Santa Rosa Junior College

Assessment Services

Santa Rosa Campus, (707) 527-4661, Plover Hall, Room 531
Petaluma Campus, (707) 778-3908, Richard Call Hall, Room 601A

English, Math, or Chemistry Placement Testing Information

If you are interested in taking an English, math or chemistry course at SRJC, you are required to take a placement test prior to registering for the class. The results of your placement test will help determine which college course is appropriate for your current skill level. Multiple measures are also considered when determining course placement.

You are exempt from taking the placement test in a subject area (math, chemistry, or English) if you fulfill one or more of the following:

Have taken a course at a post secondary accredited institution in that subject area. (The course will determine placement.)
Have earned a High School AP score of 3 or higher in the subject area (contact Admissions and Records.)
Have a valid and current (within the last 3 years) SRJC placement test result in the subject area.

After receiving a course placement, you may enroll in that course or a lower course level. In addition, your course placement information may be helpful to you if you are interested in taking other courses at SRJC.

Application to SRJC is required
Photo I.D. is required
Know your SRJC Student I.D. number
All testing materials provided
Test results next business day

Santa Rosa Campus Testing Schedule
Appointment and Drop-In scheduling options are available at the Santa Rosa Campus. To make an appointment contact Assessment & GED Services at (707) 527-4661. Also, Drop-In is available with no appointment necessary (seating is limited.) We recommend you arrive early as latecomers will not be admitted after the test begins. Placement Tests are administered in Plover Hall. Please, check the following placement testing schedule for dates, times, room locations, and scheduling options.

Petaluma Campus Testing Schedule
Drop-In available, no appointments necessary at the Petaluma Campus. We recommend you arrive early as latecomers will not be admitted after the test begins. Please, check the following placement testing schedule for dates, times, and room locations.

An application to SRJC is required prior to taking the placement test. Please bring your photo I.D., and know your SRJC Student I.D. number. There is no fee to take the test and test results will be available online the next business day. All testing materials will be provided on the day of the test.

Assessment Services will accept placement test results from other two-year colleges for evaluation. Test results must be within three years. Submit an application to SRJC and fax your official placement test result to Assessment Services at (707) 524-1638.

Contact Assessment Services for more information regarding Placement Tests, GED (General Educational Development), placement testing at high schools, and having a distance learning exam proctored. Assessment Services also offers the Wonderlic/Ability to Benefit test (ATB). Students, who are interested in receiving financial aid, must take the Wonderlic/ATB test if they do not have a high school diploma or GED. To make an appointment to take the Wonderlic/ATB test, please contact one of the above Assessment Services Centers.

High School Advanced Placement Exams

If you have taken the High School Advanced Placement exams and your test scores are 3 or higher, you are exempt from taking the placement test. Complete a Prerequisite Equivalency Form and submit it to Admissions and Records. You are strongly encouraged to consult with a counselor about SRJC specific provisions for AP credit.

Special Accommodations

If you have a verifiable disability and require special accommodations for the placement or Wonderlic/ATB tests, please contact the Disability Resources Department at the Santa Rosa Campus at (707) 527-4278, or at the Petaluma Campus at (707) 778-2430.

Placement Test Study Guides and Test Schedules

For your information, study guides and placement test schedules are available at the Assessment Services Centers on both campuses. You may also find printable copies online at www.santarosa.edu/assessment/. Other study guides for the IADT and PCDT math placement tests are also located on the Mathematics Diagnostic Testing Project Web site at http://mdtp.ucsd.edu/. Placement tests are offered throughout the year.

SANTA ROSA CAMPUS TESTING SCHEDULE

Appointment and Drop-In scheduling options are available at the Santa Rosa Campus. To make an appointment contact Assessment & GED Services at (707) 527-4661. Also, Drop-In is available with no appointment necessary (seating is limited.) We recommend you arrive early as latecomers will not be admitted after the test begins. Placement Tests are administered in Plover Hall. Please, check the following placement testing schedule for dates, times, room locations, and scheduling options.

DATE	ENGLISH Start Time	*MATH or CHEM or GMCT Start Time**	Location & Appointment or Drop-In
Jan 5 Mon	1:00 pm	3:15 pm	Plover Hall, Rm. 530, Drop-In
Jan 6 Tue	1:00 pm or 5:30 pm	3:15 pm or 7:30 pm	Plover Hall, Rm. 530, Drop-In
Jan 7 Wed	8:15 am or 1:00 pm	10:15 am or 3 :15 pm	Plover Hall, Rm. 530, Drop-In
Jan 8 Thu	1:00 pm	3:15 pm	Plover Hall, Rm. 530, Drop-In
Jan 10 Sat	8:15 am	10:15 am	Plover Hall, Rm. 558, Drop-In
Jan 12 Mon	1:00 pm	3:15 pm	Emeritus Hall, Rm. 1692, Drop-In
Jan 13 Tue	1:00 pm	3:15 pm	Shuhaw Hall, Rm. 1783, Drop-In
Jan 14 Wed	5:30 pm	7:30 pm	Bech Hall, Room 1901, Drop-In
Jan 15 Thu	1:00 pm	3:15 pm	Maggini Hall, Room 2928, Drop-In
Jan 21 Wed	1:00 pm	3:15 pm	Plover Hall, Room 530, Appointment
Jan 22 Thu	1:00 pm	3:15 pm	Plover Hall, Room 530, Drop-In

PETALUMA CAMPUS TESTING SCHEDULE

Drop-In available, no appointments necessary at the Petaluma Campus. We recommend you arrive early as latecomers will not be admitted after the test begins. Please, check the following placement testing schedule for dates, times, and room locations.

Date	Day	English Start Time	Math or Chemistry or GMCT Start Time*	Location
Jan 5	Mon	1:30 pm	3:30 pm	PC691 Call Hall
Jan 6	Tue	1:30 pm	3:30 pm	PC691 Call Hall
Jan 8	Thu	1:30 pm	3:30 pm	PC691 Call Hall
Jan 10	Sat	8:30 am	10:30 am	PC691 Call Hall
Jan 13	Tue	1:30 pm	3:30 pm	PC187 Petaluma Village
Jan 15	Thu	1:30 pm	3:30 pm	PC187 Petaluma Village
Jan 20	Tue	1:30 pm	3:30 pm	PC187 Petaluma Village

The English Placement Test comprises a 45-minute writing sample and a 50-minute multiple choice question test. Please allow an additional 15 minutes for instruction. The multiple choice test is comprised of 65 questions administered in two separate components: 1) Reading Comprehension, and 2) Sentence Structure and Grammar. Reading and writing skills are assessed and the combined scores including other multiple measures determine English course placement.

Writing Sample Essay Instructions

Writing Sample
The English Placement Test begins with an essay assignment. You will have 45 minutes to plan and write your essay on the topic specified at the time of the test. Do not write on a topic other than the one specified; an essay on a topic of your own choice is not acceptable. The topic will be on some issue of general interest, drawing on your critical reading and academic writing skills. You should have enough time to read and analyze the assigned topic carefully and to organize your thoughts before you begin writing. You may make notes in the space provided in the essay booklet.

Scoring Your Essay
The SRJC English faculty who evaluate your essay will expect you to write a well-organized essay, one in which you develop your ideas clearly and logically. Sentence and paragraph structure, usage, and grammar also contribute to your final essay score. Each essay is read and scored holistically by two different faculty members using a scoring guide that helps to define degrees of writing proficiency. The two readers' scores are combined to give your reported score, which will fall between 2 (low) and 12 (high). A score of 0 is given to essays not written on the assigned topic.

Remember
The readers will be looking for the following:

Addresses the topic and responds to all aspects of the task.
Demonstrates a critical understanding of the passage in developing a response.
Reveals some depth of thinking.
Coherently organized and developed, with a main idea supported by appropriate reasons, examples and details.
Command of sentence structure and language.
Grammatical accuracy.

Math Placement Test

There are five different Math Placement Tests to choose from; each is a different level of math. You must choose one of these five tests that are most appropriate for your current math skill level. To help you decide the appropriate test for you, consider the following:

How long ago did you take a math course?
What level was it?
What grade did you receive?

Additional criteria for choosing a test and a complete listing of Math Placement Test cut-off scores is available for download (PDF: 91KB).

The five Math Placement Tests are listed below, along with the Math course placements.
Computational (COMP) CSKLS 368A, 370, 371, 372, or 100
Algebra Readiness Diagnostic Test (ARDT) MATH 150A or 151
Elementary Algebra Diagnostic Test (EADT) MATH 150A, 151, or 155
Intermediate Algebra Diagnostic Test (IADT) MATH 155, 9, 10, 15, 16, 25, 27 or 58
Pre-Calculus Diagnostic Test (PCDT) MATH 25, 27, 58, 8A or 1A

The COMP placement test is recommended for most Fire Science and Health Science programs. Math 155 satisfies the SRJC Math requirement for an Associate Degree. All SRJC courses 1 to 49 are UC transferable, and 1 to 99 are CSU transferable. You may not use a calculator during the math Placement Test. You are given 45 minutes to take the test you chose except for the highest test level, (Pre-Calculus) for which you receive 1 hour. Please allow an additional 15 minutes for test instruction.

Graduation Mathematics Competency Exam (GMCT)

During the math and chemistry placement tests, we also offer the Graduation Mathematics Competency Exam (GMCT). This exam is offered to students who are ready to graduate, and who have not fulfilled the SRJC math requirement for the Associate Degree. A score of 24 out of 40 is required to pass this exam. Students who do not achieve a passing score will be allowed to retest in the following Fall, Spring, or Summer term. This is not a placement test.

Chemistry Placement Test

The Chemistry course placement is determined by a single chemistry test. This test determines course placement within either CHEM 1A or 4A. To enroll in CHEM 51 the placement test is recommended, but not required. The prerequisite for the above Chemistry courses is Math 155. This placement test is comprised of 44 multiple-choice questions. A scientific calculator is permitted during this test, (please bring your own) and a periodic table is included in the test booklet. A complete listing of Chemistry Placement Test cut-off scores is available for download (PDF: 58KB).

Placement Test Results

Placement test results will be available the following business day from which you tested through Web Link and the TLC phone line at (707) 525-3800. In addition, a profile letter will be mailed to you indicating your course placement including a breakdown of your scores and further information to help you ensure your academic success. After receiving your course placement, you may enroll in that course or any course below the one in which you were placed. Your placement test results are valid for 3 years.

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), Assessment Services cannot give out test results over the phone, nor can we give your test results to another individual or agency unless we have written permission from you on record. A Release of Information Authorization Form is available for download. (PDF: 29KB) Fax your Release of Information Authorization Form to (707) 425-1638.

Placement Test Retake and Challenge Policies, and Test Score Longevity

You may take the placement test twice per semester. If you do not agree with your placement test results you have the option to retake the placement test once per semester, or Challenge your placement test result. To challenge your English placement test result, contact the Assessment Services Centers at (707) 527-4661 Santa Rosa Campus, or at (707) 778-3908 at the Petaluma Campus. To challenge your Math or Chemistry Placement Test result contact Admissions and Records at (707) 527-4685 (Santa Rosa Campus) or at (707) 778-2415 (Petaluma Campus).

Please be advised that after two weeks of being enrolled in a math course you may not retake a placement test again.

Questions or comments about this page may be sent to Parveen Nasseem at pnasseem@santarosa.edu.