Placement Testing

Eligibility: First time in college students (incoming freshmen) are placed in a reading class based on their SAT scores and high school GPA.  Transfer or non-traditional students who do not have SAT scores, and have less than a 2.0 high school GPA, or who are International students, are required to take the Accuplacer Reading Placement Test.   No retakes are allowed on the Accuplacer Reading Placement Test.

Process: International students who do not have an SAT score will be tested at their orientation.  In the case of non-traditional or transfer students, Academic Advising will notify the Cardinal Testing Center of the student's need for testing.  The student should then call or go to the testing center to set up an appointment.  Tests will NOT be administered in the time period between the second day of classes and the end of the second week of classes in the fall and winter semesters.

Format:SVSU utilizes Accuplacer, a computer program, for Reading Placement Tests.  Tests are, therefore, taken on a computer.  No scrap paper is allowed for this exam. The Reading Placement Test is untimed and is comprised of 23 questions.  Students will be asked to read a sentence or a small passage and answer a question about what they read.  All questions are multiple choice and no two tests are ever comprised of the same questions.

Eligibility: First time in college students (incoming freshmen) are placed in their writing classes based on their SAT score and their high school GPA.   Transfer or non-traditional students who do not have SAT scores, and have less than a 2.0 high school GPA, or who are International students, are required to take the Writing Placement Test.   No retakes are allowed on the Writing Placement Test.

Process: International students who do not have an SAT will be tested at their orientation.   In the case of a non-traditional or transfer student, Academic Advising will notify the Testing Center of the need for testing these students.  The student should then call or go to the Center to make an appointment.  Special Note: Tests will NOT be administered in the time period between the second day of classes and the end of the second week of classes in the fall and winter semesters.

Format: Students will compose an essay in response to one of two writing prompts or questions.  Prompts will reference an infographic – a picture with information on it such as a graph or chart.  The exam is timed.  Students will have 40 minutes to complete the test; non-native speakers will have an additional 20 minutes to complete the test.

Testing& Retesting Eligibility: If a student is dissatisfied with their placement score, they are permitted to take the Accuplacer Math Placement Test. Students are strongly encouraged to use the Accuplacer practice site prior to testing for maximum effectiveness (see Accuplacer for an online study app or visit the Math and Physics Resource Center on the second floor of the Zahnow Library for additional study help). Retests cannot be taken within 30 days of the original Accuplacer test date.

If the student is dissatisfied with their score on the second test, he/she may request a waiver from the math department chair. Students will be charged $10.00 for retaking the test.

Special Note: Tests will NOT be administered in the time period between the second day of classes and the end of the second week of classes in the fall and winter semesters. This means that a student will not be able to register for a mathematics class unless the appropriate placement has been achieved by the second day of classes. This rule will be strictly enforced.

Process: Students (freshmen, non-traditional, or transfer) desiring to take a Math Placement Test may call or go to the Testing Center to set-up an appointment. International students who do not have an SAT score will first be tested at their orientation.  If, after this, an International student is dissatisfied with their placement score, they may come to the Center to make an appointment for a retest.

Format: SVSU utilizes Accuplacer, a computer program, for Math Placement Tests.  Tests are, therefore, taken on a computer.  A calculator is built into the software; this is the only calculator a student is allowed for this examination.  Scrap paper and pencils will be provided for the exam, both of which will be returned to the Proctor at the end of the test.  The Math Placement Test is untimed and is comprised of two levels of questions – the first being made up of 15 questions dealing with Elementary Algebra and the second being made up of 20 questions dealing with College Math.  All questions are multiple choice and no two tests are ever comprised of the same questions.

The Testing Center is only open during scheduled exam times. Current semester hours are listed to the left. A photo ID (student ID, driver's license, or state issued identification) must be presented before a student will be allowed to take an exam.  Students also must know their teacher's name when taking a make-up exam. Placement Tests will NOT be administered in the time period between the second day of classes and the end of the second week of classes in the fall and winter semesters. 

Students wishing to register for either a Make-Up Exam or an Alternative Test for Disability Services need to visit www.registerblast.com/svsu to do so. Exams must be scheduled in advance as no walk-in testing will be allowed. Students need to register at least 24 hours in advance for Alternative Testing for Disability Services and at least 12 hours in advance for Make-Up Exams. Students must bring photo ID on the day of the exam.