Placement Procedures
Students are placed in English and math coursework based on performance of the criteria below. Students that do not meet certain criteria may need to enroll in transition English and/or math dependent upon requirements of the desired program of study.
Criteria reviewed for transition or gateway "college level" course placement:
- U.S. High School Unweighted GPA-Public, Private, Home School, Adult High School (AHS completers from July 1, 2021 to present): Students with an unweighted U.S. high school GPA of 2.80 or higher will be placed in gateway level coursework. Students will be offered and option to take the RISE placement test if they graduated high school more than 10 years ago or completed and AHS prior to July 1, 2021.
- High School Equivalency Scores:
-
| Date GED Completed |
Score |
Placement |
| January 1, 2014 - present |
165 + on all components |
Gateway Ready |
| Date HiSET Completed |
Score |
Placement |
| January 1, 2024 - present |
15 + on all components and 4 + on essay |
Gateway Ready |
- SAT Scores:
-
| Date SAT Completed |
Score |
Placement |
March 1, 2016 - present |
530 SAT Math
480 SAT Reading & Writing |
Gateway Ready |
January 1, 2012 - February 29, 2016 |
500 SAT Math
500 SAT Reading & Writing |
Gateway Ready |
Prior to December 31, 2011 |
510 SAT Math
510 Reading & Writing |
Gateway Ready |
- ACT Scores:
-
| Date ACT Completed |
Score |
Placement |
March 1, 2014 - present |
18 ACT English
22 ACT Reading and ACT Math |
Gateway Ready |
January 7, 2012 - February 29, 2014 |
18 ACT English
21 ACT Reading
22 ACT Math |
Gateway Ready |
| Prior to January 7, 2012 |
22 ACT English, Reading & Math |
Gateway Ready |
- Previous College Credit/Advanced Placement & CLEP Scores: All previous developmental coursework and transfer credit will be reviewed for proper course placement.
- Approved Entry Assessment Scores: NC DAP and RISE placement scores will be reviewed to determine placement. Students must score a 70 or higher on each tier (5 tiers: English 2 tiers Math 3 tiers) to be considered gateway ready.
- CCRG Scores: High school seniors in NC public schools may complete CCRG courses. These scores are retrieved from the NC Community College ServiceNow Portal. The CCRG test are formatted like the RISE placement test. Students must earn and 80 or higher on each tier to advance.
- High School Math 3: Students are gateway ready for math if they completed the End of Course for Math 3 in high school with a score of 4 or 5.
- Associate Degree or Higher: Students awarded and Associate Degree or higher from an accredited institution are gateway ready and will not need transition coursework.
Placement Testing
RISE placement testing is available to those who graduated from a U.S. high school more than 10 years from enrollment, non-U.S. high school graduates, and HiSET/GED graduates, if needed. The RISE placement test is an untimed, proctored exam that covers English and math. Each part is divided into tiers. There are two tiers for English, and three tiers for math. Students must score a 70 or higher on each tier to advance to the next tier. SCC provides all testing materials needed for the exam, including a formula chart, paper, pencil, and scientific calculator. A preparation sheet can be found on the SC website.
Retest Policy
The RISE placement test can be retaken once. Students may elect to retake the entire test or the section where college-level placement was not achieved. The highest scores earned in each section from the initial test and the retest will be used for placement.
Disability Accommodations for Placement Testing
Students who have a documented disability or handicap that prevents them from taking the placement test under standard conditions may request reasonable accommodations. All requests for accommodations or audio/visual implements should be presented to the Director of Special Populations & Testing at least two weeks prior to the scheduled test date.