Placement Testing
CCC offers placement testing which indicates the level of work a student is prepared to do in college. Placement test scores are valid for ten years. Students are permitted to re-test one time, per subject, per year based on the original test date. Exceptions to this policy must be made with justification in writing by the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. Students may not voluntarily choose to enroll in developmental courses without taking the placement test. Some students may not be required to take a placement test. Please see below for possible placement testing exemptions:
- An earned four-year degree or higher from a regionally and/or nationally accredited institution. Other prerequisites may still be required and official transcripts must be submitted to Student Affairs.
- College-level mathematics and English Composition courses with a “C” or better transferred from another institution.
- Successful completion of required developmental math, English, or reading courses taken at a regionally and/or nationally accredited college or university (transcript required).
- Appropriate score on SAT or ACT. Please see following charts.
- Graduation from high school within the last 10 years with an unweighted GPA of 2.8 or greater.
- GED taken since 2014, with a score of 170 or greater on each subject area.
- Have taken the HISET, within the last 10 years, with a score of 15 or greater for each of the five components and a grade of 4 or greater on the essay.
Career and College Promise (CCP) students must satisfy eligibility requirements as described in the Career and College Promise Operating Procedures.
Special Credit students (those who are not pursuing a degree, diploma, or certificate) are not required to take the placement test. However, some individual courses require prerequisites, which may require testing.
| Reinforced Instruction for Student Excellence (RISE) Placement Guide |
| High School Measures (see note) |
| HS GPA |
Placement |
English |
Math |
| 2.8 or higher |
Gateway Course without a co-requisite |
ENG 111 |
Gateway Math |
| 2.2 to 2.799 |
Gateway Course with a co-requisite |
ENG 111 + 011 |
Gateway Math with co-requisite |
| Less than 2.199 |
Transition English and Math |
ENG 002 |
MAT 003 |
| SAT* (see note) |
| Pre-December 2011 |
January 2012-February 2016 |
March 2016-Present |
| Reading 510 or higher |
Critical Reading 500 or higher |
Evidence-based Reading & Writing 480 or higher |
| Writing 510 or higher |
English 500 or higher |
Evidence-based Reading & Writing 480 or higher |
| Mathematics 510 or higher |
Mathematics 500 or higher |
Mathematics 530 or higher |
| ACT** (see note) |
| Pre-December 2011 |
January 2012-February 2014 |
March 2014-Present |
| English 22 or higher |
English 18 or higher |
English 18 or higher = ENG 111
English 16-17 = ENG 111 + 011 |
| Reading 22 or higher |
Reading 21 or higher |
Reading 22 or higher = ENG 111
Reading 20-21 = ENG 111 + 011 |
| Mathematics 22 or higher |
Mathematics 22 or higher |
22 or higher = Gateway Math
20-21 = Math with co-requisite course |
| General Education Development (GED) |
| Test |
Validity Date |
Passing Score |
Mathematical Reasoning Reading through Language Arts
Social Studies
Science |
1/1/2014 to present |
170 or higher on all tests |
| High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) |
| Test |
Validity Date |
Passing Score |
Language Arts-Reading
Language Arts-Writing
Essay
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies |
1/1/2014 to present |
15 or higher on all subject tests, with a minimum of 4 on the essay |
| RISE Placement Tests |
| Test |
Validity Date |
Passing Score |
Course Eligibility |
| RISE English Tier 1 |
7/1/19 to present |
75 or higher |
ENG 111 + 011 |
| RISE English Tier 2 |
7/1/19 to present |
75 or higher |
ENG 111 |
| RISE Math Tier 1 |
7/1/19 to present |
75 or higher |
MAT 143 & 043, 152 & 052 |
| RISE Math Tier 2 |
7/1/19 to present |
75 or higher |
MAT 143, 152, 121 & 021, 171 & 071 |
| RISE Math Tier 3 |
7/1/19 to present |
75 or higher |
Any Gateway Math |
| Crosswalk for Developmental Courses |
| Completed or Tested out of |
RISE |
Course Eligibility |
| DRE 096 |
-- |
ENG 002 |
| DRE 097 |
ENG 002, grade of P1 |
ENG 111 + 011 |
| DRE 098 |
ENG 002, grade of P2 |
ENG 111 |
| DMA 010, 020, 030, DRE 097 |
MAT 003, grade of P1 ENG 002, grade of P1 |
MAT 143 & 043 MAT 152 & 052 |
| DMA 010, 020, 030, 040, 050, DRE 097*** |
MAT 003, grade of P2 ENG 002, grade of P1*** |
MAT 143, 152, 121 & 021, 171 & 071 |
| DMA 010, 020, 030, 040, 050, 065 |
MAT 003, grade of P3 |
Any Gateway Math |
Note: High School GPA, ACT, and SAT scores within the last 10 years. (Ten year rolling date by year, not by month or day)
*Passing scores on the SAT allows students to register for gateway English or Math courses without a co-Requisite required.
**Passing scores for the ACT prior to March 2014 allows students to register for gateway English or Math courses without a co-Requisite required.
***English requirements relate only the MAT-143 and MAT-152. MAT-121 and MAT-171 only have math prerequisites.
For placement into MAT-271, the direct placement policy applies. See "Additional Course Information" in the NCCCS Combined Course Library (CCL).
| Criteria for Direct Placement into MAT 271 |
| Criteria |
Score |
Placement |
| AP Calculus AB Exam |
2 or higher |
MAT 271 |
| AP Calculus Course |
"C" or higher and an unweighted HS GPA of 3.0 or higher |
MAT 271 |
| SAT Math |
580 or higher and a grade of "C" or higher in NC Standard Course of Study Pre-Calculus course or any equivalent course from another state |
MAT 271 |
| ACT Math |
27 or higher and a grade of "C" or higher in NC Standard Course of Study Pre-Calculus course or any equivalent course from another state |
MAT 271 |
| SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 2 |
560 or higher |
MAT 271 |
| COMPASS |
Trigonometry Placement Domain 46-99 |
MAT 271 |
| ACCUPLACER- College Level Math |
90 or higher |
MAT 271 |
| CCC Placement Test for Higher Level Math |
80% or higher on both parts |
MAT 271 |