Placement

The assessment exam is available online or in-person by appointment only. Walk-in testing is not available at this time. 

Schedule your Exam

1. Before scheduling your online exam, make sure your computer meets the Virtual Testing requirements (see Virtual Testing below for more info).
2. Use our online system to schedule your assessment.
   1. If you are taking an online placement assessment, select Zoom from the 'Select Test & Location' drop-down menu. 

Schedule Your placement Assessment

Fee

$22 non-refundable fee. Payment is valid for up to 60 days.

• Students using a voucher from Labor & Industries, WorkFirst or other entity should redeem their voucher at the Cashier’s Office for a receipt and take the test as a walk-in.

Cashier's Office

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

Use previous college transcripts, recent high school transcripts, or recent test scores for exams such as the SAT, ACT, PSAT and Smarter Balanced Assessment showing college-level English and/or math placement.

Visit our Course Placements & Prerequisites webpage to learn more. 

Course Placements & Prerequisites

Placement Cutoff Scores

• Qualify into English 101 and/or college level mathematics for maximum access to classes
  • English 101 Eligibility
    • 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 High School or College Transcript Placement

Placement exams for Biology& 241 and Chemisty& 141 are available by appointment only at the Bremerton Campus. Contact our office to schedule your exam.

Assessment & Testing Services

Fee

$15 non-refundable fee payable at the Cashier's Office. Payment is valid for up to 60 days.

Bring payment receipt and valid ID to the Testing Center when checking in. 

Cashier's Office

Review computer requirements for remote testing before paying and scheduling:

To test virtually you will need a computer (desktop or laptop) with a webcam and headset/mic. Unfortunately other devices such as cell phone iPads, Surface, and other tablets will not work. Chromebooks are allowed, but strongly discouraged.

Please complete the following steps to verify your computer meets the basic requirements:

• Download and install Zoom Client for Meeting
• Verify that Zoom installed correctly: Join a Test Meeting
• Verify your computer meets the Placement System Requirements

If you do not meet the requirements stated above during your exam appointment, we will ask you to reschedule your session to a later time so that you can meet our requested requirements.

The Placement Assessment is an untimed computer-based placement assessment that evaluates reading, writing, and math skills. Placement based on exam scores indicates the appropriate starting point in Math and/or English courses to enroll in when you start college. The correct placement will give you the best chance at being placed in the courses which match your skills. 

Placement Assessment scores are valid for two years from date of testing. The Placement Assessment cannot be used to skip over courses in a student's English or Math sequence. Once classes are taken based on an initial Placement Assessment (or other placement tool's) placement, the Placement Assessment cannot be taken again to create a new placement and/or to skip over courses to a higher English or Math course. Exceptions to this policy can only be granted by Instructor Approval.

A Score Report with corresponding course placements is issued upon completion of the assessment. Score Reports are official documents.

If you are seeking information on whether or not you are required to take this assessment for course placement, please speak with our Welcome Center or schedule an appointment to review your qualifications with Advising. 

If you have taken the classic or Next-Generation version of the Accuplacer (Placement Assessment), you can find corresponding placement below.

• Placement Based on Next-Generation Accuplacer
• Accuplacer Comparison Chart/Content Domains

Candidates are limited to three attempts per section in a calendar year when using the Placement Assessment  for placement into Olympic College courses. There is a minimum wait time of at least 48 hours after taking the placement assessment to retake the assessment. Additional attempts may be available if using the placement assessment for qualification into a particular program. Ask the Assessment & Testing Center staff if you qualify for additional retakes.

As a reminder, the Placement Assessment cannot be used to skip over courses in a student's English or Math sequence. Once classes are taken based on an initial Placement Assessment, the exam cannot be taken again to create a new placement and/or to skip over courses to a higher English or math course. Exceptions to this policy can only be granted by Instructor Approval.

A Score Report with corresponding course placements is issued upon completion of the assessment. Score Reports are official documents.

If you would like your placement assessment scores transferred to another community and/or technical college, or university please complete and sign our Test Score Transfer Form and send it to @email. Please make sure to include a valid fax or email address for the receiving institution. 

Receiving scores from another Washington Community or Technical College 

If you've taken a placement assessment within the last year, you may request the institution at which the assessment was taken to fax it to us at 360-475-7470 or email it to us at: @email to see if it can be used for Olympic College course placement. Students will be contacted via student email regarding corresponding OC course placement.

Please Note: We cannot accept score reports from students, either hand-carried or electronically transmitted. The report must be sent from the institution at which it was taken. The only exception is for Smarter Balance score reports and transcripts to be used for placement purposes; these can be accepted directly from the student.

The Placement Assessment reading test is required for application consideration for the Nursing Programs, regardless of previous higher education or degrees acquired. There is no waiver or exception from the requirement to complete at least the Reading portion of the Placement Assessment for application to the Nursing Programs. The results for the reading test do not expire for entrance into the Associate Degree Nursing, Transition to Associate Degree Nursing, and Practical Nursing Programs. If you plan on using the reading test results for placement in an English/Math course, the scores expire after two years.

Future applicants to the PSNS & IMF Apprentice Program should be prepared to meet the placement requirements for Olympic College's Business & Technology 150 and Math 94 courses.  

Please Note: The PSNS & IMF Apprentice Program does not accept transcripts. Only qualifying Accuplacer scores will be accepted.

Those seeking financial assistance may be able to have their testing fee ($22) covered by Basic Food Employment & Training (BFET) or Workforce & Economic Development. Please review their website and contact them directly for eligibility requirements.