College Entrance and Placement Tests

The process of getting accepted into a four-year college is very different than getting into a two-year community or technical school.

Two-Year Schools

Most two-year colleges do not require a college-entrance exam for admission. Instead, most new students take a placement exam to determine what levels of classes are right for them.

The most common placement test used at Minnesota community and technical colleges is the Accuplacer test. It tests a student's math, science, English, and reading skills.

Schools can use the results of his test to determine if a student is ready for the career-specific program they chose, of if they first need to take courses to increase their basic skills.

Four-Year Schools

Most four-year colleges and universities use standardized tests to as part of the admission process. These tests compare the grades and knowledge of students who graduated from different high schools or took the GED.

The two standardized entrance exams accepted by the majority of colleges are the ACT and the SAT. Make sure you know which tests are required for admission at your college choices.

Acceptable scores on these tests are an important part of the information four-year colleges use to determine if they will accepts a student or not.

	ACT	SAT	Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
What does it test?	English, reading, mat,h and science reasoning skills; optional writing test	Critical reading, math reasoning abilities, and writing skills	Ability of non-native English speakers to read, write, speak, and understand North American English
Why should I take this test?	Most common entrance exam for four-year colleges in Midwest and central United States	Most common entrance exam for four-year colleges on East and West coasts	Required by some four-year colleges if English is not your native language
When are the tests offered?	Six dates during academic year	Seven test dates during academic year	Test dates vary by location
What does it cost?	$33 + $15 for writing test* (can be waived for students in need)	$47* (can be waived for students in need)	$170* (fee reduction possible for U.S. citizens or permanent residents)
How do I sign up or get more information about the test?	www.actstudent.org	www.sat.collegeboard.com	www.toefl.org

* Current as of June 2011

Next Steps:

Find out about financial aid and how to pay for college.
Search for the job training program or college that matches your goals.
Set goals and make plans to get into the right school for you.