Basic Skills Placement Test

Who Must Take a Basic Skills Placement Test?

• All full-time and part-time students in degree or certificate programs are required to test before registering for all courses.
• All full-time and part-time non degree-seeking students who wish to enroll in English or Math courses.
• All full-time and part-time non degree-seeking students who have accumulated eleven (11) attempted credits (based on completed courses earning one of the following grades: A, B, C, D, F, R, E, W, AU, Q, N, or INC.).
• Students must have a Bergen Community College student identification number issued by Admissions and Registrations before they can take the test.

Basic Skills Placement Test

• Bergen Community College requires that all degree seeking students and all non-degree seeking students who reach their 11th attempted credit take a Basic skills assessment and placement test in reading, writing, computation, and algebra.
• The results of this test determine a student's required entry level courses in both English and mathematics.
• Under specific conditions, a student may have the placement test requirement waived.
• For information about waivers visit the Office of Testing Services, Room S-127.
• There is no fee for this examination.

How to Read Placement Test Results

• The required courses resulting from test scores are listed at the end of the score report, which the student receives at the completion of the test. 
• If English Basic Skills (EBS) courses are listed:
  •  EBS placements must be taken in the first semester (e.g., if EBS014-015 [Developmental Skills I] is listed, it must be taken in the first semester), with the exception of EBS031 (which must be taken along with WRT101), which is recommended for the first semester. 
  • When Basic skills courses are required, the number of credits taken in the first semester is limited as follows:  EBS014-015: 12 Credits; EBS023-024: 15 credits; WRT101/EBS031: 18 credits.
  • The following are EBS courses at Bergen:  EBS014-015/EBS016-017, a two-semester course sequence; EBS023-024, a one-semester course; EBS031, a one-credit course required to be taken along with WRT101.
• WRT101 is college English, the highest placement result in English from the test. 
• If Math Basic Skills courses are listed:
  • It is recommended that required Basic Skills math or elementary algebra be taken in the first semester.
  • Required math courses MUST be taken in sequence (i.e. MAT011 first, MAT031 second...).
• Students should consult the Bergen Community College catalogue and/or see an academic advisor if they have any questions about their placements and how they may affect their degree program.