Placement Tests

Placement Testing Waiver Guidelines

English Placement Test Waiver and enrollment into ENG 101

Students shall be exempt from the WritePlacer portion of the Accuplacer placement test, and they shall be placed into ENG 101, the first credit-bearing composition course, if they present:

An overall high school grade point average of 85 or higher

or
A 3 or higher on the AP English Literature and Composition or English Language and Composition (college credit awarded for ENG 101 or ENG 102 depending on the test).

or
A 3 or higher in on the International Baccalaureate English Exam in English (standard or higher level).

or
A 520 or higher on the SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing or SAT Writing Exam or a 21 or higher on the ACT English.

or
21+ on the ACT English will exempt a student from the Reading and Writing Portions of the placement exam.
The following minimum TOEFL scores:

Reading Skills 22
Speaking Skills 18
Listening Skills 18
Writing Skills 24

English Placement Test Waiver and enrollment into ENG 100

Students shall be exempt from the WritePlacer portion of the Accuplacer placement test, and they shall be placed into ENG 100, the first enhanced credit-bearing composition course, if they present one of the following.

An overall high school grade point average of 80-84.9 or
NYS English Language Arts Regents Score from 80-84 taken within the last 4 years or
Students who present an English grade of D/+/- must register for ENG 100 or a co-requisite ALP course, after consultation with an advisor

Reading Placement Test Waiver

Students shall be exempt from the Reading portion of the Accuplacer placement test, and they shall receive placement of RDG 999, if they present:

An overall high school grade point average of 80 or higher
or
An SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing or SAT Critical Reading score of 500 or higher and, or
An ACT Reading Score of 21 or higher, or
A NYS English Regents Score of 79 or higher, acquired within 4 years of application to NCC.

or
A 3 or higher on the AP English Literature and Composition or English Language and Composition.

or
A 3 or higher on the International Baccalaureate English Exam in English (standard or higher level).

or
The following minimum TOEFL scores:

Reading Skills 22
Speaking Skills 18
Listening Skills 18

Math Placement Test Waiver

Students shall be exempt from the Accuplacer mathematics portion of the placement test, if they present:

A score of 77 or higher on the Integrated Algebra Regents Exam taken within 4 years of application to NCC
or
An 80 or higher on the Algebra Regents I Exam, acquired within 4 years of application to NCC.

or
An SAT Math score of 500 or higher.

or
An ACT Math score of 21 or higher.

or
A 3 or higher on the an Advanced Placement Calculus Exam.

or
A 3 or higher on the AP Statistics Exams (non-STEM).

or
A 3 or higher on the IB Math exam (standard or higher level).
Students who present a mathematics grade of D/+/- or C-, will be placed into the appropriate mathematics course, after consultation with the Mathematics department. STEM identified students transferring in a liberal arts math course with a grade of C or higher will be required to take the algebra portion of the placement exam.

Additional waivers of the Placement Tests

College credit from a regionally accredited college or university with a grade of a C or higher in math (course equivalent to MAT 109) or English (ENG 101) will also allow a student to be exempt.

Students who have successfully completed credit-bearing classes at regionally accredited colleges will not have to take the placement test in the areas in which they have already been successful. Students who present an English grade of D/+/- must register for ENG 100 or a co-requisite ALP course, after consultation with an advisor. Students who present a mathematics grade of D/+/- or C- will be placed into the appropriate mathematics course, after consultation with the Mathematics department. STEM identified students transferring in a liberal arts math course with a grade of C or higher will be required to take the algebra portion of the placement exam.

Students applying to certificate programs that do not require coursework in English, Mathematics, or Reading will not be required to take the placement tests, provided the courses do not have a remedial prerequisite.

Post-graduate and Transfer Students

Exemptions from the placement test will be given to those students who provide documentation that they possess a college degree from an accredited institution. Students who have graduated from colleges outside the United States may be required to take one or more sections of the placement test. In addition, transfer students who submit documentation that they have successfully completed a college level mathematics course equivalent to Nassau's MAT 109 (Algebra and Trigonometry) or higher shall be exempt from the mathematics portion of the placement test. Those who submit documentation that they have successfully completed (C or above) a college level course equivalent to Nassau's ENG 101 (Composition I) shall be exempt from the reading and writing portions of the placement test.

Transferring Credits

Only equivalent courses with a grade of “C-” or higher relevant to a student's degree requirements at Nassau will be accepted from other regionally accredited postsecondary institutions to apply toward a degree. Although a minimum of 31 residential credits must be completed at NCC within the degree (15 credits within a certificate), the College may transfer additional courses in case students change their program of study while in attendance. Courses above the 31 credits will be initially excluded. Students must submit a Change of Program request to change their major—at which time all transferred in courses will be reviewed once again. Courses completed on a trimester or quarterly basis will be converted to semester hour credits. Questions regarding evaluation of transfer credits should be referred to the Office of Admissions.