English Placement Testing

Before you request English placement, you must be admitted to Bellevue Community College and have received your Student Identification Number (SID). If you have not been admitted, we cannot give you a placement test or enter your placement on the computer. For more information about enrollment, click on Registration in the menu to your left.

Assessment at a Distance

All students who wish to enroll in English courses must take an assessment test prior to registering for the class with two exceptions. The English department prefers that students take the COMPASS test either on the BCC campus or at another college or university that offers the test. However, we do offer options for those students who cannot comply with this preference. Information regarding these options can be obtained directly from the Distance Education Office at (425) 564-2438, toll free via 1-877-641-2712, or via e-mail at landerso@bcc.ctc.edu.

The only exceptions to taking the assessment test are:

1. A score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) test, Language and Composition or Composition and Literature, given by the College Board to high school students enrolled in AP courses. If you have taken this exam, you will need to contact landerso@bcc.ctc.edu via e-mail for further information.

2. You have completed a 5-credit quarter course or 3 credit semester course at an accredited American college or university which is equivalent to our English 101 course. You will need to contact Liz Anderson in the Distance Education Office at 425-564-2438 (1-877-641-2712) or via e-mail to liz.anderson@bellevuecollege.edu to determine your course's equivalency.

Please be advised that not all courses transfer as equivalent to our courses. Transcripts and supporting materials may be required to determine whether the course will transfer; it is the student's responsibility to provide these documents as needed.

If you wish to enroll in English courses, please plan to fulfill whatever is required of you well in advance of the time you wish to register. The placement process may be time-consuming, and there are no guarantees of class availability for Distance Education students.

Steps for English Assessment

1. Complete online or mail admission application to BCC and receive your Student Identification Number.

2. Contact the Distance Education Office at BCC for more information regarding the assessment test as well as the testing procedures and requirements.

Note: If you are an international student and English is not your native (first) language, your placement in online English composition is determined by your scores on the TOEFL exam, including essay. Please contact the Distance Education Office via phone or e-mail to learn more.