Basic Skills Test

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Basic Skills Assessment Test

Testing Coordinator
Strider.Swope@pueblocc.edu | 719-549-3382

Advisors can be found at:

Pueblo Community College
900 W. Orman Avenue
Pueblo, CO 81004
Office Hours
Phone: 1-888-642-6017 Registrar’s Office
College Center
Room CC-215
Phone: 719-549-3014
FAX: 719-549-3012 Assessment Office
Academic Building
Room 134
Phone: 719-549-3091
FAX: 719-549-3319

Investing in Your Future through Lifetime Learning

Helpful Information

Course Placement Based on Assessment Test Scores

I don't have a high school diploma or a GED.

Locations where you may take the assessment

Study tips and guides to help you prepare for the assessment

Fees

How We Place You in Courses

You must have strong skills in reading, writing, and/or math to succeed in college-level courses (courses at the 100 or 200 level). These skills are often listed as pre-requisites or co-requisites for college-level classes.

If you are seeking a certificate or degree, you must take the Basic Skills Assessment Test (CPT ACCUPLACER®) in Mathematics, Reading, Computer Literacy and English (Sentence Skills) before your first semester of enrollment unless you meet one of the exemptions listed below. We use this test to place you in appropriate college or developmental courses. You may take each basic skills test two times per semester; we will use the higher of your two scores to place you in courses. If you wish to take the test more than twice during a semester, you may seek written permission from the chair of the specific discipline or show proof of progress in an approved tutorial program.

After you take the ACCUPLACER® test, we will provide you a written summary of the results. This summary will include information about state institutions offering basic skills courses, the costs of such courses, and the availability of such courses.

Important information regarding your test scores:
If you test into any basic skills courses, you must complete those courses within your first 30 credit hours of enrollment, and you must meet with an academic advisor. If you do not register for basic skills courses within your first 30 hours, PCC will place a hold on further registration until you meet with an academic advisor.

If you test into a basic skills reading course, you must take that course within your first semester of enrollment.
If you test into developmental courses in two or more areas, we will advise you to enroll in AAA 090, Academic Achievement Strategies. This is a study skills course that will help you be successful in college.
If you do not successfully test out of CIS 110, you must take that course within the first 30 hours of coursework.

Exemptions to Taking the ACCUPLACER® Basic Skills Assessment

You are exempt from taking the entire CPT ACCUPLACER® test if you

graduated from high school more than one year ago and have not yet declared a course of study (you must provide the college with the name of the high school from which you graduated and your graduation date.)
have not yet declared a course of study and are not taking courses that have English, reading, and/or math preor co-requisites.
have a Baccalaureate degree.
have an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree.

You are exempt from taking portions of the CPT ACCUPLACER® test if, in the past five (5) years, you:

have ACT scores as follows:

17 or higher in the Reading section
18 or higher in the English section
19 or higher in the Math section

have SAT scores as follows:

430 or higher in the Verbal Skill Area (exempts Reading)
440 or higher in the Verbal Skill Area (exempts Reading and English)
460 or higher in the Mathematics Skill Area

have taken the ACCUPLACER® and attained the following scores:

80 or higher in Reading Comprehension
95 or higher for the Sentence Skills assessment
85 or higher on the Elementary Algebra section

You are also exempt from taking portions of the CPT ACCUPLACER ® test if you

are a high school student, unless testing is required as a course pre- or co-requisite, or unless there are existing agreements with your school district that require taking all or part of the CPT ACCUPLACER® assessments.
have successfully completed college-level courses in reading, English, and/or math (in which case you do not have to take assessment test in those subjects).
have successfully completed certain developmental courses in reading, English, and/or math (in which case you do not have to take assessment tests in those subjects).

Please speak with an advisor if you have any questions about basic skills assessment.

Refer to www.cccs.edu (click on the “Find a Program” link) for information about Colorado colleges that offer developmental course instruction and assessment. Refer to the PCC Schedule of Classes for information.

Cost of the Basic Skills Assessment Test

There is a charge to take the Basic Skills Assessment. Please refer to the current PCC Schedule of Classes for more information.