University Readiness Standards and Placement Assessment Download to print

In 2012, the Ohio Department of Higher Education established uniform statewide standards and college testing thresholds for remediation-free status for undergraduate students. Students meeting these standards and thresholds are deemed remediation-free and are eligible to enroll in college-level courses in the respective subjects. These standards are under revision and may change during the 2016-2017 academic year. These standards and thresholds do not replace Kent State’s placement assessment policies (see below).

* Compass testing will not be offered after November 30, 2016.
** Not applicable at Kent State University.

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT

Kent State University uses ACT, SAT, GED and/or placement assessment(s) to determine appropriate course placement in mathematics, English, foreign language, general chemistry and critical and core reading strategies. Any required placement assessments must be completed before a student registers for classes. This is to ensure student readiness and correct course selection. Students who are required to complete the ALEKS chemistry assessment will do so after registering for CHEM 10060. Any student required to attend a campus-specific orientation program (e.g., Destination Kent State: Advising and Registration) will be required to complete all appropriate assessments prior to the orientation program.

Students who earn college credit before enrolling at Kent State may be exempt from taking some or all placement assessments. Students must submit their college transcripts (including College Credit Plus and dual enrollment credit), Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate and military transcript(s) for review and consideration of transfer credits.

Most assessments are accessible online. Students will be provided with information about assessments that are required and how to access the assessment either by e-mail, Next Steps Checklist or some other form of communication.

ACT, SAT and Accuplacer scores can be used for placement in mathematics, English, chemistry and critical and core reading strategies for two years from the date of assessment until the first day of classes. Placement assessment scores provided through ALEKS (for mathematics only), Compass and WebCape can be used for one year from the date of assessment. Students must reassess after a year to ensure proper placement.

English Placement

All undergraduate degree programs require successful completion of the Kent Core Composition requirement. Placement into the appropriate starting course in the sequence is determined by ACT English or SAT writing and language scores. In the event students do not have ACT or SAT scores, they will take either Compass (available to students admitted for fall 2016 only) or Accuplacer – Writeplacer (available to students admitted for spring 2017 or later). These assessments are available on site only. Students who have taken Accuplacer (sentence skills score 88+) or Writeplacer at another institution within two years of their initial start date may opt to transfer those scores to Kent State University.

Students enrolled at a Kent State University regional campus who do not meet the university readiness standards will be required to enroll in and earn a minimum C grade in ENG 01001 and a minimum C- grade ENG 11002 before they can enroll in ENG 21011. Students who take Compass or Writeplacer and wish to challenge their placement must take the Writing Challenge.

Mathematics Placement

All undergraduate degree programs require the successful completion of the Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning requirement. Some programs may require specific mathematics course(s). Placement into mathematics courses is determined by a student’s score on the ALEKS placement assessment and/or the ACT or SAT score. Not all students need to take the ALEKS placement assessment, and students should check their Next-Steps Checklist in FlashLine for that determination. However, all students scoring below 22 on ACT mathematics or below 520 on SAT mathematics need to take ALEKS. Upon completing the initial assessment online, students have free access to work in the ALEKS Learning Module for up to six weeks. They may then retake ALEKS in a proctored environment in an attempt to improve their placement score.

Students who achieve the scores below will be deemed remediation free in mathematics at Kent State University.

Foreign Language Placement

All students intending to take a foreign language course at Kent State University must complete the Foreign Language Placement Questionnaire online in FlashLine, or via a link provided on the student’s Next Steps Checklist. Completion of the questionnaire will determine if the student will need to complete a foreign language placement assessment. All students should begin foreign language study in the appropriate course, which may be determined in one of the following ways:

1. University-approved proficiency or placement examination; or
2. Documentation of previously earned college credits in a foreign language through coursework, Credit by Exam (CBE), Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or College Level Examination Program (CLEP).

Foreign Language Requirements: Generally, foreign language requirements are met by passing the highest level course in the language requirement (or, alternatively, a native speaker waiver, a higher level course or through one or more alternative credit options such as CLEP, AP, CBE, IB, retroactive credit or transfer credit). Students should review the University Catalog and consult with their academic advisor(s) to determine specific language requirements for their college and program. Some students may begin their university foreign language experience beyond the Elementary I level without receiving credit for the previous course(s) and, thus, may complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses than specified in their language requirement. In this case, the hours not used for the language requirement may be still required for graduation, but may be applied toward coursework in the student’s major or minor or as electives.

Native-speaker waiver: Eligible students should contact the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies if they wish to apply for a native-speaker waiver. The department considers native speakers of another language to be those students who have been born, raised and educated through high school in a culture in which a language other than English is the dominant language. Students wishing to obtain a native speaker waiver for their language requirement must provide one or more of the following types of documentation as requested by the administrator in the Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies granting the waiver:

1. Diploma from foreign secondary or high school where the language of instruction was a language other than English;
2. Transcript/official list of courses from secondary or high school showing language(s) taught;
3. Letter from foreign education official certifying graduation and language of instruction;
4. Official test results showing intermediate mid proficiency in the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview and Writing Proficiency Test;
5. Assessment by approved native speaker of foreign language (e.g., teacher, professor or certified translator), with this assessment method approved in advance by a department administrator; and/or
6. TOEFL score on file with Kent State University.

General Chemistry Placement

All students registered for CHEM 10060 General Chemistry I must complete the ALEKS chemistry assessment prior to the start of the semester. Directions will be provided through the student’s Next Steps Checklist and via e-mail. Students will be given access to this assessment for the six weeks prior to the start of classes each term (fall, spring, summer). Any student not completing the assessment with 100 percent mastery of the basic chemistry knowledge being assessed will be de-registered from the class and the related laboratory course, CHEM 10062.

Core and Critical Reading Strategies Placement

Kent State University regional campuses offer two courses to help students develop reading strategies to successfully complete college-level coursework — UC 00003 Core Reading Strategies College Success and UC 00006 Critical Reading Strategies for College Success. A student placed into UC 00003 must take UC 00006 the following term. Both courses require a minimum C grade. Students who have taken the Accuplacer Reading Comprehension at another institution within two years of their initial start date may opt to transfer that score to Kent State University.