FTC Northern offers to incoming students placement tests for two purposes: (1) to determine students’ level of proficiency in specific subject areas in order to place them into the appropriate levels of courses; and (2) to determine what kind of remedial instruction, if any, a student may need in order to make the scheduled academic progress. FTC Northern’s placement tests are not used to award credit by examination.
Currently, FTC Northern offers placement tests in English, math, and Chinese.
English Testing
All incoming students must take an English placement test. FTC Northern uses LEXILE or Accuplacer Reading to determine reading comprehension skills and the WritePlacer to determine writing competency. Students are placed into remedial courses as follows:
| Remedial Course | LEXILE | Accuplacer Reading Score | WritePlacer Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not Required | 1250+ | 90+ | 5+ |
| Introduction to College English | 1100+ | 51–89 | 4 |
| ESL | Below 1100 | Below 51 | 1–3 |
If a student’s Accuplacer Reading score and WritePlacer score correspond to different remedial course placements (e.g., WritePlacer score of 3 and Accuplacer score of 90), the student will be asked to do a retest on one or both tests. After the retest, the Office of Academic Services, in discussion with remedial course instructors, will compare the student’s scores from the original test and the retest and place the student into the appropriate English course.
Math Testing
Students who are required or interested in taking MAT105 Calculus I are required to take a math placement test to demonstrate their mathematical readiness for studying Calculus. FTC Northern uses the Accuplacer College Level Math test to determine students’ mathematics proficiency. Students who score below 103 on the Accuplacer College Level Math are placed into a remedial course: Pre-Calculus.
Chinese Testing
Students who wish to register for Chinese language courses to fulfill general education world language requirements must take the Chinese Placement Test in order to determine the appropriate course level to take.
Students are given one of four Chinese placement tests based on a survey of their language backgrounds. The exams are graded by a committee of Chinese language faculty, and placement results are sent to the Office of Academic Services. The following table shows the course placement of students based on their test score results:
| Chinese Placement Test | 0–40% | 41%–60% | 61%–74% | 75% and above |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning Chinese | Chinese Language and Cultural Studies I: Level 1 | Chinese Language and Cultural Studies I: Level 1 | Chinese Language and Cultural Studies II: Level 1 | Retest in Elementary Chinese |
| Elementary Chinese | Retest in Beginning Chinese | Chinese Language and Cultural Studies I: Level 2 | Chinese Language and Cultural Studies II: Level 2 | Retest in Intermediate Chinese |
| Intermediate Chinese | Retest in Elementary Chinese | Chinese Language and Cultural Studies I: Level 3 | Chinese Language and Cultural Studies II: Level 3 | Retest in Advanced Chinese |
| Advanced Chinese | Retest in Intermediate Chinese | Chinese Language and Cultural Studies I: Level 4 | Chinese Language and Cultural Studies II: Level 4 | Interview with Chinese Instructor for further evaluation |
