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Admission

Placement Test

Placement Assessment Helps You Succeed

Placement assessment helps determine which classes you should take as you start your studies at Cincinnati State.

Using the assessment results, College advisors will:

  • help you select the English and math classes that are best for you.
  • help you evaluate your computer literacy and your keyboarding skills.

You must complete placement assessment before you can be officially admitted to Cincinnati State and register for classes.

Ways to Complete the Placement Assessment

Prepare for the Placement Assessment

Preparing for the placement assessment is important.

  • Your assessment results qualify you to enroll in appropriate courses-- or could keep you out of some courses.
  • Placing at the correct level helps reduce the time and cost needed to complete your college education.

Online Help -

The resource links below can help you get ready for the assessment.

Sample assessment questions/tools:

In-Person Help -

  • Visit the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC), in Room 133, Main Building (Clifton Campus) to get free help preparing for the Accuplacer assessment. Call (513) 569-1815 to make an appointment.

Exemptions from Placement Assessment

Applicants who have taken (within the past two years) the ACT® or SAT® test, or the COMPASS® assessment, may be exempted from taking the Accuplacer placement assessment.

Students with transfer credit in college-level English composition and algebra, from a regionally accredited college or university, may not need to complete the entire placement assessment.

  • Waiver based on ACT Test Scores
    • Scores can be no more than two years older than the date of the application to Cincinnati State.
    • Submit a copy of your ACT scores to the Office of Admission via www.ACTstudent.org. (ACT School Code: 5570)
    • Applicants who score 17 or lower on ACT English and also score 20 or lower on ACT Reading must complete the Reading and Writing portion of the Accuplacer assessment. (If one of these two scores is above the minimum, the Accuplacer is waived.)
    • Applicants with ACT Math scores lower than 22 must complete the Math portion of the Accuplacer assessment.
       
  • Waiver based on SAT Test Scores
    • Scores can be no more than two years older than the date of the application to Cincinnati State.
    • Submit a copy of your SAT scores to the Office of Admission via collegeboard.org. (SAT School Code: 1984)
    • Applicants with SAT Math scores lower than 520 must complete the Math portion of the Accuplacer assessment.
    • Applicants who score 429 or lower on SAT English and also score 449 or lower on SAT Reading must complete the Reading and Writing portion of the Accuplacer assessment. (If one of these two scores is above the minimum, the Accuplacer is waived.)
    • Applicants who score 479 or lower on SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing must complete the Reading and Writing portion of the Accuplacer assessment.
       
  • Waiver based on COMPASS Assessment Scores
    • Scores can be no more than two years older than the date of the application to Cincinnati State.
    • Submit a copy of COMPASS scores via mail, fax, email, or scores may be hand-carried to the Cincinnati State Office of Admission.
       
  • Waiver based on Transfer Courses
    • If you successfully completed college-level courses in College Algebra (or higher-level math course) and/or English at a regionally accredited institution, your placement test may be waived.
      • Please note that some programs may have specific requirements that are not met via waiver.
    • Make sure that an official copy of your transcript of the courses you completed is submitted (by postal mail only) to the Cincinnati State Office of Admission.

Additional Information about Placement Assessment

  • Your Cincinnati State application is required prior to taking the placement assessment. Apply Now
  • There is no charge for first-time assessment.
  • When you check-in for the assessment, a photo ID is required. All state IDs must be current.
  • Plan on at least 2 1/2 hours to complete the assessment.
    • The WritePlacer (and WritePlacer ESL) portion of the assessment is a timed 60-minute essay.
    • The reading, math, and keyboarding portions are not timed.
    • Personal calculators and Windows system calculators are not allowed. An online calculator will appear for appropriate math questions.
    • Pencil and paper will be provided.
  • Group testing must be pre-arranged; please call (513) 569-1569 for details.

Disability Services for Placement Assessment

If you are a student who has disabilities or believe you have disabilities, we encourage you to contact the Cincinnati State Office of Disability Services at (513) 569-1775 prior to testing.

English as a Second Language Assessment

If English is not your first language, we encourage you to take the ESL test, which includes a listening portion in addition to reading, writing, and math.

Remote Testing

If you live outside the Greater Cincinnati area, please contact the Testing Center at (513) 569-1569 to arrange to take the Accuplacer assessment at a remote location.

Or, fill out the Remote Test Request form. You will be asked to provide the following information:

  • First and Last name
  • Date of Birth
  • Phone number
  • Address (Street, City, State and Zip code)
  • Zip code of desired test location
  • City and State closest to desired test location
Clifton Campus – Location for Placement Assessment

Placement assessment on the Clifton Campus is conducted in the Testing Center, Room 176 in the Main Building.

Middletown Campus – Location and Check-in Hours for Placement Assessment

Placement assessment is available on the Middletown campus, located at 1 North Main Street, Middletown OH 45042.

  • Arrive during the check-in hours below to take the placement assessment.
  • The end times below are the latest you can arrive and be permitted to start the assessment
  • Parking is free
  • Questions? Call (513) 217-3700
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday First Saturday of each Month
(except Jan., July, & Sept.)

1 to 5 p.m.

 		 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 
9 a.m. to noon

 		 9 to 10 a.m.
 

Testing is not offered on College holidays

Microsoft Office Specialist Exam

The Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification is for individuals looking to increase their competence, productivity, and credibility with their colleagues and clients in today's competitive job market, by demonstrating proficiency using Microsoft Office software programs.

This test is open to the public and is administered in the Testing Center at the Clifton Campus. Students interested in this certification should:

  • create an account and purchase a test voucher through Certiport for the desired test
  • complete the Proctor Fee Payment Form and take it to the Cashier's window (ATLC Building 2nd floor)
  • register for a test day and time

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