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Testing Services FALL 2008 New Placement Exam PolicyUSM's Placement Exam has changed! Get all the details here. ACCUPLACER Testing began at USM in March 2008 for Math Placement ONLY. Most USM students will not take an English Placement Exam.
The University of Southern Maine Placement Exam Program helps you and your academic advisor plan your academic program. The Placement Exam does not affect your admission to the University. It assesses your current skill level in Math and the results will be used in helping you and your advisor determine the appropriate courses for you to take. You should attempt to do your best on the placement examinations because the results are used to determine whether you need to take review courses or whether you may begin by taking regular college-level courses. Consequently, we encourage you to become familiar with this information, and to review your mathematics skills before taking the examinations.
*What format is the Placement Exam at USM? USM will now be offering the Math Placement Exam on Accuplacer. USM requires Accuplacer Arithmetic and Elementary Algebra scores in order to place students in a math course. Both sections are completed at one test session. There is no longer any English Placement Exam. The exam may include items which assess skills you do not possess. For instance, if you have not previously completed an intermediate algebra course, you may not be familiar with all the items on the exam. (See the section on How To Prepare. Your placement exam results will determine the first math course you are required to enroll in as you begin your academic program at the University of Southern Maine.
*Who is required to take the Exam? MATH:
ENGLISH:
*When do I take the Placement Exam? The placement exam must be taken before registering for courses. The math exam is given during the summer and at various times preceding the beginning of each semester. A listing of test sessions is available from our website at www.usm.maine.edu/assessment/testing/register.html.
*I already took Accuplacer Exams at another institution. Can I transfer the scores to USM? ACCUPLACER Math Tests Taken in Locations Outside of USM: * ACCUPLACER Math scores from high school-level students will be accepted, if not over three years old. ** Scores will be re-interpreted to fit USM's Required Math Placement Policy, and an updated USM-Accuplacer Score Report will be given to you. You must have both an Arithmetic and an Elementary Algebra score to be interpreted. If you do not have both scores, you must take the USM Math Placement Exam. Please be sure to have your ACCUPLACER Test Scores mailed to: *Who do I contact about accomodations for disabilities? Students who may need adaptations or accomodations because of a disability are encouraged to contact the Office of Support for Students with Disabilities (OSSD), Room 242 Luther Bonney Hall on the Portland Campus. You will need to contact this office before registering for an exam. Please call (207) 780-4706 or TTY (207) 780-4395.
*When and where can I take a Placement Exam?
*How do I register for a Placement Exam? Please register for a specific date and time at least one week prior to the test date; walk-in's are NOT allowed. Space is limited, so early registration is recommended. For Portland and Gorham sessions, you can sign up by telephone, in person, or from this website. Please contact the Office of Academic Assessment, Room 253 Luther Bonney Hall, Portland Campus, 207-780-4383, www.usm.maine.edu/assessment. For off campus testing options, please see the links above for Lewiston, Bath, and Saco.
*How do I get to the USM campus? If you need directions to any campus, please see our Website: www.usm.maine.edu/generalinfo.htm *Is there a fee to take a Placement Exam? Students who have been admitted to a degree program at USM are not required to pay a fee. The cost of the exam is included in USM's enrollment fee. Those who have not gone through the Admission process will be charged a $20.00 testing fee to take the Math Placement Exam. Please bring $20 cash or check to your test session.
The best way to prepare for the placement examinations is to familiarize
yourself with their organization, content, and the types of questions
asked on them. To be prepared for the actual test administration,
you should:
Accuplacer has information available at their website that can help you prepare: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/accuplacer/ Here is an excerpt from Accuplacer's Sample Question booklet pertaining to the Arithmetic and Elementary Algebra sections. *What if I'm dissatisfied with my score or placement? ACCUPLACER RETEST POLICIES: * Students can take the Accuplacer Math Tests TWICE in one academic year...we will use the highest score for Required Math Placement. * Students who have taken the Accuplacer Math Tests over one year ago, and are re-tested....we will use the most recent score for Required Math Placement. * Accuplacer Math Test scores that are over three years old ...are NOT useable....student must be re-tested.
*What should I do if I need to cancel? If you know you will miss your scheduled exam, please call 780-4383 as soon as possible to cancel. Due to limited test sessions, we ask that you give as much notice as you can so we can offer your seat to another student. *Should I bring anything with me to the testing room? Arrive at appropriate time and location. Late arrivals will not be permitted to take exams. You must bring a photo ID (i.e. drivers license, etc.) with you to the test session. You will NOT be able to be tested without it . If you have not been admitted to USM, bring $20 cash or check to cover the cost of the Placement Exam. You will be given detailed instructions, scratch paper and a pencil for use during the exam. NOTE: No examination aids are permitted in the testing room, most notably calculators. We ask that you turn off any electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods or other music devices, PDAs, etc and remove any earpieces before you enter the testing room. Please do not bring food or drink to the testing room. Please see the accomodations section for information about accomodations for disabilities.
*What if the weather is bad on the day I'm scheduled to test? If USM cancels classes because of weather, exams are automatically cancelled. Please call the USM Storm Hotline at 1-800-800-4876 or 207-780-4800 to verify if events will be held as scheduled. Your score is automatically calculated by the Accuplacer Testing Program. There will be two scores, one for each section of the Mathematics Placement Exam. Both scores are used to determine your placement. Please see the Interpretation Page for more information about the scoring rubric. You will receive an Individual Score Report printout before you leave the test session, which contains both scores and the required placement.
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