Getting placed at the right English and math level is important for your success at SPSCC.
Before registering for classes, new students need to be placed at the English and math level that works best for you. There are three ways that SPSCC helps you get placed at the right level: document review, Guided Self Placement, and testing.
Plan to use just one method for each English and math placement.
The best and simplest way to get placed at the right level is to let us assess work you’ve already done. Our assessment team can determine your placement by reviewing your recent high school or college transcripts, or recent test scores such as SAT, ACT, AP, IB, CI or SBA.
Read below for more detailed information about the types of documents we can accept for placement. We can use unofficial copies to place you!
To submit documents for placement review, please fill out and attach your documents to the Placement Request Form. If you have not applied to SPSCC and activated your student accounts, follow the Steps to Enroll first. Please allow up to five business days for processing. You will receive a message in your Compass account once placement is determined.
Prospective Running Start students and recent high school graduates have the ability to use their high school transcript (official or unofficial) to determine placement. Placement is used for SPSCC math and/or English courses with the following guidelines:
For more detailed information about the math and English courses we can use for placement, please see the SPSCC High School Documents Placement Guide.
If you have credits from another college, you may have the ability to use your unofficial transcripts for placement if you have taken math or English courses.
To apply credits from another college towards a degree at SPSCC, complete the Transfer of Credit Application and submit your official transcripts to incomingtranscripts@spscc.edu. Students are encouraged to submit their transcripts and the transfer of credit application within their first two quarters of enrollment at SPSCC.
English placement may be established using SAT or ACT scores that are less than three years old. Math placement currently cannot be established from SAT or ACT scores. For more detailed information about the scores we can use for placement, please see the SPSCC High School Documents Placement Guide.
English and math placement can be determined from Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Cambridge International (CI) scores. For more detailed information about the tests and scores we can use for placement, please see the SPSCC High School Documents Placement Guide.
In addition, you may be eligible to receive SPSCC credits based on your score qualifications on AP or IB tests. Use the Transfer of Credit Application to request these credits.
For current Washington high school students and recent Washington high school graduates, English and math placement can be determined from Smarter Balance Assessment (SBA) English and Language Arts scores. SBA scores must be from the 10th grade testing year. SBA math scores are valid for one academic year after the test was taken and English scores are valid for 3 years after high school graduation. For more detailed information about the scores we can use for placement, please see the SPSCC High School Documents Placement Guide.
Note: Reports must include your name, scores, the month and year the exam was taken, and the year of your high school graduation.
Scores from the GED® Reasoning through Language Arts test or the GED® math test completed within the last two years may be used for placement. GED scores of 165+ will place into college-level English and Math courses. Scores from 150-164 will place in pre-college English and Math courses. Please submit your GED score sheet for a more detailed placement evaluation.
