DSP Placement Interpretation Guides

Revised Spring 2005

Students under 21 years of age (GED recipients and high school graduates) will be placed based on ACT scores according to the following tables.

Students 21 years of age and older will be placed based on ASSET scores according to the following tables. As an alternative, these students may submit ACT scores that are less than three years old and will be placed according to the tables below.

International students (ESL) will be placed based on ASSET scores. As an alternative, these students may submit ACT scores that are less than three years old and will be placed according to the tables below.

Special Cases: Students with ACT composite scores of less than 26 who have A89 deficiencies in English or math will take the ASSET test.

ASSET SCORE INTERPRETATION
Paper-Pencil Placement Test
Form M

ASSET Writing Scores—36 Questions (25 minutes)
Student’s Scaled Score	Raw	Scaled	Check Placement
Score_________	0-22	23-35	DSPW 0700—Basic Writing
	23-28	36-41	DSPW 0800—Developmental Writing
	29-36	42-54	College Level English

ASSET Reading Scores—24 Questions (25 minutes)
Student’s Scaled Score	Raw	Scaled	Check Placement
Score_________	0-13	23-32	DSPR 0700—Basic Reading
	14-16	33-41	DSPR 0800—Developmental Reading
	17-24	42-53	No Reading Required

Students are required to take either the Numerical Skills and Elementary Algebra tests or Elementary and Intermediate Algebra tests depending on how much algebra they had in high school. Math placement is based on the highest level of math that the student scored into. For example, if a student received a scaled score of 24 on Numerical Skills and a 37 on Elementary Algebra, then the student will be placed in DSPM 0800, Elementary Algebra.

ASSET Numerical Scores—32 Questions (25 minutes)
Student’s Scaled Score	Raw	Scaled	Check Placement
Score_________	0-14	23-37	DSPM 0700— Basic Mathematics
Score_________	15-32	38-55	DSPM 0800— Elementary Algebra

ASSET Elementary Algebra Scores—25 Questions (25 minutes)
Student’s Scaled Score	Raw	Scaled	Check Placement
Score_________	0-7	23-32	DSPM 0700— Basic Mathematics
	8-10	33-38	DSPM 0800— Elementary Algebra
	11-25	39-55	DSPM 0850— Intermediate Algebra

ASSET Intermediate Algebra Scores—25 Questions (25 minutes)
Student’s Scaled Score	Raw	Scaled	Check Placement
Score_________	11	38+	College Level Math

Developmental Study Skills Requirement
Placement Criteria	Study Skills Placement
Placement in two or more DSP subject areas	DSPS 0800—College and Lifetime Learning

Writing Scores
Student’s Score	Percentage Correct	Check Placement
Score_________	1-37	DSPW 0700—Basic Writing
	38-74	DSPW 0800—Developmental Writing
	75-99	College Level English

COMPASS Reading
Student’s Score	Percentage Correct	Check Placement
Score_________	1-48	DSPR 0700—Basic Reading
	49-79	DSPR 0800—Developmental Reading
	80-99	No Reading Required

Math

There is one math test that tests both pre-algebra and algebra skills. Math scores will show on Screen R22 in the Arithmetic (Arith) Category and the Intermediate Algebra (INT Alg) Category. Placement is by the highest course level scored into.

COMPASS Math Pre-Algebra
Student’s Score	Percentage Correct	Check Placement (by highest math level both tests)
Score_________	0-29	DSPM 0700—Basic Mathematics
Score_________	30-100	DSPM 0800—Elementary Algebra

COMPASS Math Algebra
Student’s Score	Percentage Correct	Check Placement (by highest math level both tests)
Score_________	0-19	DSPM 0700—Basic Mathematics
	20-27	DSPM 0800—Elementary Algebra
	28-49	DSPM 0850—Intermediate Algebra
	50-100	College Level Math

Study Skills

DSPS 0800 (College and Lifetime Learning) is required when a student places into any combination of two or more SUBJECT AREAS (reading and math; English and math; reading and English; or English, reading and math). Students who place into only one DSP subject area may request to take DSPS 0800.

Developmental Study Skills Requirement
Placement Criteria	Study Skills Placement
Placement in two courses or more DSP subject areas	DSPS 0800—College and Lifetime Learning

Challenge Scores

A student may challenge his/her placement.

Students who want to challenge their DSP placement should contact Dr. Joanne Thomasson (694-6694) or a Counselor on any campus to sign up for a challenge test. The last day to take a challenge test is the day before classes begin. Course placements indicated by the results of challenge tests are final. The results of this assessment may move a student to a lower level.
English (holistic writing sample), Reading (Nelson-Denny test), and math (departmental exam) challenge testing will be administered in the Testing Center.
Results of the challenge test will be entered on the SIS R30 screen.

Students placing in two or more developmental studies program subjects are required to enroll in DSPS0800.

English		Mathematics		Reading
ACT English subscore	Course placement	ACT Math subscore	Course placement	ACT Reading score	Course placement
1 -14	DSPW0700	1 -14	DSPM0700	1 -11	DSPR0700
15 -18	DSPW0800	15 -16	DSPM0800	12 -18	DSPR0800
19+	ENGL1010	17 -18	DSPM0850	19+	No DSPR required
		19+	College-level math

	Test name	0700	0800	0850	College-level
Writing	CWRIT	2	3		4
Writing - ESL	CESLW	2	3		4
Reading	CRDNG	< 30	30 - 69		70 -100
Reading - ESL	CESLR	2	3		4
DSPM0700	CMTH1	< 80	80 - 100
DSPM0800	CMTH2		< 80	80 - 100
DSPM0850	CMTH3			< 80	80 -100