Middlesex Community College

Course Placement

At MCC, we use multiple measures and guided self-placement for course placement. Course placement is designed to maximize student outcomes by determining student readiness for college-level coursework.

Students can be placed into college-level course work based on previous college course work, SAT scores, ACT Scores, high school GPA, GED or HiSet Scores. Students new to MCC that cannot place with any other measure can place into courses using guided self placement.

• Transfer Credit:
  • Students that have taken college level English or math courses should submit official transcripts for determination.
  • Students that have taken advanced placement (AP) or CLEP exams or have other evidence of prior learning should submit necessary information to have credit awarded.
  • College transcripts should be sent to registrar@middlesex.mass.edu.

• SAT Scores:
  • Students with a 500 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section within the last ten years are eligible for ENG101- English Composition I. Students with a 600 on the math section in the last three years are eligible to take MAT290-Calculus I. Please request CollegeBoard to have your scores sent.
  • SAT scores should be sent to placement@middlesex.mass.edu.

• ACT Scores:
  • Students with a score of 22 or higher on the English Language Arts section within the last ten years are eligible for ENG101- English Composition I. Students with a score of 22 or higher on the math section within the last three years are eligible for college level math. Students wishing to take MAT290-Calculus I will need to take the ACCUPLACER.
  • ACT scores should be sent to placement@middlesex.mass.edu.
• High School Grade Point Average (GPA):
  • Students that have graduated high school with a 2.7 GPA or higher within the last ten years are eligible for ENG101- English Composition I..
  • Students that have graduated high school with a 2.7 GPA or higher within the last three years are eligible for most entry-level college math up to MAT195- Precalculus & Trigonometry for Engineering and Science.
    • Students meeting the GPA criteria will be eligible for MAT 196 – Accelerated Precalculus & Trigonometry for Engineering and Science if they have passed Algebra 2 with a grade of B+ or better.
    • Students meeting the GPA criteria will be eligible for MAT290-Calculus I if they have passed Trigonometry and Precalculus or equivalent with a grade of B or better.
    • Students wishing to take MAT290-Calculus I that do not meet the required high school prerequisite math courses may need to take the math ACCUPLACER only.
    • High school transcripts should be sent to ES@middlesex.mass.edu
• HiSet or GED Scores:
  • Students that have taken the GED with a 165 or above within the last ten years are eligible for ENG101- English Composition I.
  • Students that have taken the HiSet with a score of 15 or above within the last ten years are eligible for ENG101- English Composition I.
  • Students with HiSet and GED as their sole measure for placement must place into math using guided self-placement.
  • HiSet and GED scores should be sent to placement@middlesex.mass.edu.

Even if you meet this criteria, if you found English and/or Math classes in high school very challenging or had extra help or support provided to you, we strongly encourage you to e-mail ACE@middlesex.mass.edu to make a "Make the Right Choice" appointment to aid you in your course placement.

If a student does not meet any of the criteria above, incoming students must use guided self-placement.

English Guided Self-Placement

Read and work through the English Guided Self-Placement document found here.  At the end of your evaluation you will determine your English Course Placement.

English Guided Self-Placement Form - use this form to submit your English Course Placement so it can be recorded. Save a copy for yourself.

Mathematics Guided Self-Placement

Read and work through the Math Guided Self-Placement document found here. At the end of your evaluation you will determine your Math Course Placement.

Math Guided Self-Placement Form - use this form to submit your Math Course Placement so it can be recorded. Save a copy for yourself.

If you are unsure of your English or math guided self-placement level, e-mail ACE@middlesex.mass.edu to schedule a Make the Right Choice appointment. This one-on-one Zoom appointment is designed to help you make an informed decision that will place you in the English and/or math level that is right for you.

Current students, those that need to retest, or students looking to place into MAT290-Calculus I without qualifying SAT scores or high school courses must register for the ACCUPLACER exam.

We are offering virtual placement information sessions on course placement. In these sessions, we will review how to use multiple measures and self-placement. A zoom link will be sent to you the day before your scheduled appointment. If you do not receive your zoom link, please check you spam/junk mail box. This is not a testing appointment. 

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

• Students using multiple measures can email placement@middlesex.mass.edu 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 others folder. You can also contact us at placement@middlesex.mass.edu to verify your placements are in the system.
• Students using Accuplacer will have their scores recorded by the Student Assessment office upon completion of the test and do not need to confirm placement.

Once your placement is confirmed, please register for a new student registration session. To sign up, please visit our advising page.