English and Math Placement

Taking and Preparing for the Placement Test

Take a Practice ACCUPLACER Placement Test

Because the test determines your first year course load, it is very important that you familiarize yourself with the test format, test questions, and test strategies and that you practice taking the test. To do so, we highly recommend that you:

Visit the official ACCUPLACER site

Download the free ACCUPLACER Study app

Test Structure

Please take a moment to look at the test descriptions below. They will help give you an idea of what to expect on the actual placement test. Overall, the placement test consists of two parts: an English or ESL part and a Math part.

If your primary spoken language is other than English, you may be asked to take the ESL part, which includes ESL Listening, ESL Writing and ESL Reading Skills sections.  

On the other hand, if you are a native English speaker, you will be asked to take the English part, which includes English Writing (Writeplacer) and English Reading Comprehension (Next-Generation Reading) Sections.

Finally, the Math Part consists of three sections:

• Next-Generation Arithmetic
• Next-Generation Quantitative Reasoning Algebra, and Statistics (QAS)
• Next-Generation Advanced Algebra and Functions (AAF)

Depending on your performance, you may be asked to take one, two, or all three sections of the Math test.

All parts and sections of the placement test are computer-based, and offered at the Main Campus and Regional Centers. No computer skills are required. You simply use the mouse to click on the answer.

English and ESL Writing Sections

In the English or ESL writing sections, you will have 60 minutes to write about a topic you will be given that day. Topics are chosen randomly.  The writing sample is then scored by ACCUPLACER. Keep in mind that the more you write, the better you will score on this test . The instructions for the writing test suggest writing 300 to 600 words – write more than 600! Remember, the more you write, the better you will do.

Members of the ESL faculty review essays and placement may be adjusted by that faculty reader. The combined scores of the faculty reader and ACCUPLACER, together with your score the ESL Reading Skills section, will be used to determine your placement in ESL classes.

For how the essays are evaluated and for sample practice questions as well as scored writing samples, please download the set of or the set of ESL Sample Essays or English Essays.

Reading Comprehension, ESL Reading Skills, ESL Listening and the Math Sections (computerized):

The Next-Generation Reading, ESL Reading Skills, and ESL Listening sections are comprised of 20 questions each and are untimed, allowing you to work at you own pace.

The math part begins with either the Next-Generation Arithmetic or the Quantitative Reasoning section and may progress to the Advanced Algebra test, depending on your skills. Each math section consists of 20 questions.

Test Prep Sites

Besides the official ACCUPLACER site and the study APP, other test prep sites for the Placement Test may be accessed on the internet by typing "ACCUPLACER Practice" from any browser search field. A number of sites will be listed, some for English and some for Math. Any of the free sites provide valuable practice opportunities; there is not need to use any site for which you need to pay a fee. Some of the better sites are as follows

• http://owl.excelsior.edu/essay_zone/
• http://www.purplemath.com/modules/index.htm
• http://accuprep.pccc
• http://www.accuplacerpractice.com

Placement Levels and Courses

Based on your performance on the placement test, and depending on your specific English language and mathematics abilities and needs you will be placed in one of CCP’s college-level courses or pre- college-level courses.

Please review below the CCP placement levels and courses and visit the relevant department links to view brief course and program descriptions.

English Placement Levels and Courses
Your placement in English courses is based on how you perform in the English Writing and the Reading Comprehension sections. The set of pre-college and college English levels and courses that you may be placed in are shown in the chart below.

If you are placed in ABE, you will able to retest upon successful completion of the ABE classes. Learn more about ABE classes.

If you are placed in Level 2 and pass the courses at that level with a grade of "Pass" you automatically move to College Level courses ENGL 101 and ENGL 098

ESL Placement Levels and Courses
Your placement in ESL courses is based on the combination of how you perform in the ESL Reading Skills section, the ESL Writing Section, and the ESL Listening. The set of pre-college and college ESL courses that you may be placed in are shown in the chart below.

If you place in Pre-ESL, you must contact the ESL Institute and pass their highest ESL level before retesting. You will need to bring a letter of completion to the Assessment Center in order to retest. For more information, please visit the ESL Institute.

All ESL Reading, ESL Writing, and ESL Listening/Speaking courses are part of a series and have to be taken sequentially depending on where you are initially placed.

Math Placement Levels and Courses

Your placement in mathematics courses is based on how you perform in the Arithmetic, Elementary Algebra, and/or College-Level Math sections.  The set of pre-college and college math courses that you may be placed in are listed in the chart below.

The Foundational Math courses and Math courses are part of a series and have to be taken sequentially depending on where you are placed.