Placement
For college courses where prerequisites are required, students must meet prerequisite requirements prior to enrolling to support their success.
Multiple Measures Placement: Black Hawk College uses a multiple measures approach to determine course placement. Advisors reveiw available academic information to assess college readiness and determine appropriate course placement whenever possible without additional testing. Placement information must be recent within established timeframes to be considered valid.
- High school GPA
- High school coursework and grades
- Transitional instruction portability codes
- ACT or SAT scores
- GED scores
- Prior college coursework
Advisors evaluate this information to determine whether placement can be established based on existing records. This process helps reduce unnecessary testing and supports timely enrollment.
Additional Evaluative Methods If sufficient information is not available through multiple measures, or if further evaluation is needed to determine readiness for specific courses, advisor may recommend placement assessments. Placement assessments include:
- ALEKS PPL for Mathematics
- ACCUPLACER for Reading and Writing
These assessments measure academic skills and provide additional information for advising and placement into courses appropriate to a student’s preparation level. Placement results may place students into developmental education courses or college-level courses. Some courses require a specific placement level prior to enrollment. All students must meet course prerequisites either through multiple measures, assessment, or previous college coursework.
Students who have attended another college or university or who have earned a degree should consult an advisor to discuss options before completing placement assessments. Official transcritps or test scores must be snt to Enrollment Services to receive an exemption.
Black Hawk College students may complete placement assessments at no charge as determined by current college policy. Fees may apply for additional attempts.
Students who require special testing accommodations may contact Disability Resources & Access on the Quad-Cities Campus at 309-796-5900 or the East Campus at 309-854-1713.
Assessment policies and guidelines are subject to change. Students are responsible for obtaining the most accurate and up-to-date placement information. Please visit http://www.bhc.edu/testingcenter.
Non-native speakers of English need to contact Janet Francisco, Academic ESL Program Coordinator (e-mail franciscoj@bhc.edu, phone 309-796-5183), to schedulethe English language proficiency assessment. This 1½-hour exam will assess English language proficiency in listening, reading, grammar and writing.
Placement for Students in Foreign Languages
Students registering in the following levels of Spanish should keep in mind the following guidelines:
Elementary level 101
Knowledge in the foreign language is not required.
Elementary level 102
The student should have had one year of the foreign language in high school with a “C” or above or a semester of the foreign language in college with a “C” or above or the equivalent.
Intermediate level 201
The student should have had two years of the foreign language in high school with a “C” or above or two semesters of the foreign language in college with a “C” or above or the equivalent.
Intermediate level 202
The student should have had three years of the foreign language in high school with a “C” or above or three semesters of the foreign language in college with a “C” or above or the equivalent.
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