Placement tests

Assessment Tests for Course Placement

All degree/certificate-seeking students must have placements in reading, English, and math.

(All appointments for testing must be done 48 hours in advance)

 

Reading assessment used for course placement New and returning students must have a reading placement on file before going through student orientation.

Reading Placement Test

Standardized test scores, ACT and the NEW SAT, can be used for the reading placement, as long as they have been submitted to the Admissions Office.

If you scored a 20 or higher on the ACT Reading Section, 480 on the NEW SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing , or 570 on the OLD SAT Reading test and your score is less than 3 years old, you do not need to take the reading placement test.

Links for test preparation:

Accuplacer Sample Test Questions (Reading)
Accuplacer Sample Reading Tests
CENGAGE Learning Practice Tests
English Success Practice Tests

Retesting Policy:

You must wait 48 hours between placement assessments. There will be an $10 fee for each reassessment.

Placement Results expire in 3 years.

Additional Information:

Reading placement scores and other information.

English assessment used for course placement New and returning students must have an English placement on file before going through student orientation.

English Placement Test

Standardized test scores, ACT and the NEW SAT, can be used for the English placement, as long as they have been submitted to the Admissions Office.

If you scored a 20 or higher on the ACT English Section, 480 on the NEW SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, or 470 on the OLD SAT English test and your score is less than 3 years old, you do not need to take the English placement test.

Links for test preparation:

Accuplacer Sample Test Questions (English)
CENGAGE Learning Practice Tests
English Success Practice Tests

Retesting Policy:

You must wait 48 hours between placement assessments. You can retest once in a 3 year period. There will be an $10 fee for each reassessment.

Placement Results expire in 3 years.

Additional Information:

English placement scores and other information.

Mathematics assessment used for course placement New and returning students must have a mathematics placement on file before going through student orientation.

Mathematics Placement Tests

Standardized test scores, ACT and the NEW SAT, can be used for placement into reading, English, and math as long as they have been submitted to the Admissions Office. Placements received can be viewed at Math Placement.

Any new or returning student who needs a valid math placement to take a Parkland College math course must have the required ACT/SAT scores or unexpired college-level math course credits or take Parkland assessment testing.

ACT/SAT scores are valid for two and a half years from the date taken.

Parkland uses the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) service for our math assessment testing.  Along with testing service ALEKS also provides testing preparation and learning modules.

If you need to take the test:

Math Placement and follow the setup instructions.

Links for test preparation:

Kahn Academy
MathTV Video Tutorials by topic
Click here to login and begin prep work for your ALEKS PPL assessment.

Retesting Policy:

You must wait 48 hours between placement assessments. You may take up to five Placement Assessments: one unproctored and four proctored. However, it is required that you spend five hours working in your ALEKS Prep and Learning Module between proctored placement re-assessments. There will be an $10 fee for each reassessment.

Mathematics Placement will expire in 2.5 years, then you must take the ALEKS test for a new placement.

Additional Information:

Math placement scores and other information.

Non-Native Speaking (NNS) assessment used for course placement New and returning students whose first language is not English will have to take the NNS assessment.

English as a Second Language (ESL) or Non-Native Speaking (NNS) Placement Tests

Parkland College uses the Cambridge Michigan Language Assessments (CaMLA) English Placement Test (EPT) to determine ESL/NNS placement. The CaMLA test is designed to quickly and reliably place ESL/NNS students into appropriate ability levels. It provides an accurate assessment of a test taker’s general language proficiency by measuring performance in key skill areas.
You DO NOT need to take the ESL Placement test if you scored a 61 or higher on the IBT TOEFL or a 6 on the IELTS and submitted your score report to Admissions and Records. You would be eligible for the ESL writing sample and math placement test.

# Assessment Minimum Eligibility

1

TOEFL

61

Eligible for Non-Native Speaker Writing Sample

2

TOEFL

61

Eligible for Parkland Math Placement Assessment

3

IELTS

6

Eligible for Non-Native Speaker Writing Sample

4

IELTS

6

Eligible for Parkland Math Placement Assessment

5

Camla EPT

69  

Eligible for Non-Native Speaker Writing Sample

6

Camla EPT

51

Eligible for Parkland Math Placement Assessment


Key Skill Areas:

Listening comprehension
Grammatical knowledge
Vocabulary range
Reading comprehension


If you need to take the test:

The CaMLA placement test consists of 80 questions. 20 Listening Skills questions and 60 Sentence Skills and Reading Comprehension questions.
Level Score Placement

Beginner

0-26

071/081/091

Beginner (high)

27-40

071/082/092

Intermediate (low)

41-50

072/083/093

Intermediate (high)

51-61

073/084/094

Advanced (low)

62-68

074/085/095

Advanced

69-80

ESL Writing Sample


Writing Sample (essay):

Certain results may qualify an assessor to complete a Writing Sample. Successful completion of the writing sample may allow a student to place higher.

The writing sample is a 60-minute, pencil-and-paper essay. When writing the essay, one of two given topics will be chosen to write about. These topics are general information/personal opinion topics that do not require specific content information or prior knowledge. The Composition faculty are more interested in how you state your ideas rather than what those ideas are.

Composition faculty will evaluate your essay to determine if you have the skills necessary for a college-level composition course. They look at the essay's organization and development of ideas as well as how clearly you express your thoughts and how well you use grammar and punctuation. Because the time to write your essay is limited, they suggest that you make your main point clear in the first paragraph and then use subsequent paragraphs to provide supporting details and discussion.  

Students that receive a score of 3 on the writing sample will be placed into college level NNS courses.


Links for test Preparation:

CAMLA Sample Question

Retesting Policy:

You must wait 48 hours between Placement Assessments. You can retest once a year. A retest has a fee of $10.Placement Results expire in 1 years.
Nurse Academic Skills Test assessment information All applicants for Parkland Nursing program must take the test.

Nursing Academic Skills Test (Kaplan)

Taking the Admissions Test does not guarantee acceptance into the nursing program.

Candidates must have college level reading, English, and mathematics placements before taking the Nursing Academic Skills test (Kaplan Nursing Admissions Test).

The Kaplan Nursing Admissions Test is offered most Mondays - Fridays in the Parkland College Assessment Center (Room U 203) during the months of August, September, January, and February.

There is a $15.00 testing fee due at the time of check-in for your test, for the administration of the test.

Test Preparation:

More information can be found on the Kaplan website.

The Center for Academic Success also has test preparation resources. Visit D120 or call 217/351-2441 for more information.

Retesting Policy:

You must wait 48 hours between assessments. The Nursing Academic Skills Test can be taken twice per testing session.

Chemistry Competency assessment Chemistry Competency Exam is a 90 minute computer based exam used for placement into BIO 121.

Chemistry Competency Placement Test

To be eligible for the Chemistry Competency test, you must first be approved by the Natural Sciences Department Chair. A passing score of 23, or higher, makes a student eligible to register for BIO 121.

Links for test preparation:

Resources for Chemistry Competency Exam

Retesting Policy:

Only one attempt is allowed on this exam. There are no retests.

Spanish Assessment information Students that want to register for a Spanish course will take this assessment.

Spanish Placement Test

The Spanish placement test is a timed, 75 minute, computer-based test.

In order to sign up for the test, English 101 placement or completion of English 101 is required.

Interpreting Your Spanish Placement Exam Score 


Score Placement
0-38 SPA 101 (With one year of High School Spanish)
SPA 102 (With two years of High School Spanish)
39-48 SPA 103
49-53 SPA 104
54-70 SPA 200 Level

No minimum score or prerequisite for SPA 100 or SPA 500 

After the Test:

After you have taken the Spanish Placement exam, contact Admissions in U-214 (217.351.2482) or the Counseling and Advising Center in U-267 (217.351.2219).

Retesting Policy:

There is a 6 month waiting period between Spanish Placement exams.


Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR)

If you do not need to assess and meet the criteria below, your next step in the registration process is to sign up for SOAR, our student orientation program, click on SOAR.

  • You are seeking a degree or certificate and have less than 15 hours of credit.
  • You have all of your scores turned into Admissions and Records.

If you do not need to assess AND have more than 15 hours, your next step is to see a counselor. For more information on registering for classes please click on Counseling and Advising.