Do Not Take Accuplacer Tests!!!

[jansroots]

If you need to take a Math test or English test as a pre-requisite for some of your classes, stall on those classes, and take the CLEP tests for those instead! You get to knock out 3 classes for 2 tests (time and $$).

If you take any of the Accuplacers, they don't count as credits.

[alleycat]

If you need to take a Math test or English test as a pre-requisite for some of your classes, stall on those classes, and take the CLEP tests for those instead! You get to knock out 3 classes for 2 tests (time and $$).

If you take any of the Accuplacers, they don't count as credits.

I have seen so many students not do well on the Accuplacer test and the school they are attending just runs with it. It is horrible. Some people just are having a bad testing day and this test can cut a path for the student that will cost them alot of time and money having to take classes that are not needed. I think it is more of a money maker then an ability test.

[SandraNC]

A lot of students don't know that they need to study and prepare for Accuplacer, so they walk in to the testing center, take it cold, and end up in remedial math. So sad.

[rebel100]

I think most schools will allow you to re-test avery month or so. So if someone does poorly, then studies on their own, like with ALEKS, they can go and re-do it. Thats hos my daughter did it. SHe had a miserable score last Sept. went through Beginning Alg. then most of the way through Int. and retested on accuplacer. In May she tested out in top 20% of all incoming freshmen. It was all ALEKS!

[Ace_King]

I think the Accuplacer is ridiculous. It's called the CPT (College Placement test) down here. I remember I took it at my community college and ended up with the lowest math, while I did good on English and Reading. I re took it again after not taking math that term and got out of it but my friend wasn't so lucky she had to take the actual class, she failed three times and already on the third attempt she had to pay out of state fees for that class since the college made it a rule! So now she is forced to take that class somewhere else, and she won't even get credit for it. Anyways, thank God for the big three they don't require SAT,ACT,Accuplacer or the CPT. =]

[rebel100]

I think the Accuplacer is ridiculous.thank God for the big three they don't require SAT,ACT,Accuplacer or the CPT. =]

Amen to that!!!

[cookderosa]

A lot of students don't know that they need to study and prepare for Accuplacer, so they walk in to the testing center, take it cold, and end up in remedial math. So sad.

Ding ding ding! You can add 1-2 semesters (or more!!) of math in front of your degree plan, and those DON'T count!

On the other hand, let's be more creative. Let's this is your school's placement tier (this is not taken from any specific school)
Math 085
Math 099
Math 105
Math 118
Math 121
Math 128
(and up into calculus)

If you test in at the bottom, you'll be enrolled in 085 (mandatory!) and then you'll keep going until you hit your program's math requirement. Let's say it's 121- college algebra. Yes, that means you must take 4 semesters of math that won't count toward your major, and two of those (being under 100 level) can't even be used as electives. 4 semester!!! That's over a year, and how much $ wasted tuition/books???

Now, let's say you really ARE able to test in at 121, so you do. Sad fact is, most school (UNLIKE the big 3) don't let you "go backward" and earn those lower level credits. So it you test in at 121, you start at 121. The 118 and 105 are off limits to you.

I'd agree with the OP 100%. It's much more valuable to rock out and earn all of the maths rather than starting at the non-credit placement test.
Even if your degree requires the calculus series, you still might be able to use lower level maths for general education electives.

Of course, this isn't always the case, and your advisor may not be 100% transparent with you regarding how this situation works. In a nutshell, you need to find out if you can earn "introductory course credit when you've taken a higher level, more advanced course" and if "credit in a subject allows you to waive the placement test" and if both are a yes, you can start your math sequence before applying.

[jansroots]

To coin a phrase... (It's a geek phrase.. replace credits w/ toys.. )

Instead of Accuplacer, take a CLEP and for $100, you have 2 credits!

(Especially since you should study, anyway!)

[clep3705]

Maybe, just maybe, you should consider NOT believing what advisors tell you to do. View whatever they tell you with skepticism. College advisors at brick and mortar schools generally do not understand credit by examination, certainly not like we do here.

As I posted previously, here in Texas you can get credit for exams that a university does not give credit for. You get a degree from a community college that does grant credit for DSST exams. After getting your degree, transfer to a public university in Texas that does not give credit for DSST. If the DSST credits were used to fulfill core requirements at the community college and a degree was conferred, the university is compelled by state law to accept the credits even though they were obtained from exams the university does not normally accept. Do you think a college advisor is going to tell you something like that? I don't think so.

Advisors are useless when it comes to telling students how to work the system. That's not intended as negative criticism. They are good at handling the routine. People who test out are edge cases, not what is typically seen in college.

[CLEP101]

Maybe, just maybe, you should consider NOT believing what advisors tell you to do. View whatever they tell you with skepticism. College advisors at brick and mortar schools generally do not understand credit by examination, certainly not like we do here.

As I posted previously, here in Texas you can get credit for exams that a university does not give credit for. You get a degree from a community college that does grant credit for DSST exams. After getting your degree, transfer to a public university in Texas that does not give credit for DSST. If the DSST credits were used to fulfill core requirements at the community college and a degree was conferred, the university is compelled by state law to accept the credits even though they were obtained from exams the university does not normally accept. Do you think a college advisor is going to tell you something like that? I don't think so.

Advisors are useless when it comes to telling students how to work the system. That's not intended as negative criticism. They are good at handling the routine. People who test out are edge cases, not what is typically seen in college.

I don't listen to advisors, only to this forum and my own research.
My wife had to take a Placement test at Central Texas College (CTC) for math. She passed it with a "C" which allowed her to take College Algebra. But the school told her she technically didn't pass and she needed to take Remedial math 085 which doesn't count. After that semester she needed another higher remedial. She was not allowed to take a Science course unless she took and passed College Algebra. After that I told her to enroll as a non-degree seeking student. I told her to drop her classes and take College Math and Biology with Excelsior, College Algebra with ALEKS and ENG Comp II at CTC.

I enrolled her in TESC, transferred all the Community college credits, Excelsior and ALEKS credit and she graduated with her AA from TESC. Too easy, getting to the same goal in a shorter time, with less hassle dealing with all the ripoff remedial bullcrap.