Purpose of Assessment

Skills assessment is required as part of the entrance process into Maryland colleges. Assessment is a process to help identify your current skills in writing, reading, and mathematics. It is not a test that you pass or fail. Placement testing provides information necessary to make the best decision about the initial courses that you need to begin your college career. HCC's goal is to place you into the courses in which you will be most successful. Based on your test results, you may be placed in preparatory courses to help you build the foundational skills that are needed for success at the college level.

You must take the placement assessment if:

• You are seeking a degree or certificate
• You are a student attempting your first college-level English composition or math course or are enrolled in a course that has a math or English prerequisite

Placement testing for HCC applicants is done strictly on a scheduled basis.

Anatomy and Physiology Placement Testing

For information regarding A&P placement, including minimum score requirements and study materials, please visit the LSC Science LibGuide page.

English/Math Placement Testing

For information regarding Accuplacer English/Math content, please visit the About Accuplacer Testing page.

Scheduling

• Accuplacer English/Math
  To schedule an appointment, visit RegisterBlast and select HCC Placement Testing from the group list.
  
  Please be mindful that all Accuplacer English/Math placement testing will be conducted on campus. Exceptions to in-person testing can be made for students with extenuating circumstances, including documented accessibility issues or medical emergencies. If requesting an accommodation to take the Accuplacer remotely, please submit the Remote Accuplacer Form.
   
• Anatomy and Physiology Placement
  To schedule an appointment on campus, visit RegisterBlast and select HCC Placement Testing from the group list.
  
  For remote A&P placement testing, please complete the Remote A&P Form.
   

Are you exempt?

• You are exempt from mathematics placement assessment if you:
  • have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0
  • already have a college degree
  • have earned a SAT math score of 520* or higher
  • have earned an ACT math score of 21* or higher
  • have a GED Mathematical Reasoning score of 165 or higher
  • have successfully completed a college-level mathematics course
  • have earned a high school MCAP Algebra II Mathematics score of 750 or above
• You are exempt from English placement assessment if you:
  • have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0
  • already have a college degree
  • have earned a SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing score of 480* or higher
  • have earned an ACT English score of 21* or higher
  • have a GED Reasoning Through Language Arts score of 165 or higher
  • have successfully completed a college-level English course
  • have earned a 10th or 11th grade MCAP English Language Arts/Literacy score of 750 or above
• If you are enrolled at another college and have written approval to take a course at HCC from your institution, you MAY be exempt from placement assessments.

*All SAT, ACT, and MCAP  scores are valid for 5 years from the testing date. Cumulative high school GPA is valid for 5 years from the date of graduation from high school. All GED scores are valid for 2 years from the testing date. GED exams taken before 2014 will not be used for exemption purposes.

Placement Results

• Placement for English and ESL courses is determined using the English and ESL Placement Matrix.
• Placement for mathematics courses is determined using the Mathematics Placement Matrix.
   

IST Placement Tests

• Keyboard Exemption
  • Your advisor will determine if you need to take the IST 101 Keyboarding course.

Skills assessment scores are valid for two years from the date of assessment at Hagerstown Community College.

Retaking Placement Tests

Retesting in English/math (whole, or in part) is optional given the following conditions:

• The student has not taken the placement test twice within two years
• The student has not begun an HCC English or mathematics course within two years

There is a $15 retest fee for English/Math placement. This fee must be assessed prior to retesting.

There is no retest for A&P placement. Please view the LSC Science LibGuide for more information.

To schedule an on campus retest, please visit RegisterBlast and select "HCC Placement Testing" > "On Campus Accuplacer - Retest".