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Common Assessment and Placement Testing

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Photo courtesy Framingham State University

Taking the Accuplacer

Students can make arrangements to take the accuplacer at any public institution. Dates and times for placement tests vary by college but can usually be found on the college's website.

Helpful hint #1: Use the search engine on your institution's website and type in keyword terms like “placement test,” “placement testing,” “placement,” and “accuplacer” to find more information.

Helpful hint #2: Visit the College Board website for tips on how to study for the Accuplacer.

2019 Common Assessment Policy

In March 2019, the Board of Higher Education adopted the 2019 Common Assessment Policy. This policy brought pilot initiatives (AAC 14-12  and AAC 16-19) into the next phase; system-wide implementation. Additionally, the College Board has updated the Accuplacer with a Next-Generation Accuplacer. Included below and in the new assessment policy are new cut-off scores for students being placed using these assessment standards. While some institutions may choose to use Accuplacer in order to assess students for placement into college level courses, the new policy also indicates that students may be assessed using other criteria like GPA, SAT Scores, or institutional exams. The DHE expects to collect implementation guidelines from institutions and release a table outlining which standards are being used at each institutions in the Spring of 2020. Please contact the institution to which you are applying in order to find out more information regarding their assessment policies.

English Placement – Accuplacer/Writerplacer Standard

Depending on the institution, students will be placed into Composition I using one of two options:

Option 1

  1. Score a 5 on the Writeplacer
  2. Score a 5 on the Writerplacer and a 245 on the Reading Accuplacer

Option 2

  1. Score a 4 on the Writerplacer and meet State University and University of Massachusetts admission standards
  2. Score a 4 on the Writerplacer and a 259 on the Reading Accuplacer
Math Placement – Accuplacer Standards by Mathematics Pathway

Quantitative Reasoning and Statistics Mathematics Pathways

  • Students must score at least a 262 on the Next Generation Accuplacer – Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics exam to place directly into a college-level Quantitative Reasoning or Statistics course. Institutions may set a higher cut score up to 268.

Elementary Education Pathways

  • Students must score at least a 268 on the Next Generation Accuplacer – Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics exam in order to be directly placed into the first course in the Elementary Education mathematics pathway sequence.

Calculus Mathematics Pathways

  • Students must score at least a 268 on the Next Generation Accuplacer – Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics exam in order to be directly placed into a College Algebra/Introduction to Functions course.
  • Students must score at least a 237 on the Next Generation Accuplacer – Advanced Algebra and Functions exam to place directly into Pre-Calculus. Institutions may set a higher cut score up to 243.
  • Students must score at least a 250 on Next Generation Accuplacer – Advanced Algebra and Functions exam to place directly into Calculus. Institutions may set a higher cut score up to 263.
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