College Placement Assessments
College placement assessments help determine the English, reading, and mathematics courses that best match your current skill level, setting you up for success as you begin your academic journey at Florida State College at Jacksonville.
Depending on your academic history, you may be required to submit qualifying test scores or complete a placement assessment before enrolling in certain courses.
There are five common college placement assessments that are approved by the State Board of Education: ACT, ACCUPLACER Next Generation, CLT, PERT and SAT
These assessments are developed by state and national testing agencies with the help of committees of college professors. The assessments provide information about current knowledge in English, reading, and mathematics. By assessing skill levels in these three areas, the placement assessments may be used to determine the beginning English, reading, and mathematics courses most likely to lead to success as you enter Florida State College at Jacksonville.
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:
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.
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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.