Initial Course Placement for New Students

You must submit all ACT, SAT, and/or placement test scores (less than 5 years old), as well as any prior college transcripts (regardless of age), to the Office of Admissions prior to Advising and Registration. An advisor will review your test scores and prior college credits (if applicable) to determine placement into the appropriate coursework for your first semester of classes. 

If your existing test scores and/or college credit(s) do not meet the college-level placement requirements listed below, you may speak to an advisor to request authorization to take the ACCUPLACER challenge test. If authorization to test is granted, go to volstate.edu/testing to schedule a testing appointment.

* If you do not want to take the challenge test, and would instead prefer to enroll in Learning Support Reading, Writing, and/or Math courses (which provide academic support for the college-level courses you will take at the same time), please contact the Office of Advising.

If you have not taken the ACT, SAT, ACCUPLACER, or other approved placement test within the past five (5) years, and you do not have any prior college credits, go to volstate.edu/testing to schedule an appointment.to take the ACCUPLACER placement test.

* If you would prefer not to test, and would instead like to enroll in Learning Support Reading, Writing, and/or Math courses (which provide academic support for the college-level courses you will take at the same time), please contact the Office of Advising.

The table below lists the test scores and college credits required for placement at college level, without the need for Learning Support courses. Test scores below those listed indicate placement at the Learning Support level, and information about Learning Support courses is provided below the table.

Requirements for College-Level Placement

Learning Support Subjects

ACT Scores

ACCUPLACER
Next-Gen
11/1/2018 to present

ACCUPLACER
Classic
1/18/2017-10/31/2018

SAT Scores

College Credit(s)
(regionally accredited colleges only)

Reading

Reading

19+

Reading

250+

Reading Comp

85+

Reading and Writing

500+

College English, History, Social Science, etc.

Writing

English

18+

Writing

250+

Sentence Skills

92+

Reading and Writing

490+

College English Composition

Math

Math

19+

Math (QRAS)

250+

Elem Algebra

92+

Math

500+

College Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Calculus

*A high school GPA of 3.6 or higher (less than 5 years ago) will also place a student at college-level and waive all Learning Support courses.

Learning Support Courses

If your test scores are below those listed in the table above, and you do not have prior college credits which would waive Learning Support, you will enroll in one or more of the Learning Support Reading, Writing, and/or Math courses listed below, which provide additional academic support for the college-level courses you will take at the same time. 

  • Learning Support Reading
    • READ 0810 + College-Level Course
  • Learning Support Writing
    • ENGL 0810 + ENGL 1010
  • Learning Support Math – One of the options below will be recommended, depending upon the math requirements of your program of study.
    • Degree programs which require only MATH 1010 or MATH 1530
      • MATH 0101 + MATH 1010 -or-
      • MATH 0153 + MATH 1530
    • Degree programs which include coursework with MATH 0105, MATH 1005, or MATH 1130 as a pre-requisite
      • MATH 0105 + MATH 1010 -or-
      • MATH 0105 + MATH 1530