Assessment and Placement

Students attending Mt. San Antonio College are required to participate in assessment. The assessment and placement process has been established to enable all students an opportunity to achieve probable success along their academic pathway. 

The college will no longer utilize a placement test to determine students’ readiness for English, math, and reading courses. High school information and/or other measures will be used to determine appropriate course placement.

Students have the right to access transfer-level English, math, and reading courses.  Non-Native Speakers may select to take credit English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.

Assessment Process at Mt. San Antonio College

All students at Mt. San Antonio College will receive placement recommendations in English, math, and reading based on an assessment utilizing multiple measures. Students must complete the Assessment Questionnaire (AQ) to receive course placement in English, math, and reading.

Students who have received college credit from accredited institutions may be able to receive course enrollment eligibility by submitting official transcripts. Consult with a counselor to review eligibility.

Assessment Questionnaire (AQ)

To help ensure students take the right English, math, and reading courses, students must complete the college's online Assessment Questionnaire (AQ) for course placement in English, math, and reading. Most students will immediately receive placement results based on their answers on the AQ. The questions on the AQ pertain to your high school GPA, and the English and math courses taken in high school, and grades in those courses.

Students who complete the AQ will be eligible for the following.

• English:  Upon completion of the assessment process, all students will have the opportunity to take transfer-level English.  Students with a U.S. high school diploma or equivalent will automatically be eligible for transfer-level English upon completion of the AQ.  For English language learners, credit ESL courses are available through the American Language (AMLA) Department.
   
• Math: Upon completion of the AQ, all students will be eligible for a transfer-level math course.
   

Students who have not completed a math course at another college or university will receive placement results indicating which transfer-level math course(s) in which they are eligible to enroll.  The indicated math course(s) will satisfy the math requirement for the student’s intended certificate, associate degree, or for transfer within their intended major.  Math support course recommendations or requirements will be based on the last math course a student completed in high school and their overall high school GPA.

Students who have completed a math course at another college or university may be able to utilize that course to satisfy the prerequisites for another transfer-level math course.  Students are advised to contact the Counseling Department or the Mathematics and Computer Science Department for assistance with clearing any prerequisites or to determine which transfer-level math course(s) in which the student is eligible to enroll that will satisfy their intended certificate, associate degree, or for transfer within their intended major.

Students with a declared academic goal that requires Calculus I will have access to Calculus I.  A student may have the opportunity to enroll in a pre-Calculus I course (Precalculus, Trigonometry, or College Algebra) based on the last high school math course completed and their overall high school GPA.

• Reading:  Students with a U.S. high school diploma or equivalent will automatically be eligible for transfer-level reading upon completion of the AQ.

To complete the AQ, go to www.mtsac.edu/assessment/aq/. It is recommended that you have a copy of your high school transcripts with you when you are completing the AQ. Follow the questionnaire directions carefully as it can be completed only once. After completing the questionnaire, you will be given your course placement recommendations.

• If you feel that the course placements you receive do not reflect your current abilities in the subject matter or if you have any questions regarding your placement results, you may make an appointment with a counselor or contact the respective department for assistance.
• If there was an error in the questionnaire you submitted, please schedule an appointment with a counselor.
   

Non-Native Speakers of English

After completing the AQ, some non-native speakers of English might be directed to contact the American Language (AMLA) Department to continue the assessment process. These students will consult with an AMLA Guided-Self Placement facilitator, who will recommend appropriate coursework. Reading course advice will be based on writing course placement.

Non High School Graduates

After completing the AQ, students who have attended but not graduated from a U.S. high school will be referred to a counselor to assist with English and reading course placement.