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Accuplacer FAQs
Why do I have to take the Accuplacer test?
Community colleges and four-year colleges and universities require a placement test to place students in the appropriate level math and English courses.
What does Accuplacer consist of?
When you test with Accuplacer, you take exams in a combination of : Sentence Skills, Reading Comprehension, a timed essay, Arithmetic, and Elementary Algebra.
Your Accuplacer score results show if you need to take developmental courses.
For example, if you placed in ENG 96, you will take ENG 96 this semester and ENG 98 the following semester. After successfully completing both courses, you will be ready to take ENG 101.
What are developmental courses?
Developmental courses are pre-college courses designed to help prepare you for college level English and math courses which are needed by all students enrolled in certificate or degree programs. There are two levels of developmental courses, upper and lower level.
| Developmental Courses | Level 1 + | Level 2 = | College Level |
| English Reading/ Writing Preperation | ENG 96 + | ENG 98 = | ENG 101 Composition I |
| Mathematics | MA 90 + | MA 93 = | MAT134 Contemporary Math or MAT 201Statistics |
| Elementary Algebra | MA 93 + | MA 95 = | MAT 137 College Algebra or MAT 153 Precalculus |
I al ready studied this in high school. Why do I have to take it again?
You may have forgotten some of the material. Re-learning the material will help you do better in your next level course. Many students who take developmental courses achieve higher grades in ENG 101 and MAT 137 than students who did not take developmental courses. This is the real reason why developmental courses are so important: They help you achieve a higher GPA in your college courses.
Can I retake Accuplacer and get a higher placement?
If you score within three points of the cutoff for the next higher level course, you will be contacted to retake that part of the Accuplacer.
Developmental courses do not count for college credit towards graduation. Why should I take them?
You may have forgotten some of the material. Re-learning the material will help you do better in your next level course. Many students who take developmental courses achieve highter grades in ENG 101 and MAT 137 than students who did not take developmental courses. This is the real reason why developmental courses are so important: They help you achieve a higher GPA in your college courses. Developmental courses do count for “in-house” credits, and towards full-time status, which is needed to receive financial aid and to remain on your parent's health insurance, if applicable.
I think I should retake the Accuplacer anyway, even though I didn’t score close enough to be contacted to retake parts of the exam? Can I do that?
Statistics have proven that students who do not score within the three point range do not do any better on a retest. Permission will be granted only under extenuating circumstances. Contact Admissions for permission.
Are there exemptions from taking the test?
Students who present proof of completion of any basic skills placement test at another N.J. college or those who present proof (transcript or grade report) of successfully completing a college-level math and English course at another college are exempt from the College placement test.
Students who provide proof of having taken the SAT within the past three years with a score of 540 or higher in the Verbal section are exempt from Accuplacer testing in reading and English; students with 530 or higher in the SAT Math section are exempt from Accuplacer testing in arithmetic and algebra.