Placement Procedure

Mayland Community College uses multiple measures to determine students’ readiness for college-level courses. The various measures used are listed below: 

1. A 2013 or later graduate of a high school who completed specific course work and received an unweighted GPA of 2.6 or higher will be considered college ready and may enroll in any gateway English or Mathematics course that has a developmental (course number under 100) pre-requisite. This student must have graduated from high school within five years of college enrollment. For students applying for admission before they graduate from high school, the college will consider the GPA at the end of the first semester of the 12th grade. A high school student must complete four math courses, including Algebra I, Algebra II (or Common Core equivalent), Geometry, and an additional math course from state approved list. Acceptable course work will be confirmed by the official High School Transcript.
2. Adult High School and GED® graduates will be required to take the MCC Placement Test to determine readiness for college-level courses.
3. A student with specified (see below) recent SAT or ACT subject area test scores will be considered college ready and may enroll in any gateway English or mathematics course that has a developmental (course number under 100) pre-requisite.

   SAT (Pre-March 2016)

   • English: SAT English 500 or SAT Critical Reading 500
   • Mathematics: SAT Mathematics 500

   SAT (March 2016 and Future)

   • English: SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing 480
   • Mathematics: SAT Mathematics 530

   ACT

   • English: ACT English 18 or Reading 22
   • Mathematics: ACT Mathematics 22
4. A student who has earned a “C-” or better in a college level English or Mathematics course may be considered college ready for that subject area. The student’s official transcript must be evaluated by the Director of Admissions, Records, and Registration.
5. If a student is not a recent high school graduate with an unweighted 2.6 GPA, does not have the specified SAT or ACT scores, and does not have previous college credit, he/she will take the MCC placement test (NCDAP) to determine placement. The MCC placement test provides diagnostic information on a student’s skill level in Reading, English, and Mathematics and places them according to the state cut-scores. These scores will indicate if a student is college-ready or if the student will need developmental classes designed to build the student’s skills. Credits for developmental courses do not count toward the required number of credit hours for graduation. A student must meet with an Admissions/Retention Advisor prior to scheduling a placement test. A student with a disability may request testing accommodations for the MCC placement test. He/she must provide disability documentation to the Office of Counseling & Disability Services and a counselor will determine if the accommodations are approved. MCC placement test scores are valid for five years.

The College allows students to retake the placement test when one of the following conditions are met:

1. a student is allowed one retest per year for a retest fee of $10.00, or
2. the student has successfully completed a pre-approved remediation program in the subject area in the Pre-College Programs Department, the Academic Support Center, or the student’s high school and obtained an signed permission form from the Pre-College Programs Instructor, ASC Faculty, or appropriate High School Liaison. Retaking the placement test after remediation is allowed only once in a semester.

A placement test remediation program must be approved by the Vice President of Academics and Student Services prior to implementation and allowing re-tests.

There is a charge of $25 for any student who requests a test, but will not be attending Mayland Community College.

Students must pay for a test or a retest in advance and the student is required to present the Business Office receipt to the proctor before a test will be given.

**If a student is using a measure other than the MCC placement test for placement, an official transcript, SAT scores, or ACT scores must be submitted to Student Services.