CCC Placement Tests

All new students are required to complete Placement Tests in the areas of English and math before registering for classes. Students are encouraged to take the Placement Test(s) as soon as possible because the Placement scores determine which course(s) students are eligible to register for that academic term.

Students will need their CCC ID number and student portal credentials to take the Placement Tests. Access to the math Placement Test is found in the CCC student portal https://my.ccc.edu .

If you have previously applied to City Colleges of Chicago, and took your Placement Tests but never enrolled in classes, you are required to take your Placement Tests again if it has been more than a year (or two years for the English test) since the date of your last Placement Test date.

How to Prepare

Students are strongly encouraged to review placement test preparation materials for the English Placement Read-to-Write Exam and the ALEKS math exams.

Taking the English Placement Exam

For the English placement exam, students must come to one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago campuses’ Testing Centers and take the test in-person. Students must present a valid photo ID (state ID, drivers license, passport, etc. – no copies or photos allowed) and be prepared to stay for the full duration of the English Placement Test (approximately 3.5 hours).

The following components are found on the English placement exam:

  • Background information – provide information regarding previous schooling, academic goals, and languages spoken.
  • Reading comprehension – review a passage and answer five multiple choice questions.
  • Essay – write an essay in response to the provided topic. Tip: The essay should be approximately five paragraphs long in order to receive accurate placement into English courses.
  • Self-placement section – prompts the student to write a short essay expressing which English course level they feel is most suitable for themselves based upon their own strengths and weaknesses with reading and writing.

Scores will be available within approximately 3-5 business days. Please allow approximately 3.5 hours to take the English Placement Test.

Taking the ALEKS Math Placement Exam

To take the ALEKS math placement exam, students must log in to their CCC student portal https://my.ccc.edu/, and click on Academic Records. On the following page, the student must first locate and click on the tab called “Placement Testing” on the left-hand side of the screen, then on the following page, select the hyperlink in the center of the screen "Complete CCC Math Placement Test". The link will redirect the student to a website called ALEKS.

The ALEKS math Placement Test consists of approximately 30 questions. Students are not allowed to use physical calculators during the test. However, an onscreen calculator will appear for some questions for students to use. The ALEKS math Placement Test is scored instantly, once completed*.

*If students are not satisfied with their math score, they may retake the exam up to four more times. Prior to retaking the exam, students must complete three hours of the Prep and Learning Modules that begin after the first assessment has been taken. The Prep and Learning Modules are math tutorials designed to assist students in improving their math skills so that they will demonstrate growth in their score the next time they take the Placement Test.

Placement Waivers / Exceptions

The following students may be eligible to be exempt from taking one or both of the Placement Tests.

  • A transfer student who has earned a grade of “C” or better in college-level English and/or math classes or if a student has previously earned an Associate’s Degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university. Students with credits from another college must submit official transcripts to hwregistrar@ccc.edu.
  • A student who has completed an Advanced Placement (AP), College-Level Examination (CLEP), or International Baccalaureate credit (IB) examination with results that would grant credit for college-level English and/or math. You must submit an official record of your test score to hwregistrar@ccc.edu. For more information visit the CCC websites for AP, CLEP, or IBcredits.
  • A Chicago Pubic School senior student who has successfully completed an approved transitional math or transitional English course earning a C or better – or pass. This student will receive automatic placement to a college credit mathematics or English course within 18 months of completing the course. Students must submit final high school transcript hwregistrar@ccc.edu.
  • A high school graduate with an English SAT minimum score of 540, a minimum Math SAT score of 530 or with a minimum ACT score of 21 for English and/or math. For placement, SAT and ACT scores are valid for a period of four (4) years from the initial testing date. Students must submit a full score report from ACT or SAT to hwc-testing@ccc.edu. For more information about downloading your full score report, please contact SAT at (866) 756-7346 or ACT directly at (319) 337-1000.

Students can contact the Harold Washington College Testing Center staff via email hwc-testing@ccc.edu or via the Virtual Student Services. The Testing Center Zoom is https://cccedu.zoom.us/my/hwctesting or by entering meeting ID: 739 744 1309

To ensure proper academic placement, first-time credit students and students without valid placement assessment results on file are required to complete a placement exam or obtain a placement test waiver, if eligible, prior to registration.

Since the results of Math and English placement assessments can determine course enrollment eligibility, students are encouraged to take the placement assessments as soon as possible.

Prior to taking the placement test(s) new students must apply for admission and receive: a student ID number, CCC username and password to log-in to https://my.ccc.edu – the student portal. This information is sent to new students to the email address they indicated when completing the online application.

How to Prepare

Prior to completing the placement assessments, students are strongly encouraged to review placement assessment preparation materials, accessible through the links to the right under ‘Other Resources.’

Taking my placement assessments

To take the CCC placement exams, students may visit one of the seven City Colleges of Chicago locations:

Testing Resources Centers

Do I need any materials to take the placement assessment(s)?

In order to ensure that students are able to take the placement assessments comfortably and without interruption, students should keep these things handy: ink pens, pencils, paper, and their username and password for the student portal. Students will need to bring their student ID number and a photo ID to the campus Testing Center. Be prepared to follow all of the rules of the Testing Center. Be aware that use of smartphones or disrupting the testing environment during testing will not be permitted.

Do placement assessment scores expire?

English – Read-to-Write (RTW):

  • RTW scores are valid for 2 years.

  • Students who have not enrolled in English courses may elect to retake the RTW if 1 year has lapsed.

  • Students who participate in approved non-credit workshops or Level Up may be able to retake RTW sooner than one year’s time.

  • Early College students can take RTW once per City College semester – twice per year.

Math Assessment – ALEKS:

  • Aleks placement scores expire after 1 year if the student has not enrolled in a math course appropriate to their placement within that time. Once a student enrolls in a pre-requisite course, the student must complete math courses sequentially, unless enrolled in a special program or granted departmental consent to skip a pre-requisite course.

  • Students are limited to a single ALEKS math assessment per year. An ALEKS math assessment provides for up to 5 attempts with required time in the learning module between attempts.

Do I have to take the placement assessment(s)?

In order to register for English or Math classes, or classes that require English or Math course eligibility as a prerequisite, students must have either the completed the respective placement exam or been granted a placement waiver.

In addition, students may not be required to take the placement assessment if they are eligible for any of the following waiver options:

  • Transitional Math and/or English courses,
  • TRANWV:
    • English – Placement measure valid for 3 years
    • Math – Placement measure valid for 18 months

City Colleges of Chicago and the Chicago Public Schools collaborate on Transitional coursework in Math and English. Students who pass these classes are able to go directly into college-level coursework in their pathway, without having to complete the placement assessment or verify scores.

SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 ?Schools with one-semester, double-period courses 

A, B, C or D

 A, B, or C One semester grade must be A, B or C

CPS Students must submit an official high school transcript verifying successful completion.

  • For CPS students, Transitional Math and/or English final grades information may be sent from CPS to CCC if the student agreed to the CPS Transcript Authorization via the CCC Admissions Application or through the CCC Student Portal.

Transfer Student Placement Test Waivers, TSTWV: Placement measures do not expire

A transfer student who has earned a grade of “C” or better in college-level English and/or math

  • Students must submit an official transcript verifying successful completion.

-or-

A student has previously earned an Associate’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university.

  • Students must submit an official transcript verifying successful completion.

Developmental Education, DEVWV:

English – Placement measure valid for 3 years

Math – Placement measure valid for 18 months

Students may not be required to take placement assessments if they have completed English and/or Math developmental coursework from approved accredited colleges and universities.

    • Students must submit an official transcript verifying successful completion.

High School GPA Placement, HS GPA PPL:

  • English – Placement measure valid for 3 years
  • Math – Placement measure valid for 18 months
  • Students may not be required to take placement assessments if they have a cumulative high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or above from their completed 7th or final semester. Students must submit an official high school transcript verifying successful completion.
    • For CPS students, transcript GPA information may be sent from CPS to CCC if student agreed to the CPS Transcript Authorization via the CCC Admissions Application or through the CCC Student Portal.
  • GPA requirements are based on an unweighted 4.00 scale. If a GPA is submitted based on a different scale, it will be converted.

SAT, SAT 2

  • Placement measure valid for 4 years
  • Expiration is from date of exam – Not date of receipt
  • 480+ English 101
  • 530+ College-level math
  • Request SAT Scores

ACT, ACT

  • Placement measure valid for 4 years

Expiration is from date of exam – Not date of receipt19= English 10121+ College-level math Request ACT Scores

CLEP | Advanced Placement Exam | International Baccalaureate, CLEP, AP and IB

  • Placement measures do not expire
  • A student who has completed an Advanced Placement (AP), College-Level Examination (CLEP), or International Baccalaureate credit (IB) examination with results that would grant credit for college-level English and/or math. Students must submit an official record of their test score. For more information visit the CCC websites for AP, CLEP, or IB credits
  • Request CLEP Scores
  • Request AP Scores
  • Request IB Scores

GED, GED

  • Placement measure valid for 1 year

Expiration is from date of exam Score of 155+ Math Score of 165+ English

 

HISET,HiSET

  • Placement measure valid for 1 year
  • Expiration is from date of exam
  • Score of Writing (16+) 
  • Reading (16+) 
  • Essay (5+) 
  • Score of Math 11

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Test Accommodations for students with disabilities are given in a manner consistent with the applicable requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. This includes offering and administering the test in a time, place, and manner that is accessible, including the provision of appropriate modifications and auxiliary aids and services.

To receive placement testing accommodations please contact the ACCESS Center at your college.

Access Center Offices

For additional CCC Placement Assessment information, please review the CCC Academic and Student Policy manual.