Placement Testing

The Testing Center

The Testing Center provides services for students to complete a variety of tests including, but not limited to, placement testing (ACCUPLACER), specialized tests such as the nursing entrance test, CLEP, Pearson VUE, as well as tests associated with online or web-enhanced courses.

Contact the Testing Center

testingcenter@tcl.edu

Testing Center Rules & Regulations

1. Students must present a photo I.D. prior to testing.
2. Food and drinks are not allowed in the Testing Center
3. Cell phones are to be turned off prior to entering the Testing Center and stored in a locker.
4. Children are not allowed to accompany students into the testing room and may not be left unattended in the lobby or hallway.
5. You must leave enough time to complete your test before the Testing Center closes.
6. If you have a documented disability and need special accommodations for placement testing, please contact the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, at 843-525-8219.

Placement Testing

As a new student, staff members from Admissions and Testing can tell you if a Placement Test is required for your program of study or if you have other qualifying scores. Placement Testing helps TCL determine if you are ready for college-level classes and helps ensure you being at the right level. Most programs require placement testing. Sometimes your previous college experience or SAT/ACT, CLEP or AP scores may be used to meet the placement requirement.

About the ACCUPLACER Test

The Testing Center administers Accuplacer test for course placement. There is no charge for the Accuplacer test. Once you have completed the Accuplacer test, you will be informed of your next steps with regard to completing the admissions process.

All ACCUPLACER tests use a multiple-choice format. There’s no time limit on the tests, so you can focus on doing your best to demonstrate your skills. ACCUPLACER uses the latest computer-adaptive technology and the questions you see are based on your skill level. Your response to each question drives the difficulty level of the next question so it’s important to give each question as much thought as you can before selecting your answer. If taking all three parts of the Accuplacer test, please allow yourself at least 2 ½ hours.

• The number of questions varies depending on which ACCUPLACER tests you take. There could be as few as 12 questions or as many as 40.
• No one passes or fails ACCUPLACER tests, but it’s important to complete the test using your best effort, so you and your college have an accurate measure of your academic skills.
• You will receive your scores immediately following your test. After completion of the test, speak with a Testing Center staff member to determine what your next steps are in completing the admissions process.

You must bring photo identification with you when you come to test. If you do not have a photo ID you will not be allowed to test. Scratch paper will be provided for you as you will not be allowed to use your own. The calculator will be available on the computer when you are able use it. Therefore, you do not need to bring a calculator with you when you test. Appointments are strongly encouraged; walk-ins at the Beaufort Campus are accommodated based on availability.

You may be able to exempt placement testing if you have:

• SAT/ACT scores are accepted if they are less than 5 years old:
  • SAT prior to 3/1/16: Writing=480, Reading=480, MATH=440
  • SAT after 3/1/16: Evidence Based Reading/Writing=540, Math=480
  • ACT: Writing=18, Reading=21, Math=22
• Accuplacer and Compass scores expire after 3 years.
• If you are transferring in college level English and Math credits, you may not need to test.

Test Prep

Sample Questions

• Reading: https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/accuplacer/pdf/next-generation-sample-questions-reading.pdf 
• Writing (English): https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/accuplacer/pdf/next-generation-sample-questions-writing.pdf
• Arithmetic: https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/accuplacer/pdf/next-generation-sample-questions-arithmetic.pdf
• Quantitative Analysis & Systems: https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/accuplacer/pdf/next-generation-sample-questions-quantitative-reasoning.pdf
• Advanced Algebra Function: https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/accuplacer/pdf/next-generation-sample-questions-advanced-algebra-and-functions.pdf

Please utilize the following steps to access the Accuplacer Next Generation Practice Tests under TCL’s Learning Express Library: 

1. Click on the following link: https://libguides.tcl.edu/az.php?a=l
2. Next, Click on Learning Express 3.0
3. The screen will now open up to: Welcome to PrepSTEP^® for Colleges
4. Next, Scroll down and Click on the Placement Test Preparation
5. Next, Scroll down to the drop down list and click onto Prepare for Accuplacer Tests® and you will see several Practice Tests listed
6. Select the Practice test of your choice. *Note—you will be required to register for the first-time use, however, you will not be required to provide a library code or key because you have entered the site through TCL’s Library Find Database Articles Learning Express 3.0. You should see Technical College of the Lowcountry in the Upper Left Corner if you are under the correct page. 
7. From now on, each time you go in to complete a Practice test, you will be able to log-in and proceed with the password you have just created. Again, make sure you access through the Library Database.
8. Should you have any problems, please go back through the above link and repeat the same steps.

Sending Scores to Another College

You may request to have your placement scores sent to another institution or agency for a $35.00 non-refundable, processing fee. You must fill out a third-party Student Release form before we can send the scores. You must submit your form, your photo identification, and your payment receipt before we will send the scores. All information on the Release form must be filled out in its entirety.

Again, there is no charge for taking the Accuplacer test, but there is a processing fee for having official scores sent to another institution or agency.

CLEP and DANTES Exams

The Beaufort Testing Center offers two exams which will allow us to award exemption credit for knowledge demonstrated as a result of non-traditional learning experiences. The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DSST (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support) may be taken and credit will be awarded provided the appropriate scores are attained. It is the student’s responsibility to request his/her official scores on the CLEP and DSST tests to be sent to Student Records.

Benefits of CLEP and DSST for our TCL students:

• Reduced student debt/loan amount
• Quicker progression to higher-level courses
• Shortened time to degree
• Increase retention

Study material is available at getcollgecredit.com and clep.collegeboard.org. Students must register on the CLEP website before taking a CLEP test. You will create an account and receive a ticket which much be presented to the test administrator before your test. If you do not have a ticket, you will not be able to test.

CLEP tests are $85.00 for non-military and are paid when you register online for the test and receive your ticket. You can do this at https://clep.collegeboard.org/exams. You will create an account here and receive your ticket. There is also a $25.00 proctor fee for the test and is paid to the cashier in Building 3. You must bring your ticket and id for the test.

The DSST fee is $80.00 and will be paid during your test so please bring your credit card with you for the test. The proctor fee for the DSST is $25.00 (this fee is waived for all military personnel listed below) and is paid to the cashier in Building 3. You must present your receipt of payment and a photo id before you test.

CLEP exams are funded by the U.S. government through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), therefore the exam and proctor fee are waived for the following individuals:

• Military personnel (active duty, reserve, National Guard): Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Navy Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, Army and Air National Guard.
• Spouses and civilian employees of : Air Force Reserve, Army Reserve, Coast Guard (active and reserve).

NOTE: CLEP exams for civil service employees, inactive guard or reserve personnel, and spouses and dependents not listed above are NOT funded through DANTES. In addition, the U.S. government will not fund any previously funded CLEP examinations.

Contact DANTES at 850-452-1922 for questions regarding eligibility for DANTES-funded CLEP exams.

Please contact the Test Center to make an appointment for both the CLEP and DSST. There are certain times and days on which these tests are given.

Correspondence Testing

The Beaufort Testing Center provides test proctoring for students who are enrolled in other institutions and need someone to proctor their test(s). Students must contact the Testing Center for more information and to make an appointment. The other institution must work with the TCL staff in order to arrange for exam materials and proctoring instructions to be sent. Instructions for on-line exams may be sent directly by email to testingcenter@tcl.edu. Exams to be given in paper and pencil format must be sent by mail. Please allow adequate time for delivery of exam materials prior to your desired test date.

TCL charges a $35.00 proctoring fee for each test taken. This will be paid in the cashier’s office located in Building 3. You will then need to bring the receipt to Building 2 confirming payment with you on your test day. You will also need to bring a photo identification with you. Always confirm that exam materials have been received in the testing center prior to your arrival. The testing center can be reached at 843-470-8400.

TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills)

The ATI Teas covers English and Language, Math, Reading, and Science.

The test is approximately 3 ½ hours long. The sections are broken down as follows:

• Reading Section is 58 minutes with 48 questions.
• Math Section is 51 minutes with 34 questions.
• Science section is 66 minutes with 54 questions.
• English and Language Usage Section is 34 minutes with 34 questions.

 What you should know:

• The TEAS test is only administered at the Beaufort Campus in Coleman Hall, Building 2.
• Students must call and make an appointment. We will not start a test after 1:00.
• Students may not leave the testing area unless there is an emergency.
• Calculators are not permitted. A calculator is embedded within the computer screen and is available to utilize.
• A photo I.D. is required for testing.
• Cost of the test is $65.00 for TCL students and $90.00 for non-TCL students.
• For additional information regarding TEAS testing please visit: www.atitesting.com.
• Students are only allowed to take the test three times within a year from the first time they took the test. Only the highest score will be considered.
• You will receive your results immediately.

Pearson Vue

The Beaufort Testing Center is an official Pearson Vue Certification Testing Center and are authorized to offer certification exams in many areas such as CompTIA Security +, VMWare and Cisco. For more information offered at this location and to schedule a test please visit the Pearson Vue website at www.vue.com. You can also call the Testing Center for more information at 843-470-8400.