
       
       
   17. Individuals who are otherwise exempted by the Associate Vice President for the Center for Teaching and Learning or their designee, in consultation with an appropriate subject matter expert.
       
       
4. Placement Testing Procedure
   
   
   1. Placement testing is available on a rolling basis throughout the calendar year. Current scheduling information is available on the Testing Center webpage.
      
      
   2. Students are encouraged to apply for any FCC testing accommodations through Disability Access Services prior to scheduling their placement testing appointments.
      
      
   3. Upon completion of placement testing, students are provided with an advising document that includes their test results. Testing Center staff will direct students to the appropriate academic advisor to consult in selecting their coursework.
      
      
5. Placement Review and Appeal Procedure
   
   Students who believe their placement does not accurately reflect their ability, or for whom exemption status may have changed, may request a review of their academic placement. Review requests must be submitted via email from an FCC email address to [email protected] and include supporting documentation. Students who do not yet have an FCC email address should contact the Testing Center for guidance. The Testing Center Director will provide a timely response, including an action plan and approximate processing window as appropriate.
   
   
6. Academic Review of Placement Testing Procedures
   
   Placement testing instruments, validity periods, and qualifying scores are reviewed as needed by Teaching, Learning, and Student Success for currency, accuracy, and quality. Faculty members determine qualifying scores and course credit equivalencies for placement tests in their fields of expertise.