Course Placements and Prerequisites

The SEM Course Review Permission Request is only for Science, Engineering, and Math courses you wish to enroll at Olympic College. Here are the courses prefixes we review for SEM requests: ASTRO, BIOL, CHEM, CS, ENGR, GEOG, GEOL, MATH, MTEOR, NURSE, NUTR, PHYS, & SCI.

For more information on Math Placements and Policies, please visit our Math Department webpage.

Required Document(s): Unofficial college/university transcripts or college board placement scores.

Establishing the appropriate starting points for sciences, engineering and mathematics (SEM) classes is important to your success as a student. There are several options for determining your placement and if you've completed prerequisites for a sequence of courses.

SEM Course Permission Review Form

This request form is for any classes other than SEM (above) you wish to enroll at Olympic College.

Required Document(s): Unofficial college/university transcripts or college board placement scores.

Non-SEM Course Permission Review Form

This request is for English and/or Math course placements using the following documents:

High School Transcript; Smarter Balanced Assessment Scores (SBA); Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT); Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT); American College Testing (ACT).

Note for Math placement: Only High School Transcript is used to review course placements.

Required Document(s): Unofficial High School Transcript, SBA, PSAT, SAT, and/or ACT.

English & math Placement Request Form

Placement Cutoff Scores

• Qualify into English 101 and/or college level mathematics for maximum access to classes
  • English 101 Eligibility
    • Accuplacer Writing and Reading scores of 260+
    • High School Cumulative GPA of 3.3+ and a B or better in Regular or Honors English Course from an accredited institution. 
    • Smarter Balanced Assessment Score of Level 3 or 4
    • ACT (within 2 years) English Score of 19+
    • SAT (within 2 years) English Score of 460+
    • PSAT (within 2 years): cumulative GPA x 200 + English Score = 1100+
  • Math Placement
    • See Accuplacer Placement Scores
    • See High School or Transcript Placement

This request is for placement into pre-college and college-level courses at OC based on placement or appropriate course taken at another Washington Community and Technical Colleges (CTC).

How To Qualify:

• You must have applied to Olympic College for the upcoming or current term and have a ctcLink ID.
• If you have a placement score from another Washington Community and Technical Colleges, have it sent to OC’s Testing Center first before filling out this form. You must provide a copy of the document that provides specific placement recommendation information from the sending institution. For test scores, this should be on your score/placement sheet. For previous coursework, please provide a copy of relevant course sequence information, if available.
• If you are submitting a transcript for review, please attach an unofficial to this form. You must have at least a 2.0 or better GPA.
• The original placement (test score or prior course completion) must be dated within 12 months of your request.

Please Note:

• Course numbers are not always the same across Washington State colleges – your placement will be evaluated and reviewed to the OC course that is the closest equivalent to where you placed at the previous school.
• Course Permissions are only good for one term only. If you do not enroll, you will need to make the request again for the next term if you still qualify.
• Once you successfully complete a Math and English course at OC you no longer will need to request reciprocity placement for subsequent terms.

Required Document(s): Placement scores or transcript from one of the CTC schools previously attended.

Reciprocity Placement Request Form

If any of the placements or prerequisites does not work out for you, you may take the Accuplacer placement exam by scheduling an appointment with the Testing Center.

Testing Center

Enroll in Math 95, a 3-credit course that includes study methods, individualized mathematics review and instruction, and placement testing. You can enroll in this class without a course prerequisite.

The instructor will provide your Math Placement at the end of the course.

Developmental Math