Determine Course Placement

You have several options to determine your placement in English and/or math courses.

English and math courses are often pre-requisite courses for program pathways. Review the options below and select the one that best fits you.  Once your course placement is determined, advisors will assist you in finding the right course.

For international students or students seeking to improve their English, please click here.

Options to Determine Your Course Placement

Option 1. English and Math Self-Assessment

English

Determine English course placement through an English self-assessment. Your responses will be reviewed, and you will receive an email to your CCD student email with the most appropriate English course for you. If the results of the survey are unclear or you do not agree with the results of your placement, you may choose to schedule an appointment to take the English Accuplacer placement test.

Math

Determine math course placement through a math self-assessment. Your responses will be reviewed, and you will receive an email to your CCD student email with the most appropriate math course for you. If the results of the survey are unclear or you do not agree with the results of your placement, you may choose to schedule an appointment to take the math Accuplacer placement test.

Option 2. High School Coursework & GPA

  • College-Level Math Course without Support Lab
  • If you are currently in or graduated high school within the past two years with a 2.75 cumulative unweighted GPA and passed Algebra II or Math III with a "B" grade or better you may enroll in any entry college-level math course without a support lab.
  • College-Level Math Course with Support Lab
  • If you are currently in or graduated high school within the past two years, passed Algebra II or Math III, but do not meet the GPA or grade requirements, you may enroll in any entry college-level math course with the appropriate support lab. 
  • English 121 without Support Lab
  • If you are currently in or graduated high school within the past two years with a 2.75 cumulative unweighted GPA and passed English III or AP English with a "B" grade or better you may enroll in English 121 without a support lab.
  • English 121 with Support Lab
  • If you are currently in or graduated high school within the past two years and passed English III or AP English, but do not meet the GPA or grade requirements, you may enroll in CCR 092 or ENG 121 paired with CCR 094.
  • You should turn in your high school transcripts to registration and records. We will review the transcripts to exempt you from taking all or portions of the assessment tests (math, reading and English). 

Option 3. High School Equivalency Diploma

GED, HiSET, and TASC transcripts can also be reviewed for exemptions and can be submitted online.

The minimum test scores to determine course placement are as follows:

  • GED | Reasoning through Language Arts: 165 | Mathematical Reasoning: 165 
  • HiSET | Language Arts Reading: 15 | Language Arts Writing: 15 | Math: 15
  • TASC | Reading: 580 | Writing: 560 | Writing Essay: 6 | Math: 560

Option 4. College Credit Transfer

Official transcripts are evaluated for transfer of credit and reviewed to exempt a student from taking all or portions of the assessment tests (math and English).

Official transcripts and test score reports should be submitted to the Office of Registration & Records (Confluence Building, room 114).

You may also mail official transcripts and test scores to the Office of Registration & Records: Campus Box 201, P.O. Box 173363, Denver, CO 80217-3363.

Unofficial college transcripts are reviewed to exempt a student from taking all or portions of the assessment tests (math and English). Unofficial transcripts must be submitted along with a completed Transcript Intake Form for review. 

  • Transcripts will be reviewed for evidence that an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree was conferred or that developmental or college-level courses demonstrating reading, writing, and math was successfully (C or higher) completed at a regionally accredited institution.
  • International transcripts must be translated and evaluated by one of the agencies listed on the NACES webpage.
  • Math coursework completed more than 10-years ago cannot be used to qualify for an exemption from the math assessment test. Exemptions are based on how the completed coursework compares to courses offered at CCD.
  • Transcript reviews take up to 7-10 business days. Please plan accordingly.

Option 5. ACT, SAT or Accuplacer Scores

Unofficial ACT, SAT, and Accuplacer placement test scores from within the past five (5) years may be submitted online.

The minimum test scores to determine course placement are as follows:

  • ACT | English: 18 | Math: 19 for MAT 120/135 or 23 for MAT 121
  • SAT (Taken prior to March 2016) | Critical Reading: 430 for English | Math: 460
  • SAT (Taken after March 2016) | Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 470 for English | Math: 500 for MAT 120/135 | Math: 560 or higher for MAT 121
  • Classic Accuplacer | Sentence Skills: 95 | Reading Comprehension: 80 (Recommended) | Elementary Algebra: 60 for MAT 120/135 | Elementary Algebra: 85 for MAT 121
  • Next-Generation Accuplacer | Writing: 246 for ENG 121 | Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra and Statistics: 240 for MAT 120/135/155/156 | Advanced Algebra and Functions: 245 for MAT 121/123.
  • Scores from advanced placement exams, international baccalaureate exams, and/or CLEP exams from within the past five (5) years can also be submitted for review at the Testing Center.

Demonstrate English-Speaking Abilities

English as a Second Language (ESL)

CCD enrolls many students whose first language is not English. If you would like to improve your English, you may or may not need additional English as a Second Language (ESL) courses before pursuing your certificate or degree of choice (or if ESL courses are your only educational objective at CCD). You should take the ESL assessment test if your primary language is other than English. You can also meet with an ESL advisor if you have questions about ESL classes. Learn more about the ESL placement test.

International Students

If you are an international student in the U.S. on a student visa, you should meet with an academic advisor before registering for a math class. If needed, international students can register for co-requisite math classes.