Placement Testing

When you are ready to enroll in classes at NEO, you will need to first visit the Admissions Office on the main NEO campus or at the NEO Grove Center. A staff member will establish whether or not you would benefit from taking the placement tests. You will be directed to the Testing Center where you may take the Accuplacer CPT tests. The tests are computerized and are not timed, but may take up to an hour to complete. After the tests, you will be able to see your scores and a staff member will determine your class placement. You will then be ready to schedule your courses.

Testing Center staff members will use your CPT and/or your ACT scores to make this decision. We will always use the score that falls in the highest range in order to place you in each class. You should take these scores, or any test scores with a grain of salt. They are not a reflection of your academic potential. Test scores are influenced by a variety of factors—test anxiety, a “bad day,” and previous exposure to the content of the tests. Your scores simply aid us in placing you in the appropriate classes. Any map is worthless until you know where you are. These tests say, “You are here.” Where you start is not important. It is where you end up that matters.

At NEO, we have classes that are designed to aid your success. We want you to feel comfortable and capable of excelling in every subject.

Think of this analogy: The college prep courses (those that begin with a 0), will fill in the gaps in your previous learning experiences in much the same way that pot holes are filled in the road. We want to help you use your strengths to improve your “weaker” areas. You will understand subjects that have been challenging in the past.

Most students take at least one college prep course. Many students take all four. These courses are non-credit and cannot be transferred. They do not count towards your degree requirements, but they will set you off to a great start in college. Most public institutions have similar requirements and policies. They will count as credit hours at NEO in terms of giving you full-time status for financial aid or other purposes. You need to have completed these classes before you earn 24 credit hours at NEO or you will you required to take them each semester thereafter.

You can take the tests a total of three times in each subject. When you retest the first time, you must wait at least two weeks from the date you completed the first test. The mandatory waiting period may be waived closer to the time classes are scheduled to begin each semester. The first test in each subject is free. A $5 retest fee per subject will be charged for each additional test. You must pay for the test/s in the Business office and bring a copy of your receipt to the Testing Center. You must present an official form of photo identification such as your student ID card. You will be required to wait at least a semester between your second and third test. If there was at least a semester time span between your first two tests, you are only required to wait two weeks between your second and third test. You can test during the semester for a class that you are not enrolled in, but you must wait at least two weeks after the drop/add date. If you are enrolled in the class, you need written permission from the instructor of the class to test in that subject.