Math/English Placement Testing

Location: Testing Services, Red Mountain Building 124
Phone: 775-673-7111
Fax: 775-673-7878
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Website: http://testing.tmcc.edu

Initial Placement of Students into Math and English Courses

Degree-seeking students who meet or exceed the minimum English or mathematics scores on any one of the college readiness assessments listed below must be placed into a college-level course in that subject and are exempt from being placed into any form of remedial instruction in that subject provided that the student:

  1. Was continuously enrolled in an English course and a mathematics course in his or her senior year of high school unless an exception is approved on a case by case basis by an NSHE institution; and
  2. Enrolls in an NSHE institution after high school in any term (summer/fall/winter/spring) during the academic year following high school graduation.

English College Readiness Assessments

Test Minimum Score
ACT English 18
SAT Critical Reading 440
Smarter Balanced 2583 (Achievement Level 3)
PARCC Level 4 Score

Math College Readiness Assessments

Test Minimum Score
ACT Mathematics 22
SAT Mathematics 500
Smarter Balanced 2626 (Achievement Level 3)
PARCC Level 4 Score

For more information, please see the Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 16, Section 1.

ACCUPLACER

Students planning to enroll in math and/or English classes at TMCC and who do not have current ACT/SAT test scores (less than two years old) should take the ACCUPLACER placement exam unless they meet the Alternate Pathways requirements described below. Many courses at TMCC require specific ACCUPLACER math and/or English scores as prerequisites for registration. Students may waive the ACCUPLACER requirement with ACT and/or SAT scores that are less than two years old. Official ACT and/or SAT scores must be submitted to the Admissions and Records Office.

Students must have an active admission application and valid government-issued photo identification to take the ACCUPLACER exam at TMCC. ACCUPLACER testing is offered at Testing Services on a walk-in basis.

ACCUPLACER test scores take up to three business days to post to student accounts. Students will not be able to register for classes that have ACCUPLACER scores as prerequisites until scores are posted.

Alternate Pathways

To use high school transcripts to place in Math and English, students would need to submit official transcripts to the TMCC Admissions & Records office. Recent high school graduates (within 2 years) meeting the following criteria may place directly into college-level English or math courses:

Criteria May enroll in
Overall high school unweighted GPA >3.0 ENG 101 (READ 135 is recommended)
B average in Senior English classes taken in high school ENG 101 (READ 135 is recommended)
AP English course with a grade of B or higher ENG 101 (READ 135 is recommended)
Overall unweighted GPA > 3.0 and a grade of B or higher in Intermediate Algebra MATH 120 or MATH 126

Accommodations for Documented Disabilities

If you are a student with a documented disability and would like to receive accommodations for the ACCUPLACER/Placement test, please schedule an appointment with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to present your documentation before you take the ACCUPLACER/Placement test. Under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), any student who needs accommodations which require special testing environments should be scheduled well in advance of the start of the term; requests within three weeks prior to the start of the term may not be possible to schedule.

Course Placement Scores

The highest valid score within the past twenty-four month period will determine course placement for students. TMCC’s English and Math Departments determine the ACCUPLACER cut score information for new and continuing students. Please see the respective English Department and Math Department web pages for course placement scores and policies. TMCC reserves the right to change course placement scores.