Placement Policies

Academic Affairs has comprehensive information about Western's English and math placement policies. Students who have not met entry level abilities in math, reading or writing can test to demonstrate those entry level abilities.

Accuplacer Testing Schedule

To take the Accuplacer test at Western, please contact the Academic Resource Center arc@western.edu or 970-943-7056.

What to Expect on the Placement Exams

What is Accuplacer?

Accuplacer is a placement test for incoming students developed by the College Board (who developed the SAT, GRE, AP, CLEP and TOEFL tests). Western uses the Accuplacer battery for our assessment/placement exams.

How often may I take the Accuplacer test?

You may only take each Accuplacer test once per semester. Any exceptions must be reviewed and approved by the Registrar.

Is there a time limit?

Accuplacer tests are untimed. You may stay until you finish the tests.

Where do I take Accuplacer?

Let Western find a testing facility in your neighborhood.
We welcome students to take Accuplacer before arriving to Western. For further information about testing in your area, email arc@western.edu.

Front Range Testing Areas:

Metro State Testing Center
Tivoli Student Union, Room 347
Denver, CO 80217-3362
(303) 556-3677
Special Instructions: Contact Metro to schedule an appointment and verify applicable charges. A valid picture ID is required.

Aims Community College
Greeley Location
5401 W. 20th St.
Greeley, CO 80632
(970) 330-8008 ext. 6448
Special Instructions: Contact Aims and identify yourself as a Western State student and verify test times and applicable charges. A valid picture id is required.

Aims Community College
Ft. Lupton Location
260 College Ave.
Ft. Lupton, CO 80621
(303) 857-4022
(303) 659-2243 (Denver)
Contact Aims and identify yourself as a Western State student and verify test times and applicable charges. A valid picture id is required.

Aims Community College
Loveland Location
104 E. 4th St.
Loveland, CO 80537
(970) 667-4611
(303) 447-9092 (Denver)
Contact Aims and identify yourself as a Western State student and verify test times and applicable charges. A valid picture id is required.

Take Accuplacer at Western.
Western State Colorado University offers Accuplacer at new student Orientations and several times throughout the semester. Test dates are listed above in the Accuplacer Testing Schedule section.

What can I expect on the exam?

The test proctor will verify your identity and the information you have entered by inspecting your picture ID. Testing begins with your answering a set of background questions.

Reading Comprehension Test: consists of 20 multiple choice questions which involve identifying the main and secondary ideas in a reading passage, applying the information, and drawing inferences based on the context of the reading passage. A second type of question involves answering questions about the relationship of two sentences. A score of 80 or above means you have demonstrated entry level ability in Reading.

Sentence Skills Test: consists of 20 multiple choice questions. The first type is sentence correction questions in which the student selects an appropriate word or phrase to substitute for an underlined sentence. The second type, construction shift questions, requires that a sentence be rewritten according to the criteria shown while maintaining essentially the same meanings as the original sentence. A score of 95 or above means you have demonstrated entry level ability in Writing.

Elementary Algebra Test: consists of 12 questions of three different types. The first involves operations with integers and rational numbers, the second type involves operations with algebraic expressions, and the third type involves the solution of equations, inequalitites, and word problems. A score of 85 or above means you have demonstrated entry level ability in Math.

College-Level Math Test: consists of 20 questions assessing proficiency in intermediate algebra through Pre-calculus. Test categories include algebraic operations, the solution of equations and inequalities, coordinate geometry, applications and other algebra topics (complex numbers, series and sequences, determinants, permutations and combinations, factorials, and word problems), functions (polynomial, algebraic, exponential, and logarithmic), and trigonometry. A score of 75 or above means you have demonstrated prerequisites for Math 141 Transcendental Functions, a score of 85 or above means you have demonstrated prerequisites for Math 213 Probability and Statistics, and a score of 95 or above means you have demonstrated prerequisites for Math 161 Calculus.

How can I study for the test?

• College Board has created a student study guide that can be found on the Internet
• There are numerous study guides on the Internet. Search Accuplacer in a search engine (like Google) online