Student Assessment

We Help You Figure Out Course Placement!

At MCC, we use multiple measures and guided self-placement for course placement for English and math.

Course placement is designed to maximize student outcomes by determining student readiness for college-level coursework.

For an overview of placement: Please consider attending a Placement Workshop. These on-campus sessions include up-to-date information and provide an opportunity for students to complete placement in a quiet environment.

English and Math Placement Information

New to college? Here is how you can complete the English placement.

Graduated from High School in the last 10 years in the US

Submit your high school transcript via email to be placed by your GPA.

• Students who have graduated from high school with a 2.7 GPA or higher within the last ten years are eligible for ENG 101- English Composition I.

• Students who have graduated from high school with a 2.0 to 2.69 GPA within the last ten years are eligible for ENG 109 with ENG 101- Critical Thinking/English Composition I.

• Students who have graduated from high school with a 1.99 or lower within the last ten years are eligible for ENG 092- Reading, Writing, and Reasoning.

• Students who graduated within the last ten years and wish to have a review of their placement based on their high school GPA should schedule a "Double Check" appointment by completing the English Double Check form. *Please note you must be signed into your MyMCC to access the form.

Earned a GED or HiSet in the last 10 years

Email GED and HiSet Scores.

• GED: Students who earned a score of 165 or above within the last ten years are eligible for ENG 101- English Composition I.

• HiSet: Students who earned a score of 15 or above within the last ten years are eligible for ENG 101- English Composition I.

Standardized Test Scores completed in the last 10 years

Email scores.

• SAT Scores: Students with a 500 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section within the last ten years are eligible for ENG 101- English Composition I.

• ACT Scores: Students with a score of 22 or higher on the English Language Arts section within the last ten years are eligible for ENG 101- English Composition I.

If you do not meet the criteria listed above, no worries! You will complete the English Self-Placement document found here.

After reading through the document, please click here to submit your English placement.

Email college transcripts.

• If you have previously taken English classes at college, please submit your official college transcripts for placement and transfer credit.*

*Please note that we cannot transfer in English classes taken at colleges and universities outside the US.

• If you have taken college classes previously, but have NOT taken an English class in college, please follow the new student English instructions above.

New to college? Here is how you can complete the Math placement.

Graduated from High School in the last 3 years with a 2.7 GPA or higher

Submit your high school transcript via email to be placed by your GPA

• Students who have graduated from high school with a 2.7 GPA or higher within the last three years are eligible for most entry-level college math up to MAT 195- Precalculus & Trigonometry for Engineering and Science.

• Students who graduated high school with a 2.7 GPA or higher and earned a B+ or better in Algebra 2 are eligible for MAT 196– Accelerated Precalculus & Trigonometry for Engineering and Science.

• Students who graduated high school with a 2.7 GPA or higher and earned a B or better in Trigonometry and Precalculus or the equivalent are eligible for MAT 290- Calculus I.

Standardized Test Scores completed in the last 3 years

Email scores.

• Students with a SAT score of 600 or better on the math section within the last three years are eligible for MAT 290- Calculus I and most entry-level college math.

• Students with a SAT score of 550 or better on the math section from the last three years are eligible for MAT 195- Precalculus for Engineering and Science and most entry-level college math.

• Students with an ACT score of 22 or higher on the math section within the last three years are eligible for most entry-level college math.

If you do not meet the criteria above, no worries! Please email Placement about starting your ALEKS assessment.

Email college transcripts.

• If you have previously taken Math classes at college, please submit your official college transcripts for placement and transfer credit.

• If you have taken college classes previously, but have NOT taken a math class in college, please follow the new student math instructions above.

Once you have completed the steps above, make sure your placement is confirmed.

Students with multiple measures can email placement to verify documentation was received.
Students using guided self-placement will receive a confirmation email when placements are received within 1-2 business days. Guided Self-Placement forms are usually processed same-day, but please allow 48 hours for our team to review. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your spam, junk, or other folders. You can also email placement to verify your placements are in the system.

Once your placement is confirmed, you are ready to register for classes!

Other Services Offered

TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills)
TEAS tests are currently being offered in-person on both the Bedford and Lowell campuses to MCC applicants only. Registration must be completed with ATI. You will be required to create a username and password.

Please make sure you write down your username and password, as you will need them for when you take the exam.

Please note that Restricted Access does not mean the exam time is full. It means that the exam is restricted to only MCC Nursing applicants.

Students should review the nursing admission requirements before registering for the exam to ensure their scores will be accepted by the college. Questions about TEAS requirements can be directed to nursing@middlesex.edu

Students who require accommodations must make arrangements with Student Access and Support Services before you register for your exam by contacting StudentAccess@middlesex.edu. Students who do not make arrangements in advance may need to reschedule to receive their accommodations.

Prerequisite exam for BIO 231 Anatomy and Physiology

Meeting the Prerequisite Requirement:
Students wishing to take BIO 231 Anatomy and Physiology I must meet a general biology prerequisite by:

Taking and passing a general biology course with a C or better (within the last 5 years).
Pass the A&P Prerequisite exam with a minimum score of 73% (47 out of 65).

A&P Prerequisite Exam Information:

The exam...

consists of 65 multiple choice questions.
is timed for 2 hours
may only be taken once

Reviewing for the Exam:

Questions on the following topics are included on this test

Atomic structure, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, major inorganic compounds (acids, bases, salts, water), pH, buffers, major organic molecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, ATP), enzymes
Characteristics of eukaryotic vs prokaryotic cells, animal cell structure (cell membrane, membrane transport, organelles), cell respiration, protein synthesis, cell division

For review, students may wish to refer to the biology textbook used at Middlesex Community College, Biology, by Sylvia Mader.

Taking the Exam:

Schedule the exam
- Please be on time as the test is timed for 2 hours.

Sitting for the exam
- Arrive on time at the scheduled test site
  - Bring a photo ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.)
  - No electronics permitted (including calculators), cell phones may be left with the proctor
Receiving your scores
- Scores will be returned immediately, and students who do not receive a passing score will have to take a general biology class to satisfy the prerequisite requirement.