Assessment and Placement

Students enrolling in KCTCS colleges for the purpose of earning credit applicable toward an educational credential —certificate, diploma, or associate degree — must demonstrate through the submission of scores on specified assessment instruments that they possess the minimum academic skills essential for success. Students who do not have the appropriate test scores in a given area must successfully complete remedial courses before enrolling in entry-level courses for that subject area.

This assessment and placement policy specifically applies to:

• Students who will enroll in a KCTCS college for the first time in fall 2001 or later for the purpose of earning an educational credential. This includes students who intend to transfer to a university and students who are undecided on a program of study.
• Students who transfer from a non-KCTCS institution and who have not demonstrated academic skills appropriate for the educational credential they seek either through assessment results or successful completion of relevant entry-level courses.
• Students who decide to earn an educational credential subsequent to their enrollment as a non-credential seeking student and who have not demonstrated the academic skills appropriate for the educational credential they seek.

The skills for which the Assessment and Placement Policy applies are mathematics, reading, and writing. An ACT® score of 18 or above in mathematics, reading or writing allows the student to enroll in entry level courses for those areas. A student who scores less than 18 in mathematics, reading or writing is required to take an additional test and will be placed into classes according to her/his score on the second test.

Students who do not intend to seek an educational credential are exempt from taking the assessment instrument; however, all students must meet individual course pre-requisites such as those for entry-level English and mathematics courses.