Testing, Placement and Assessment Procedure - 50.03.05
College Policy Number/Title:
Howard Community College’s (HCC) test center provides secure, accessible, and professional testing services and resources for all types of examinations administered at the college. Part of the Consortium of College Testing Centers, the Test Center is also a member of the National College Testing Association (NCTA) and adheres to the NCTA Professional Standards and Guidelines.
Academic Testing
HCC Exams
The test center at HCC is available for makeup exams, exams for online courses, departmental and college-wide outcomes assessments, and for students requiring modified testing conditions due to learning disabilities, physical disabilities, or other appropriate circumstances.
The test center does not administer whole class exams except in the case of extraordinary circumstances. Exceptions must be requested by faculty and approved in advance by the director of testing or designee.
Faculty and staff must follow procedures for submitting exams and related instructions to the test center. A test information form detailing administration instructions and deadlines must accompany all exams. With the exception of extended testing time, all accommodations for students with disabilities must be arranged with disability support services or student support services, which will ensure that the appropriate accommodations are addressed in conjunction with the instructor and the test center.
Students taking academic exams are strongly encouraged to make an appointment; however testing is also available on a walk-in basis during general office hours. It is each student’s responsibility to arrive at the test center with enough time remaining to complete the exam before the center closes. All exams must be returned at the posted closing time regardless of the time allocated for the exam. All students must present a valid picture identification card with a current photo. Students must know their professor’s name, course, and title of the assessment they will be taking. The test center staff will enforce the instructions, time limit, and deadlines given by the instructor on the test information form.
Proctoring Services
Proctored testing is available during the test center’s general office hours for individuals who need to have exams proctored on behalf of other institutions. Students attending other institutions who are interested in utilizing the HCC test center for exam proctoring must email the test center for approval prior to having the exams administered. The test center will work with the student’s institution to ensure receipt of exams, proctoring instructions, and any institution-specific requirements. No subsequent approval is needed once a student establishes the HCC test center as a proctoring site. A proctoring fee is charged to the student for each non-HCC exam administered. Information about the fee is available on the college’s test center web page and in appropriate publications.
College-Level Achievement Tests
The test center administers the College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP), and the DSST (formerly known as the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests), both of which give students the opportunity to earn college credit for what they have learned outside of the traditional classroom. A fee is charged by the College Board for each CLEP exam; Prometric charges a fee per DSST exam. DSST fees must be paid by credit card at the time of test administration, whereas CLEP fees must be paid online in advance on the College Board website. An additional institutional proctoring fee must be paid to the college cashier prior to administration of the test. Students must bring proof of payment with them at the time of testing. Information about these fees is available on the test center web page and in appropriate publications. All fees are subject to change.
In order to ensure credit for CLEP and DSST exams, students, including HCC students, are advised to contact their institution’s admissions or advising offices prior to taking an exam to determine the appropriate exam and required score. The exams are generally offered year-round, except during final exam weeks and peak placement testing periods.
Placement Exams
Students may demonstrate their readiness for college-level coursework through multiple measures including placement exams. HCC offers testing to determine students’ placement in English and mathematics as one of the means to determine college readiness. Other measures that HCC may use to determine college readiness include an unweighted cumulative high school GPA, certain grades in high school mathematics courses, SAT and ACT test scores, and the PARCC test score. At the time the HCC application is submitted, all students should submit official copies of the high school transcript, SAT scores, ACT scores, and PARCC scores (that apply) for college readiness evaluation. For more information about multiple measures, visit the college website at https://www.howardcc.edu/testcenter.
Multiple measures for college readiness are generally reviewed upon admission to the college. If these measures do not qualify the student for college-level courses then placement exams are generally taken. All students are required to demonstrate college readiness through multiple measures or through placement testing by the time they have completed 12 credits, regardless of academic goal.
HCC uses the untimed ACCUPLACER, timed Guided Student Placement (GSP), and timed ALEKS PPL test to provide students with information about their academic skills in mathematics, reading, and writing. The results of the assessment are used to determine placement for students in English and mathematics courses and courses with English or mathematics prerequisites. Some placement retests may involve testing methods other than ACCUPLACER, GSP, and ALEKS PPL based on student scores and as determined by English and mathematics division policies. Advisors meet with students to discuss their test results and course placements as well as other considerations based on placement results. No fees are charged for students who have been admitted to HCC or those being tested as a result of institutional initiatives or outcomes assessments.
Professional Certification Exams
The test center is an authorized site for many industry and corporate certifications. Registration and exam-specific fees are handled by contacting the appropriate vendor.
Clinical Nursing Admission Assessment
HCC uses the HESI exam to assess clinical nursing applicants prior to admission to the program. Minimum required passing scores are set by the nurse education program and are subject to change. Students who do not meet the minimum required scores are permitted to take the test up to three times in an academic year and must wait 90 days between attempts. A fee is charged to the student for testing administration. Prior to the registration deadline, students must register for testing through the office of admissions and advising and pay the testing fee to the college cashier or register and pay online. Information about these fees is available on the test center web page and in appropriate publications.
LPN - RN Mobility Exam
HCC administers the LPN - RN mobility exam as part of the process of determining advanced standing in the licensed practical nurse (LPN) pathways program. Further information may be obtained through the office of admissions and advising.
Academic Honesty and Testing Irregularities
The student code of conduct and academic honesty policies are strictly enforced in the test center. The staff monitors testing carefully in order to encourage academic honesty. Cameras, monitors, and computer surveillance software are also in use. Incidents involving student misconduct or other suspected irregularities will be reported to the instructor or appropriate testing authority who will act in accordance with the college’s policies, which include academic honesty and the student code of conduct, as well as test center policies. The test center staff does not adjudicate such events; rather, it observes and reports behavior as appropriate.
Other
Permission to be in the Test Center
Under no circumstances may the examinee bring children or other persons into the testing area. Individuals involved in accommodations for students with disabilities will be permitted in the test center after making previous arrangements with disability student services and the test center director or designee.
Testing Supplies
All calculators, pens, pencils, erasers, scrap paper, and any other supplies required for testing will be provided by the test center. No personal supplies will be permitted in the testing rooms. The test center has a large array of calculators and testing supplies used in all HCC academic courses, including those for students with disabilities.
Prohibited/Restricted Items
All personal items must be placed in lockers including books, notes, pens, pencils, calculators, cellular telephones, electronic devices, listening and recording devices, purses, wallets, watches and keys. Unless worn for religious or medical reasons, all hats and head coverings must be removed and stored in a locker. Testers are required to demonstrate that no recording or listening devices are present in their ears (by patting their head covering or showing their ears to a testing administrator in a private setting).
Identification
All academic and certification examinees must present a current HCC student identification card or photo identification card, or unexpired government-issued photo identification document (e.g., driver’s license or passport) with a current photo. No exceptions to this requirement will be made. Placement examinees may provide an alternative form of identification in lieu of photo identification to the test center director or designee.
Effective Date: 03/10/23
President's Office Use: VPSS/VPTL - CAT