Placement Testing

This is an archived copy of the 2013-14 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.cincinnatistate.edu.

COMPASS®/ESL Placement Testing

All students seeking a degree or certificate must participate in placement testing for mathematics, reading, writing, and keyboarding.

Prerequisites are enforced; therefore, students may be required to enroll in an Academic Foundations class identified through placement testing before they can enroll in college-level courses.

On the Clifton campus, testing is conducted in the Testing Center, Room 176 Main Building, on a walk-in basis; no appointment is necessary. Testing hours are:

  • Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Arrive no later than 6 p.m.
  • Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Arrive no later than 2 p.m.
  • First Saturday of each month, 8 a.m. – noon
  • Every Saturday in May and June. Arrive no later than 9:15 a.m.

On the Middletown campus, testing is conducted in Room 126. No appointment is necessary. Testing hours are:

  • Tuesday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Arrive no later than 1 p.m.
  • Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Arrive no later than 3 p.m.
  • Thursday, 1 p.m. 8 p.m. Arrive no later than 6 p.m.
  • First Saturday of each month, 9 a.m. – Noon. Arrive no later than 10 a.m.

The COMPASS® lab is closed on all federal holidays and other days the College is closed. Please call (513) 861-7700 for a complete schedule.

Please allow 90 minutes for testing. For everyone’s safety, children are not permitted in the lab, and the College does not provide childcare for this purpose. A photo ID is required to complete testing. No food or drink is permitted in the testing labs.

Testing materials (calculator, pencils, scrap paper) are provided by the Testing Center. Applicants will be asked to store other items in their vehicles or in a small locker provided by the Testing Center. The staff will not be held responsible for unattended items that will not fit in the locker.

Each applicant may test only once, unless an academic advisor recommends retesting. There is no fee for testing, but a photo ID is required. COMPASS® test scores are valid for five years.

Any questions regarding the COMPASS®/ESL placement test should be directed to employees of the Testing Center, or to (513) 861-7700.

Sample test questions are available online at www.act.org/compass/sample/ .

A student who has taken the COMPASS®/ESL test at another institution within the past five years should submit a copy of the results to the Office of Admission for review.

COMPASS® Waiver Request

Students with transfer credit from a regionally accredited institution in college-level English composition and algebra may not need to complete the entire placement test. Interested students should submit an official copy (by mail only) of their college/university transcript(s) to the Office of Admission, along with submitting an online ACT COMPASS® Test Waiver Form available at http://www.cincinnatistate.edu/admissionforms .

ACT® in Lieu of COMPASS® Placement Testing

Applicants who have taken the ACT® within the past two years may be exempted from taking the COMPASS® Placement Test. Students who did not previously authorize ACT® to send scores to Cincinnati State may request that the scores be sent by contacting ACT.org (separate charges may apply). Scores must be received directly from ACT®.

After receiving the ACT® scores, English and Reading scores will be used to determine appropriate English placement. Math scores lower than 23 will require the applicant to take the math portion of the COMPASS® test. Students with a math score of 23 or higher will be referred to an academic advisor for math placement.

For more information, call (513) 861-7700.

COMPASS® Placement Test Accommodations

Prospective students who have a permanent disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 may wish to seek an accommodation or waiver of part or all of the COMPASS® placement test. Students making such a request must submit proper documentation of their disability for review. Interested students should contact the Office of Disability Services at (513) 569-1775 for more information concerning the necessary documentation, steps, and options.