Placement Assessment

Your appropriate course placement is important to college success. The computerized Placement Assessment is administered on campus in the Applied Technology Building Room 014 (ground floor) at scheduled times and dates (click on schedule to the right), at no cost to students.  Parking is in Student Lot #4 and a photo ID is required. Math, Reading, and English sections are given in a one three-hour maximum session. 

This assessment is NOT pass/fail.  It is important to do your best so an accurate assessment can be made. Your assessment results will determine if required developmental coursework is necessary. Once the assessment is completed, contact information for academic advisors will be provided so students may make an appointment to register for classes and review degree requirements. 

Please see below the descriptions of the placement assessment sections along with links to sample and practice questions. 

We highly encourage students to review this information and the sample questions before taking the placement assessment.

The English Section of the Placement Assessment

The Reading Comprehension and Writeplacer Essay are administered through the College Board’s computer-based assessment ACCUPLACER.

Reading Comprehension: Part I
The Reading Comprehension assessment is composed of twenty questions with two categories. 

• The first category is reading a passage and answering questions based on the information from the passage. These question topics can include a main or secondary idea, application or inference. 
• The second category is on sentence relationship, in which two sentences are presented with questions regarding the relationship to each other.  For example, a question may ask if a second sentence supports, contradicts, or repeats the information in the first sentence. 

Writeplacer Essay: Part 2
The Writeplacer Essay assessment is an essay on a topic to assess the students’ ability to write and communicate effectively, which is critical to academic success.  The essay score is based on the ability to express, organize, and support opinions as well as  ideas. 
The results of the Writeplacer Essay assessment determine placement into a remedial or credit bearing English course(s).

Please click here for sample questions in English & Reading
Note: Adobe Reader is needed to open the .PDF file of sample questions.

The Math Section of the Placement Assessment

The Math section is administered through administered through the College Board's computer-based assessment ACCUPLACER. Topics range from arithmetic (whole numbers & fractions, decimals & percents), elementary algebra (integers & rationals, algebraic expressions, equations, inequalities, and word problems), and college math (algebraic operations, solutions of equations and inequalities, coordinate geometry, applications and other topics, functions, and trigonometry).

You CANNOT use a calculator (unless otherwise specified). The results are used to determine placement into Math courses, whether refresher or credit bearing.

Please click here for sample questions in Math.

Who takes the Placement Assessment?

All entering, full-time and part-time matriculated students (accepted into a degree program) are required to take the placement assessment, but may be waived based on the following criteria:

• Current year graduating senior who received an 85 or higher on their ELA with corresponding final grades in their 9-11 English courses.
• Current year graduating senior who received a passing grade on their Math 3 Regents with corresponding final grades in their 9-11 Math courses AND taking Math 12 or higher their senior year.
• Completed Math AND / OR English at Broome Community College with a “D” or higher.
• Transfer college-level credited Math AND / OR English with a grade of “C” or higher (remedial courses cannot be used for waiver criteria from other institutions).  Classes must be from an accredited institution that BCC would accept transfer credit from.
• Completed a Broome Community College placement assessment within the last three years of the date they are applying.

NOTE: Even if a student meets the above criteria for waiver, an Admissions Counselor can require a placement assessment.

Non-Matriculated Students:

Non-matriculated (not accepted into a degree program) students are not required to take a placement assessment.  They may do so to help facilitate in course selection.

Students Needing Accommodations:

Those students with a documented accommodation (IEP, 504 plan, psychological assessment, medical verification…) should contact the Student Support Services Office at 607-778-5150 to schedule and assessment.  Documentation must be submitted prior to the assessment date so arrangements for the accommodations may be made.

English-As-A-Second Language Assessment:

For those students needing ESL assessment, please contact the Admissions Office at 607-778-5001 to schedule a date.  The assessment consists of Listening, Grammar/Usage, Reading, Writing, and Math.  The Listening, Grammar/Usage, and Reading are administered on the computer with headphones and the Writing and Math are administered manually using pencil and paper.

Transfer of Placement Assessment Scores

To have scores transferred to another institution, please have the following information before submitting your request:

• Student Name
• Birth Date
• BCC ID# (if possible)
• Phone Number
• Name of the Institution scores are being sent to
• Name of Person / Office  at the Institution
• Phone # of Person / Office  at the Institution
• Fax # of Person / Office  at the Institution

Submit your request to admissions@sunybroome.edu or call the Admissions Office at 607-778-5001.
Please allow up to 48 hours for your request to be processed and completed.  Check with your institution for receipt of your scores after the processing period.

Acceptance of Placement Assessment Scores

Broome Community College will accept scores from ACCUPLACER’s Reading Comprehension and Essay (also known as Writeplacer).  Any placement assessment section the student is missing will need to be completed on the BCC campus. 

Have scores sent to:
Broome Community College
PO Box 1017
Binghamton, NY 13902
Fax: 607-778-5442

Call the Admissions Office at 607-778-5001 for the receipt of your scores and to confirm the sections of the assessment that need to be completed.

Remote Testing Site for ACCUPLACER

Those students looking to use Broome Community College as a placement assessment site for ACCUPLACER only, for entrance into another institution must contact their institution and fill out the remote testing site paperwork.  Please include the following information on the paperwork you are submitting to your institution:

Name of Institution: Broome Community College
PO Box 1017
Binghamton, NY 13902
Phone#: 607-778-5001
Fax#: 607-778-5442
 

Please call the Admissions Office to schedule a date for the placement assessment.  Your institution will issue instructions and information to us prior to the assessment date.  This is provided at no charge to the student.