Competency and Placement Testing
All credit students must show competence in basic writing, mathematics and computer skills. Competence in these areas contributes to the student’s potential for success in college. Competence in any of the above areas may be shown through transfer of college credit, CLEP scores, AP credits, SAT/ACT scores or competency testing.
Upon receiving official scores from the appropriate testing service, a student will be placed into the appropriate level course or be granted academic credit.
SAT ERW | ACT (English+Reading) | Advanced Placement (Language) | GED (r) (English Section) | Placement Into the Following Course | Credit Awarded |
460 and below | 32 and below | 164 and below | ENGL 010 concurrent with ENGL 101 | none | |
470-630 | 33-54 | ENGL 101 | none | ||
640-680 | 55-61 | ENGL 102 | ENGL 101 | ||
690 and above | 62 and above | 4 or 5 | Exempt | ENGL 101, 102 |
SAT Math | ACT (Math) | ALEKS PPL | GED (r) (Math Section) | Placement Into the Following Course |
480 and below | 17 and below | 0-45 | 164 and below | Math 010 |
490-530 | 18-21 | 46-60 | Math 161 | |
540-600 | 22-25 | 61-75 | Math 165 or 171 | |
610 and above | 26 and above | 76-100 | Math 181 |
- If remedial course work was taken at an accredited institution of higher education and the student passed the course, he may be placed in ENGL 101 or MATH 161.
- Students not meeting minimum scores will automatically be placed in basic 0-level courses. Students without SAT or ACT test scores will automatically be put in 0-level courses.
- Students automatically placed in a basic level course will have the option of coming to campus (or online when available) and take a competency test to demonstrate academic ability and be placed in the appropriate 100-level course.
- Curricular deficiencies must be satisfied within a student’s first 24 hours of college-level coursework at MACU (excluding repeats, pass/fail and 0-level courses). Deficiencies not remediated during the specified time period will result in the student being academically suspended from MACU and have to remedy the deficiency before being allowed to return to MACU.
Students who do not have SAT or ACT scores to submit will automatically be placed in the Foundations of English Lab and Foundations of College Mathematics courses, but such placement may be challenged by taking a competency exam.
The Assessment used by MACU for English Placement is the Diagnostic Test of Standard English. The Diagnostic Test of Standard English is used to challenge placement in a 0-level Foundations of English course. The Achievement Test of Standard English is used at the conclusion of the 0-level basic course. The exam assesses grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. Test takers are given 30 minutes to complete the multiple-choice questions which cover topics like subject-verb agreement, modifiers, parallel structure, and run-on sentences. The test is meant to evaluate a student’s mastery of core rules of written English. A raw score of 35 (70%) or more correct places the student in ENGL 101.
The Assessment used by MACU for Math placement is ALEKS®. Detailed information about ALEKS may be found here.