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Florida State College at Jacksonville

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FSCJ provides high value, relevant life-long education that enhances the intellectual, social, cultural and economic development of students throughout Northeast Florida.

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College Placement Assessments

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Senate Bill 1720 Information - Effective November 2013 under SB 1720, if you entered the ninth grade in a Florida public school in 2003 or after, graduated from a Florida public high school with a standard Florida high school diploma, OR if you are a student who is serving as an active duty member of any branch of the U.S. Armed Services, you will not be required to take placement testing.

 

There are five college placement assessments: FCAT, ACT, CPT, PERT and SAT.

These assessments are developed by state and national testing agencies with the help of committees of college professors and are the only placement assessments approved for use by the State of Florida. The assessments provide information about current knowledge in reading, English, and mathematics. By assessing skill levels in these three areas, the placement assessments may be used to determine the beginning English, mathematics, and reading courses most likely to lead to success as you enter Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT)

The purpose of the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test is to assess students' skill levels in English, mathematics and reading for proper placement in these courses. The PERT is not a pass or fail test. Instead, the scores are used to determine the beginning English, mathematics and reading courses most likely to lead to success as a student enters Florida State College at Jacksonville. This test is administered to all incoming students who do not have valid or recent placement scores, SAT, ACT, FCAT scores, or college credit courses. Your application to the College covers the fee for the first sitting. Any attempt after the first sitting will cost $32 regardless of the number of subtests. The PERT contains three untimed sections: reading, writing and mathematics, each with 30 multiple-choice questions. If you score 135 or higher on the mathematics subtest and are placed in college algebra or college mathematics, you will have the choice to take the advanced mathematics subtest, which is used to determine placement in advanced mathematics courses such as trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus and statistics.

What do I need to know about the ACT for college placement assessment?

The ACT is administered by ACT several times per year. Contact ACT to obtain scores reports or to register to take the test. If you have taken the ACT within the last two years, you may submit scores that meet one or more of the following minimum scores: 19 or higher on the reading, 17 or higher on the English and 19 or higher on the mathematics section.

What do I need to know about the SAT for college placement assessment?

The SAT is administered by College Board several times throughout the year. Contact SAT to obtain score reports or to register to take the test.

If you have taken the SAT within the last two years, you may submit scores that meet one or more of the following minimum scores:

Scores for exams administered prior to March 1, 2016: 440 on the critical reading section and 440 on the mathematics section.

Scores for exams administered on March 1, 2016 or afterwards: 24 on the reading section and 24 on the mathematics section.

Please note that SAT scores are only active for two years.

Where may I take the SAT?

The SAT is administered at approved testing sites across the country and internationally. Florida State College at Jacksonville offers the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) at the Downtown and Kent Campuses.

The available dates to schedule your SAT are:

  • October 1, 2016
  • November 5, 2016
  • December 3, 2016
  • January 21, 2017

If you are interested in taking the SAT at Florida State College at Jacksonville, please visit the College Board SAT website where you can schedule your testing appointment.

There are a number of helpful items at the College Board website including practice exams and study guides.

What do I need to know about the FCAT for college placement assessment?

The FCAT may be used to meet State of Florida placement requirements. If you graduated from high school less than two years ago, took the FCAT in high school and received a 4.0 or higher in reading or a 5.0 or higher in mathematics, you may submit a copy of your high school transcript showing your FCAT scores for placement evaluation. A score of 5.0 or higher in mathematics will allow you to enroll in intermediate algebra; however, many students with a 5.0 on the FCAT mathematics decide to take the PERT mathematics to see if they may begin instruction in college algebra or higher.

What do I need to know about the CPT for college placement assessment?

The CPT is accepted as a placement assessment from other colleges and universities as long as the test was taken within the last two years. Florida State College administers the CPT to students who have previously taken the PERT.  Study materials for the CPT are the same as those used for the PERT.

May I exempt placement testing if I have successfully completed college courses in English, reading or mathematics?

If you hold an associates degree or higher from an accredited college or university, you are exempt from taking any of these college placement assessments. If you have successfully completed college courses in English, reading or mathematics you are exempt from taking a college placement assessment in the course area.

What are the common placement testing and developmental education exemptions?

Effective spring 2014, if you entered the ninth grade in a Florida public school in 2003 or after and earned a standard Florida high school diploma, or if you are a student who is serving as an active duty member of any branch of the U.S. Armed Services, you will not be required to take the placement test (P.E.R.T.) or enroll in developmental education at any Florida College System institution, including Florida State College at Jacksonville (per State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.0315). 

If you are exempt from placement testing and developmental education, you may still opt to be assessed or may enroll in developmental education, and the College will provide assessment and instruction upon your request.

Exempt Students

Who Is exempt from common placement testing and developmental education instruction?

  • First-time-in college, transfer or currently enrolled students who entered ninth grade in a Florida public high school in the 2003-04 school year, or any year thereafter, and who earned a Florida standard high school diploma
  • First-time-in-college, transfer or currently enrolled students who are serving as active duty members of the United States Armed Services, defined by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, Section 392.1, including:
  • Full-time training duty
  • Active duty in Coast Guard during period of hostility
  • Annual training duty and attendance while in active military status at a service school
  • Active duty National Guardsmen
  • Active duty Reservists
  • Active duty in noncombatant capacity

Non-exempt Students

Who is non-exempt from common placement testing and developmental education instruction?

The following students are not exempt from common placement testing and developmental education instruction:

  • Students who earned a high school equivalency diploma or GED®
  • Prospective dual enrollment students
  • Home education students
  • Students who graduated from an out-of-state public high school
  • Students who graduated from an in-state or out-of-state private high school
  • Veterans are not exempt unless they meet other eligibility criteria.

If you have questions regarding the common placement testing and developmental education exemption, please contact any of the College's Assessment and Certification Center offices.

What should I do if I do not have qualifying SAT, ACT, FCAT or CPT scores?

Beginning January 18, 2011, if you do not have eligible FCAT, SAT or ACT scores, an associate degree or higher or successful college coursework in English, reading or mathematics, you will take the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) as your placement assessment when you begin your college career at Florida State College. If you are eligible to retake the PERT or CPT, you will be required to pay a retake sitting fee of $32.00.

The PERT has three primary subtests: reading, writing and mathematics. Each subtest has 30 multiple choice questions and is untimed, although you should allow one hour per subtest; they are delivered by computer. The minimum score for each subtest is 50 and the maximum score is 150. If you score 135 or higher on the mathematics subtest and are placed in college algebra or college mathematics, you will have the choice to take the advanced mathematics subtest, which is used to determine placement in advanced mathematics courses such as trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus and statistics.

What are the PERT placement scores?

If you have taken the PERT exam within the last 2 years, the following scores will give you placement:

PERT Writing 50-89 Placement in ENC 0015 (college preparatory course)
90-102 Placement in ENC 0025 (college preparatory course)
103-150 Placement in ENC 1101 (college level course)
PERT Reading 50-83 Placement in REA 0007 (college preparatory course)
84-105 Placement in REA 0017 (college preparatory course)
106-150 Exempt from any reading courses
PERT Mathematics 50-95 Placement in MAT 0018 (college preparatory course)
96-113 Placement in MAT 0028 (college preparatory course)
114-122 Placement in MAT 1033 (college level course)
123-150 Placement in college algebra or advanced mathematics

Where are the college placement assessments administered?

The PERT and CPT are administered by appointment in the assessment and certification center at Downtown Campus, Kent Campus, North Campus, South Campus, Cecil Center, the military bases in Jacksonville and Nassau Center. Individuals living outside the First Coast area coordinate CPT and PERT testing through the Deerwood Center Assessment Center at (904) 997-2676 to arrange placement testing at a remote (non-FSCJ) educational site.

May I retake the college placement assessments?

Individuals may sit for the college placement assessments once without charge. The PERT will be administered if you have not taken it before. After the first sitting, students may elect to retake the college placement assessment after they have completed additional remediation; retakes must be completed prior to the first term of enrollment in general education courses. Students may be charged a sitting fee if they retake one or more parts of the exam. After beginning classes, the PERT may be taken every two years for a sitting fee.

Effective June 1, 2014, the retake policy for the PERT exam will change. Once classes are started in a sub-area (reading, English, or mathematics) you cannot retest in that sub-area unless your placement expires.

How may I improve my scores on the PERT or CPT?

Please use the following resources if you would like to review study
material prior to taking the placement exam:

  • Florida's Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.) Study Guide
  • College Success Practice Tests
  • Accuplacer® Sample Questions for Students

What should I do if I need a special accommodation for the placement assessments?

The College fully complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require accommodations due to a diagnosed disability, you should contact the office of services for students with disabilities BEFORE scheduling or taking any college placement assessment.

Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view/print PDF files.

GED® and GED Testing Service® are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). They may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of ACE or GED Testing Service. The GED® and GED Testing Service® brands are administered by GED Testing Service LLC under license from the American Council on Education.

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Florida State College at Jacksonville is a member of the Florida College System and is not affiliated with any other public or private university or college in Florida or elsewhere. 

Florida State College at Jacksonville does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, disability, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, age, sex, sexual orientation/expression, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy or genetic information in its programs, activities and employment. For more information, visit the Equal Access/Equal Opportunity page.

Florida State College at Jacksonville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the baccalaureate and associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Florida State College at Jacksonville. The Commission is to be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support an institution's significant non-compliance with a requirement or standard.