College Placement Assessments

You will need to take a college placement test if you do not have qualifying test scores or prior college-level coursework in English or mathematics.

You likely do NOT need placement testing if you have:

• Qualifying ACT, CLT, SAT, ACCUPLACER, or PERT scores that are less than two years old
• Completed college-level English or mathematics with a grade of C or higher
• Earned an associate degree or higher
• Graduated from a Florida public high school with a standard high school diploma (provided you entered 9th grade in 2003–2004 or later)
• Active-duty U.S. military status

You may need placement testing if you:

• Earned a GED®
• Graduated from a private, home, or out-of-state high school
• Do not have qualifying, unexpired scores or prior college coursework

Placement testing helps ensure you enroll in courses that match your current skill level and support your academic success.

If you are unsure whether placement testing is required, please contact an Assessment and Certification Center for assistance.

The PERT and Accuplacer Next Generation 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 may coordinate a remote Accuplacer Next Generation exam CPT and PERT testing at a remote (non-FSCJ) educational site through the Deerwood Center Assessment Center by contacting the Deerwood Staff at (904) 997-2676 or by email.

The ACT, CLT, and SAT are arranged through local high schools.

Individuals may sit for the Accuplacer Next Generation OR PERT placement exam once without charge. After the first sitting, students may elect to retake a college placement assessment (remediation is encouraged); retakes must be completed prior to the first term of enrollment in general education courses. Students with valid placement test scores may be charged a sitting fee if they retake one or more parts of the exam. Scores are valid for two years.

Once classes have started in a sub-area (English, reading, or mathematics) you cannot retest in that sub-area.

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
• Practice for the Accuplacer
• SAT, ACT & PERT – Test Preparation

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 (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 later and earned a Florida standard high school diploma
• First-time-in-college, transfer, or currently enrolled students serving as active duty members of the United States Armed Services, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Section 392.1, including:
• Full-time training duty
• Active duty in the Coast Guard during periods 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 a noncombatant capacity
• Students that hold an associates degree or higher from an accredited college or university are exempt from taking any of these college placement assessments. Additionally, students that have successfully completed college courses in English, reading or mathematics are exempt from taking a college placement assessment in that course area.

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, 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.

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 Student Support Services before scheduling or taking any college placement assessment.