Policies & Petition for Retest

The Office of Assessment and Placement administers the English and Mathematics Assessment through which students demonstrate their proficiency in the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics. All applicants to the College who seek degrees or certificates are required to take an assessment test prior to registration. The College uses assessment test results to determine if special course work must be taken in English and/or mathematics. The English and mathematics assessments for placement purposes may be taken only once.  Placement test scores are valid for five years. Older scores can not be used as they may not provide an accurate assessment of a students’ current skills or reflect current college policies.

English Placement

The English assessment consists of reading comprehension, sentence skills and a writing sample on a given topic. Students should be aware of the following policies:

• All matriculated students must enroll in their assigned English placement during their first semester at SUNY Rockland.

• Academic departments may prohibit students who place into pre-ENG 101 courses from taking courses for which they lack  sufficient reading and writing skills.

• Students must enroll in ENG 101 in the semester immediately following their successful completion of required pre-ENG 101 course(s).

• Students who successfully complete ENG 101- International must register for ENG 102 - International, unless they earn a B+ or higher in ENG 101 -International and provide a letter of recommendation from their ENG 101 instructor. In such cases, they may choose to register in any section of ENG 102.

• Students enrolled in credit-bearing certificate programs that do not require English must take the English assessment.  In order to graduate, students must be assessed at the level of ENG 101 or receive a passing grade in all the required pre-ENG 101 course(s).

• Dropping any level of English below ENG 102 requires the official approval of a counselor in the Student Development Center. Students who wish to drop a pre-ENG 101 course must also obtain the approval of the program coordinator.
• Non-matriculated students must take the English Placement exam after completing 16 credits unless granted an exemption as listed in Admission Policy 4.4. Students who do not  place into English 095 or higher will be required to complete all English developmental courses prior to taking any other SUNY RCC courses, excluding Physical Education.

Mathematics Placement

The mathematics assessment includes an arithmetic section and an algebra section. Students will be placed in Mathematics Skills, Elementary Algebra, or one of the more advanced courses offered by the Mathematics Discipline.

• Students are encouraged to enroll in the level of mathematics indicated by their placement as early as possible.

• Students enrolled in credit-bearing programs that do not require Mathematics must take the Mathematics assessment.  In order to graduate, they must be assessed at the level of MAT 101 (or Higher) or receive a passing grade in the required pre-MAT 101 course(s).
• Non-matriculated students must take the Mathematics Placement exam if they want to take a Mathematics course or any course that requires MAT 101 as a prerequisite, unless granted an exemption as listed in Admissions Policy 4.4.

Appeal of English and/or Mathematics Placement

If you wish to petition to retest you must submit a "Request for Appeal in English and/or Mathematics" form. (click on link below)  All petitions must be accompanied by supporting documentation(s) to be eligible for a retest opportunity.

You must petition for a retest before the start of classes. It is strongly recommended that you participate in some form of practice or skill refresher.  Retesting without any academic intervention usually does not result in improved test score(s).

The completed form and documentation(s) can be returned in person or by mail to:

SUNY Rockland Community College
Office of Assessment and Placement
Technology Center, Third floor, Suite 8340, Room 8342
145 College Road
Suffern, NY 10901

You may obtain further information about the appeal procedure by calling our office at (845) 574-4525 or 574-4288.