Placement Testing« Back to Previous PageCongratulations on making the decision to attend Farmingdale State University of New York. Students entering the college for the first time are placed in English and mathematics courses based on their proficiency as determined by Farmingdale State’s placement procedures which are described below.
Why do I have to be placed in English and math? These two critical areas of a student’s educational background can have a profound effect on a student’s success in college. It is, therefore, important for Farmingdale State to ensure that our students have the appropriate skills in these areas in order to succeed. If there is indication of the need to improve your skills in the areas of English and /or math, you will be scheduled for the appropriate developmental courses(s). Developmental courses(s) do not count towards meeting your requirements for graduation; they do count as credit-bearing courses for other purposes. They are designed to raise your skill level to the point where you can successfully meet the challenges of your college career. What are the criteria used for placement? Mathematics Placement:
How do I sign up to take a placement test in English or mathematics? Please call 631-420-2629 to schedule an appointment to take the test as soon as you know that you want to register for classes at Farmingdale. What if I took the mathematics Accuplacer test at another college? If you took this test at another college, please arrange for an official copy of your scores to be sent to: If I need placement testing, what do I have to bring with me when I take the test? There is a $30.00 fee for placement testing. Since we cannot accept cash, you should bring a check or money order with you when you come in to take the test. Write your social security number on the check, and make the check out to: Farmingdale State University of New York. What if I live out of the area? If you cannot come to the college to take the placement tests prior to registration, you may take them while you are here at Orientation during the summer. To make arrangements, please call the Placement Testing Office. (631-420-2629) Can I earn college credits from this test? No course credit can be earned through placement testing. How long does the test take? The tests are not timed, so that you may take as much time as you like to complete the tests. The average length of time to take the tests is between 2-3 hours. What is covered on the tests? Elementary Algebra is required for the mathematics Accuplacer test. If you do well in the Elementary Algebra portion of the test, you may go on to a higher level math examination. Use of scratch paper is permitted, but calculators are not allowed. For the English placement test, students will be required to write an essay on a topic to be provided at the test. Where are the tests given? Check in at Laffin Hall, Room 224. Tests are given in Laffin Hall in the Placement Testing Room, on the second floor What if I need to make special arrangements? If you have a disability that will prevent you from taking the test under standard conditions, contact the Office of Support Services for Disabled Students at 631-420-2296 first before making an appointment. What is a computerized test? Accuplacer, which may be used for the mathematics placement, is an adaptive test, which means that the questions are presented to you based upon your answers to the previous questions. You must answer each question and cannot return to change your answer to a question once you have moved on to another question. If you do not know an answer, try to narrow down your choices by eliminating some of the choices and then choose one from the remaining choices. What kinds of questions are on the Accuplacer mathematics test? Elementary Algebra Sample Questions Answers to Sample Questions: It is possible to practice the Accuplacer on a computer with more sample questions. You can do a search on Google listing Accuplacer practice tests as the subject and get some websites to practice on if you wish. When do I get the results of the tests? Scores on the Accuplacer placement tests are available immediately upon completion of the test. You will be given a printout of your placement test results. You will then bring the score report to register for classes and the score is also entered into the computer file for faculty access during advisement. Placement essays are graded by the faculty of the Farmingdale English Department. You will be informed at the time of testing when your scores will be available. |
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