Common Questions About Placement in English Reading and Writing Classes
I want to take a composition class, but I’ve never been assessed. Do I have to take the English assessment test?
Yes, with one exception. (1) If you passed the AP test with a score of 3 or higher, then click on the link below for enrollment advanced placement credit.
Advanced Placement Credit
I just took the assessment test (COMPASS), and I disagree with the results. May I take it again?
You may retake the COMPASS test once within the same quarter as your first test. After that, you may take the English assessment test once every 12 months and not ever once you enroll in an English class at BC. However, we do have an English Challenge Test. You may take the Challenge Test every other quarter or twice per academic year.
I took an assessment test a long time ago. Do I have to take it again?
English assessment results are valid for two calendar years. Placement given by the English Department are also valid for two calendar years. Also, as mentioned above, students may retake the COMPASS test one time within the same quarter as their first test in the Testing Center.
PLEASE NOTE: The ENGL and DEVED chairs, ENGL Assessment Coordinator, or Testing Services staff reserve the right to authorize re-testing given exceptional circumstances.
I took an assessment test at another school. Will you accept my placement?
If you took both the reading and writing parts of the COMPASS at another school, we can use your raw scores to place you in our classes. However, your placement may not be the same. Every school has different cut-off scores. For assessment at a distance, contact the Distance Ed. office. Other tests, including the ASSET test, are not designed to place people at the different levels we offer. If you took one of these tests, you must take the COMPASS test. Go to B132.
I took English 092 at another school and received a C- or better grade. Can I get into ENGLl& 101 without taking the assessment test?
No. English 092 means different things at different schools. The 092 you took might have been quite different from ours. You must take the COMPASS test. Go to B132.
I took the AP test. Can I get credit for English 101?
Yes. If you received a score of 4, or 5 on the Language and Composition or Composition and Test, then click on the following link to Enrollment/Advanced Placement Credit. See Advancement Placement Credit.
I took the CLEP test. Can I get credit for Engl& 101 and placement in English 201?
No. For graduation, the school requires a grade in basic skills writing classes. The CLEP test does not give you a grade.
I passed a three-credit freshman composition course at a school on the quarter system. Can I receive placement in English 201, 235, or 271?
Maybe. If you also passed the next highest course in the sequence, we’ll give you credit for Engl& 101 and placement in English 201, 235, and 271. Take your transcript directly to the Evaluations Office (B125).
If you did not take the next highest course at your original school, you must place at the 201 level on the English Challenge Test. Otherwise, you’ll have to take Engl& 101. Don’t feel bad if you don’t place in English 201; most three-credit 101′s cover only the first two-thirds of our five-credit class.
I passed a composition course at another college. How do I find out whether it fulfills BC’s written communication skills requirement?
Take your transcript to the Evaluations Office (Room B125) on the lower level of the Student Services Building to check your course equivalency at BC. If your credit is from an out-of-state school, you may also need a transcript and a catalogue description or course syllabus.
I think the assessment test placement is too high. May I take a lower course?
Yes with special permission. Also, we offer some alternatives that may meet your needs better than the next lowest course. Consult an English advisor or make an appointment with the English Assessment Coordinator in the Arts and Humanities Office (R230).
I’ve registered for a composition or reading class for summer quarter, and I want to take the next highest class in the fall. Can I register for the fall class now?
Yes. If you are registered for a summer quarter class, you’ll be allowed to register for your fall quarter English class, However, if you do not receive the prerequisite grade in your summer quarter class (C- or better), the computer will drop you out of your fall quarter class.
I’m not interested in taking the whole composition sequence or graduation from BC. I just want a refresher course. Do I have to take the assessment test?
Yes.
Last Updated June 1, 2022