Placement Testing - English
English Placement Exams
Placement in the English composition courses is first based on ACT composition subscores. If students are satisfied with their placement based on those scores, then students do not have to take the Next-Generation ACCUPLACER test for writing or reading that cover English skills. Students who have not taken the ACT exam within the past 5 years, or have not provided their ACT or SAT scores to us, are required to take the Next-Generation ACCUPLACER test and they are administered at no charge. Students who have taken the ACT exam, but are not satisfied with placement based on those scores, may challenge the ACT English (writing and reading) scores one time only by taking the Next-Generation ACCUPLACER test for writing and/or reading. In these cases, students will be charged $17.00 for the Next-Generation ACCUPLACER test. The Next-Generation ACCUPLACER test scores may allow them to enroll in higher-level classes than their ACT scores indicate. The table below shows how placement is determined for English courses:
| ACT Score |
ACCUPLACER Next-Generation ACCUPLACER
|
English (Writing) Course Placement |
| 1 to 12 |
Sentence Skills 0 - 52 Writing 200 - 236
|
ENGL 101 Composition I and ENGL 033 Basic Writing (3 cr.) |
| 13 to 14 |
Sentence Skills 53 - 70 Writing 237 - 249
|
ENGL 101 Composition I and ENGL 033 Basic Writing (2 cr.) |
| 15 to 17 |
Sentence Skills 71 - 85 Writing 250 - 262
|
ENGL 101 Composition I and ENGL 033 Basic Writing (1 cr.) |
| 18 to 36 |
Sentence Skills 86 - 120 Writing 263+
|
ENGL 101 Composition |
Appendix A
ACT COMPASS and ACCUPLACER Placement Scores
Effective SP18/SU18, Next-Generation SP19
| University |
Courses |
Enhanced ACT Scores
|
COMPASS Scores
|
ACCUPLACER Classic & Next-Generation
|
Smarter Balance
|
ENGLISH |
| SDSMT |
ENGL 033 Basic Writing: 3 credits*
|
ACT English: 1 to 12
|
Writing: 1 to 32
|
Sentence Skills: 0 - 52
Writing 200 - 236
|
0 - 2492
|
|
ENGL 032 Basic Writing: 2 credits*
|
ACT English: 13 or 14
|
Writing: 33 to 48
|
Sentence Skills: 53 - 70 Writing 237 -249
|
0 - 2492
|
|
ENGL 031 Basic Writing: 1 credit*
|
ACT English: 15 to 17
|
Writing: 49 to 73
|
Sentence Skills: 71 - 85
Writing 250 - 262
|
2493 - 2582
|