Montgomery College uses placement to help students identify their level of English, reading, and mathematics skills; skills necessary for academic success. Guided Placement is used to assess English reading and writing skills; ALEKS PPL is used to assess mathematics skills. The College’s assessment policies and required courses pertaining to assessment are listed under Assessment and Course Placement) in the Admissions and Registration section of this catalog.
Most course descriptions for college-level courses list prerequisites or assessment levels for English, reading, or mathematics. An assessment level for a particular course indicates which English, reading, or mathematics courses students must be eligible to enroll in when they enroll in that course. Eligibility is determined through Guided Placement for English reading and writing or ALEKS for mathematics, acceptable scores of other test instruments (see below), transfer credit, Alternate Placement Program designation, or completion of courses that lead to the identified assessment levels. Non-native speakers of English who have taken the ESL ACCUPLACER and are enrolled in English for Academic Purposes (ELAW, ELAR, ELAS, ELAI) courses should consult a counselor or adviser for required assessment levels.
Students who have completed any of the following tests with the indicated scores or higher should consult a counselor before taking an assessment test: SAT-500 verbal, 530 math (620 for MATH 165 or higher); ACT-21 or higher (26 or higher for MATH 165 or higher); TOEFL-575 or higher (231 or higher on the computerized version; 90 or higher on the Internet-based version); Advanced Placement-3, 4, or 5, depending on individual department requirements; CLEP general examination-50th percentile (except for MATH 165 or higher); CEEB Achievement Test-50 or higher.
Students with an IERW or ELAP placement must enroll in those courses first before enrolling in any other courses. Courses with no assessment levels or prerequisite listed are open to students who place into at least IERW001 or ELAW970.
