Other Services

In addition to academic assessments, standardized testing, and certification/board exams we also provide the following services. Select a link to find out more.

Chemistry competency exam
Constitution Test
Counseling Instruments
Online assessment
Test proctoring services for distance learners
Spanish placement and proficiency tests

Chemistry competency exam
The Assessment Center administers the Chemistry Competency Test for students who want to provide evidence that they meet the chemistry prerequisite for BIO 121. The exam is administered by appointment. There is no time limit but it usually takes about an hour. The results are immediately available when the student concludes the exam. If the student passes, he or she is eligible to register for BIO 121. If the student fails the test, he or she is permitted to retest no sooner than one week later. Students who fail the second attempt are then required to either take a college chemistry course or take the ALR Chemistry Study Skills course in the Cooperative Learning Center.

Constitution Test
To meet Parkland’s graduation requirements
Effective October 2008, students graduating from Parkland College no longer need to pass the Constitution Test.

To meet the requirements to receive a GED
Candidates who need to take the Constitution Test to receive their GED Certification take it the same day they take the GED Tests. If a candidate does not take it that day or needs to take a retest, he or she should make an appointment with the Assessment Center. The test is scored by the Regional Office of Education, so it usually takes a week or two to get the results. A study guide for the Constitution Test is available at Parkland College’s bookstore. Be sure to ask for the study guide for the constitution test that satisfies GED certificate requirements.

Counseling Instruments
We administer interest inventories, values surveys, and aptitude tests in cooperation with the Counseling and Advising Center and the Career Center. Individuals visit with a counselor first to determine which combination of instruments should be taken. The counselor fills out a test card that the individual brings to the Assessment Center after paying the appropriate fees. The Assessment Center staff sets up an appointment to administer the instrument. After the instrument has been scored, the individual meets with the counselor to interpret the results.

Online Placement Testing
Students taking Parkland's online courses who live within Community College District 505 must come to the Parkland Assessment Center to complete the appropriate placement tests. Students living outside of Community College District 505 may take the Parkland placement tests in a proctored environment at an educational institution closer to home. Students must contact the Director of Assessment to make arrangements.

Spanish placement and proficiency tests

Placement

Students should take the Spanish Placement Exam if they want to take a Parkland Spanish class and

• have not taken Spanish in the past three years.
• have taken Spanish in the past three years, but are unsure of current placement.
• have spent time in a Spanish-speaking environment.
• previous Spanish classes were at the high-school level.

To take the Spanish Placement Exam, students must have already completed the application process (click here for information on submitting an application), must have college-level reading ability, and must have placed into ENG 101. If these prerequisites have been met, students may contact the Assessment Center to make an appointment for the exam. There is no fee to take the test. Results are available shortly after test completion. Along with the results, students receive an interpretation guide identifying into which Spanish course they place. Placements are not debatable and will determine eligibility for course registration. There is a six-month waiting period before the placement test can be taken again.

Once a student has their placement results, they may register for the appropriate Spanish class either through the online system or by contacing the Counseling and Advising Center if their registration is blocked.

Proficiency

Students who want to receive course credit for Spanish classes must first see the coordinator of the Spanish Program. The coordinator will complete a “Petition to Proficiency.” The student should take the completed form to the Business Office and pay the fee. The student should then bring the petition to the Assessment Center to make an appointment to complete the exam. The test has 70 multiple-choice items and the student is allowed 75 minutes to complete the items. The test is scored immediately after completion. The results are sent to the coordinator of the Spanish Program. The student should then contact the coordinator for the results of the proficiency exam.

Test proctoring services for distance learners
The Consortium of College Testing Centers (CCTC) is a group of college and university testing centers throughout the United States that has come together to support distance learning. The purpose of the CCTC is to make test administration services available to students at locations other than their own campuses. These services are provided in traditional paper-pencil formats as well as by using online servers at some sites. The CCTC is a free referral service. If an individual needs a test proctored in the United States, he or she can refer to the CCTC map for the closest available site.

The Assessment Center is a CCTC member in Illinois. As a CCTC member, the staff proctor distance learning exams for students whose classes are housed on campuses across the United States. For more information about the Parkland Assessment Center staff proctoring a test, call 217/351-2432.

 

Call 217/351-2432 if you need more information.

 

Parkland College • 2400 West Bradley Avenue • Champaign, IL 61821 • 217/351-2200 • 800/346-8089
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