Placement Testing

Placement testing is required for

• All students new to college
• Students pursuing a degree
• Students pursuing a program at the SouthWest Skill Center
• Students taking their first college level English, Reading or Math class
• Students taking a class that requires English, Reading or Math as a prerequisite.

All placement test scores for Accuplacer & CELSA are valid for 2 years from the date of testing with the exception of the reading exemption score which does not expire.

Students who are new to college will need to take the placement test and attend a Pre-Advisement Workshop (PAW). Please see the testing schedule for days and times.

Students without a high school diploma or GED who wish to apply for financial aid will need to take all 3 tests (English, Reading and Math) on the same day and meet specific criteria to qualify for Ability to Benefit (ATB).

The Accuplacer test is an untimed, computerized test for English, Reading and Math in a multiple choice format. Please review the Accuplacer questions before testing.

CELSA is an computerized test used for course placement into the English as a Second Language program for both English and Reading. This test takes 45 minutes to complete and consists of 75 multiple choice questions. The test is computerized only and does not include a listening or spoken portion.