Assessment Services at Colorado Mountain College
Accuplacer Assessment
Accuplacer is an assessment tool used by CMC to determine the appropriate level at which students will be placed in math, reading, and English prior to registration. If a student has not taken a standardized test, ACT or SAT, or does not have prior college-level coursework, they are encouraged to seek assistance from an Advisor or College Counselor for Accuplacer review options and study guide resources.
The Accuplacer scoring process counts all unanswered items as incorrect. The Accuplacer test is not timed. A calculator is not to be used. On the higher-level math courses, a calculator will automatically appear when it is acceptable to use a calculator.
Research on Colorado's assessment programs indicate that new students who follow assessment-related advice have a much higher chance of academic success than those who do not follow such advice.
To set up a time to take the Accuplacer assessment, please call a counselor at the campus you plan to attend. They will help you get started.
Retesting
Reading and English tests may be retaken once per subject per semester after students review of the subject matter and after the student has paid the $20 per subject retest fee. Students must wait a minimum of one week to retest. The highest score is used.
For mathematics, a student may retest once per semester after reviewing the subject matter and after the student has paid the $20 per subject retest fee. Once a student has begun their math course sequence, they may not retake the Accuplacer to skip or place into a higher course. However, with permission from their math faculty or an advisor, they may take an alternative math placement exam.
The assessment/placement tests measure current academic skills in particular subject areas. Since current academic skill is at least in part dependent upon recency and current experience, placement test scores will be valid for no longer than two calendar years from the date of the test. Students who wish to enroll into courses in the placement disciplines will need to retest if their scores are more than two years old and they have not already taken a course in the discipline. Students who has have satisfactorily completed a course in the discipline may enroll in the next course in the sequence without retesting.