Assessment and Placement

Amended by the Board of Trustees of Rockland Community College on August 25, 2016 and again on May 6, 2024.

Contents
  1. English Placement
  2. Mathematics Placement
  3. Retest

To ensure that students are placed in appropriate courses, Rockland Community College will assess applicant’s skills in English and Mathematics, if they are applying for matriculation.

Students with disabilities who request to take the placement exam may receive reasonable accommodations prior to testing upon request and must submit documentation from the office of Accessibility Services.

The student’s assessment is based on a review of their academic history. Student academic review may consist of but is not limited to the following:

  • High School English or Math Regents Exam Grade
  • High School English or Math Final Course Grade
  • SAT Score in Writing and/or Critical Reading
  • SAT Math Score
  • ACT English Score
  • ACT Math Score
  • High School Equivalency Exam Grade
  • Accuplacer Exam Score

English Placement

The English assessment consists of reading comprehension and writing skills. Students are encouraged to enroll in the level of English indicated by their placement as early as possible. Students should be aware of the following:

  • Students placing into English as a Second Language (ESL) will be limited to a select number of courses;
  • Students who successfully complete College Writing I-International must register for College Writing II-International;
  • For those programs that have no specific requirement in English, students must demonstrate basic competency by placing into College Writing I.

Mathematics Placement

The Mathematics assessment consists of arithmetic, quantitative reasoning and advanced algebra. Students are encouraged to enroll in the level of Mathematics indicated by their placement as early as possible.

Retest

Students who choose to take the placement exam(s) may retake the exam(s) once. The recommended wait time is two weeks after the initial test date, but a student may choose to retest after a minimum of 48 hours. The student must request and retest before the last day to add classes for the given semester/term.