Black Hawk College
COMPASS Course Placement Testing
Black Hawk College is an open enrollment college. This means that students are accepted into the college regardless
of high school course work and grades, or prior testing such as the ACT. As a Community College, Black Hawk offers
classes which are either college level or developmental (pre-college) level in order to meet individual needs.
COMPASS test scores are used to place students into courses that are appropriate for their
academic skill-level and to determine a student’s placement for
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College-level courses (classes with course numbers 100 and above)
Developmental Education courses (classes with course numbers under 100) or
Referral to the Student Success Center or Adult Basic Education
You may not have to take the entire COMPASS Test if:
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You are enrolling for less than 6 semester hours of credit AND will not accumulate more than 6 credits AND are
taking a class with no prerequisites.
You have taken the ACT test within the past two years and scored a 22 or higher on individual sections as
indicated below:
o ACT of 22 or higher in English exempts the student from the writing portion.
o ACT of 22 or higher in Reading exempts the student from the reading portion.
o ACT of 22 or higher in Math exempts student from pre-algebra. Students will still be required to take the
Algebra section.
o Students wanting exemptions based on ACT scores must either bring test score results to an advisor or to the
testing session proctor to receive a test exemption. If no documentation is provided, you will be required to
take all portions of the test.
You may be exempt from portions of the COMPASS test if you have completed college courses or taken the
COMPASS test at another college/university. Before taking the COMPASS test, you should first see an advisor
who will review the required documentation (i.e. college transcript, COMPASS scores) and issue a testing
permit. Visit or call (309-796-5100) the Advising Center, Building One, Lower Lobby, Quad Cities Campus.
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Cost of test/retest:
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Black Hawk College and Scott Community College cooperative program students may take the COMPASS test
free of charge one time per year (July 1-June 30).
If you wish to retake the COMPASS test during the same academic year, the cost is $15.00 per individual
subject test or $30 for the entire test.
Students who will use the test scores for placement at other colleges are charged $30.00 whether the student is
taking an individual test or the entire test.
Payment in cash (exact change) or check is accepted at the time of testing. NO CREDIT CARDS ARE ACCEPTED.
COMPASS testing schedule:
For test dates & times, refer to our website www.bhc.edu or call the phone number directly below.
To sign-up for a COMPASS test session: Call (309) 796-5352 or 796-5100
Special Note:
Students who need to take the COMPASS test with accommodations based on their disability should contact Disability
Services at (309) 796-5949 or TTY (309) 796-5903 to make testing arrangements.
All students whose second language is English need to contact Anne Bollati, ESL Program Coordinator
(email bollatia@bhc.edu, phone (309)796-5183), to take the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency.
Things to remember on the day of the test:
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Bring a picture ID (Drivers License is preferred)
Bring a calculator (There is a calculator on the computer that may be used instead)
Bring your ACT score report or a test permit from your advisor if you are exempt from parts of the test
Arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled test time.
Parking passes are available at the Building One Welcome Desk - come extra early if you need one.
The COMPASS test is free once each academic year for BHC students.
Bring a check or cash if you are retaking the test (see reverse for amount and who must pay)
If you missed your test time and need to reschedule, please call (309)796-5352 or 796-5100.
“What should I STUDY before taking the COMPASS test?”
We HIGHLY encourage students to
review this material and go over the
sample questions! Where you are placed
is determined by these test results.
For sample tests and more information visit
www.act.org/compass/sample/
COMPASS Writing Skills test
 Punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure
 Strategy (audience, purpose, supporting material)
 Organization
 Style (word choices, pronoun references, clarity)
Developmental Education Course Placement:
ENG 081 Writing Fundamentals I or ENG 091 Writing
Fundamentals II
College Credit Course Placement:
ENG 101 Composition I, BE 180 Business
Communications, COMM 105 Essentials of English
COMPASS Reading Skills test
Reading comprehension based on the ability to:
 Refer to explicit statements in the reading passage
 Determine meaning using context
 Draw conclusions
 Make comparisons
 Make generalizations
Developmental Education Course Placement:
REA 093 Reading Fundamentals I or REA 098
Reading Fundamentals II
College Credit Course Placement:
Most 100-level college credit courses with intensive
reading requirements and Study Unlimited courses.
COMPASS Math & Algebra Testing – All students
will take both pre-Algebra and Algebra tests unless
exempted by ACT test score or prior college credit
classes.
COMPASS Pre Algebra
 Whole numbers
 Fractions
 Absolute Value
 Squared roots
 Decimals
 Ratios & Proportions
 Order of operations
COMPASS Algebra
 Solving algebraic equations
 Simplifying polynomials
 Simplifying rational expressions
 Graphing solutions to linear equations
 Solving polynomial equations by factoring
 Graphing solutions to linear equations
 Solving equations containing rational expressions
 Solving equations containing a radical
 Calculating distance using distance formula
 Calculating the slope of a line
 Solving linear inequalities
 Solving quadratic equations
 Solving problems with integer exponents
COMPASS College Algebra
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Solving problems with exponential functions
Solving problems using standard complex forms
Solving problems with inverse functions
Graphing of polynomial functions
Solving linear inequalities
Finding the value of factorials
Solving problems with composition of function
Developmental Education Course Placement:
MATH 080 Basic Mathematical Skills, MATH 081
Elementary Algebra, MATH 086 Fundamentals of
Algebra, MATH 090 Intermediate Algebra, or MATH
091 Intermediate Algebra Review
Last Updated 01/29/08
O/Assessment & Orientation/Compass pre-test handoutNew2