Assessment Center
Hours of Operation
Monday – Thursday
8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Close @ 8:00 p.m.
Friday
8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Close @ 4:30 p.m.
Saturday
8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Close @ 3:00 p.m.
Assessment Center Staff
Director of Assessment
Testing Coordinator
Monty Francis
Donna Hill
Testing Assistant
Department Assistants
Ronnie Johnson
Maria Cruz
Sarah Smith
Kaja Mutombo
Jo Ann Jackson (PT)
Bernard Munoz (PT)
Andres Mejia (PT)
Services
• Aid in the admissions process through Placement testing
• Assess Health Occupations & Continuing Education
students
• Provide Credit-by-Examination
• Certify Texas teachers through examination
• Proctor instructional and cross-campus exams
• Test students in English as a foreign/2nd language
• Measure workforce development
Protecting Test Integrity
• General Guidelines:
– All rooms and computer screens are monitored
– Photo IDs are required to test
– No children allowed in testing rooms and must be
supervised in waiting area
– No food or drinks; No unauthorized materials
– All personal belongings must go in lockers
– Cannot leave testing room once entered
– No placement or THEA alternative will be given
without a TRF.
Remember…
• Students must arrive 90 minutes before closing in order
to be tested and to allow enough time to complete
examinations!
• As an “open testing center,” we service students who are
not enrolled at ECC, but not for TSI compliance. In order
to meet TSI compliance, students must test at the
institution where they are seeking enrollment!
The Enrollment Process
• AAA: Application, Advisement, & Assessment!
• Application
 Submit Application for Admissions
• Advisement
 See Advisor in Counseling Center (214-860-2084)
 Get Test Referral Form (TRF) from Advisor to take to
Assessment Center
• Assessment
 Must be tested as required by law
 Must meet Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Standards
 Accuplacer is state-approved alternative test for
THEA
The Accuplacer
• Assesses 3 skills:
 Reading
 Writing
 Math
• Adaptive test (automatically adjusts to students’
individual skill levels)
• Practice test available online!
 Go to www.dcccd.edu and click on Admissions &
Registration, Take an Assessment Test, Practice Test,
Accuplacer, and finally Take the Accuplacer.
Taking the Accuplacer
•
•
•
•
Get TRF (Test Referral Form) from an Advisor
Bring valid photo ID
1st testing session is free
Retakes are $10.00/subject (once per semester only, at
least 48 hrs after initial exam, but no more than 14 days)
• Scores are immediately available
• See Advisor after testing
Uses for the Accuplacer
•
•
•
•
•
•
General Admission
Dual Credit/High School Students
Certificate Programs
Non Degree-Seeking Students
Reading Comprehension Exams (RCE)
All DCCCD colleges use same exams & requirements
for enrollment & placement
• Some students exempt, but may take for placement
purposes (see Advisor for details)
Reading Comprehension Exam
(RCE)
• Exit exam for Developmental Reading students
• Administered 8 times/yr, including tests & retests
• Assessment Center staff responsibilities:
 Receive roster of students to be tested
 Conduct sign-in & sign-out procedures
 Proctor exams
 Provide score results & enter them into Colleague
System
Institutional Research will forward scores from Colleague to the
reading instructional staff. The scores are then distributed to
Developmental & ESOL Reading Faculty.
ASSET
•
•
•
•
•
Timed assessment developed by ACT
Does not take precedence over Accuplacer
Primarily for special needs students
Paper-pencil
Math & Reading scored in Assessment Center; Writing
sent to ACT (2 weeks)
• Tests Writing; Reading; Numerical; Elementary,
Intermediate & College Algebra; & Geometry
Instructional Testing
Classroom Exam Proctoring
For Instructors:
• Complete Test
Administration Form
• Provide complete detail &
clarification
• Pick up test after last date
of administration
• Sign to ensure exam
accountability
For Students:
• Provide Test Request
Form with course name,
course number, section,
& test number
• Provide photo ID and
Scantron (if needed)
• No cell phones, pagers,
food, or drinks
• Use lockers
• Cannot leave & come
back without permission
HESI
• For those interested in:
–
–
–
–
–
–
An Associate of Nursing
LVN to RN Advanced Placement bridge
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Echocardiology
Invasive Cardiovascular Technology
Radiography
• Tested in Grammar, Reading,
Vocabulary/General Knowledge, Math, and
Anatomy & Physiology
HESI
•
•
•
•
•
Take when applying to Health Occupations programs
Tests given October – February and May – August
Costs $25.00
Scores valid 2 years
Can retake as soon as it can be arranged through Health
Occupations office
• Must bring TRF & photo ID
TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language
• 4 hours long and Internet-based
• Contains 4 sections:
– Reading
– Listening
– Speaking
– Writing
• What is required:
– Read, listen, & speak a response
– Listen & speak a response
– Read, listen, & write a response
TOEFL
• Examinees required to sign Confidentiality Statement
• Practice tests and test center locations available online
• The ECC Assessment Center is an ETS Certified Test
Administration Site
TeXes
Teacher Certification Exam
• Facts available in information & registration bulletins &
www.texes.ets.org
• Internet-based
• Practice tests and testing centers available online
• Examinees must bring proper ID and sign a
Confidentiality Statement
• The ECC Assessment Center is an ETS Certified Test
Administration Site
TABE
Test of Adult Basic Education
• Those students who should take it:
– ESL
– Middle College
– Certified Nursing (CNA)
– Phlebotomy
– Medication Aide
– Message Therapy
– MRI Technology
– Medical Insurance Billing
TABE
• Steps to take the test:
– See Continuing Education Advisor
– Obtain TRF (Testing Referral Form)
– Schedule time with Assessment Center
• First test is free
• Retakes only permitted by C.E. Department
• Tests Speaking, Listening, Reading, & Writing
• For non degree-seeking and certification students
Compass/ESL
•
•
•
•
Placement alternative offered by ACT
ECC Assessment Center administers ESL component
ESOL courses available based on scores
Four different measures included:
– Placement
– Diagnostic
– ESL
– E-write
Continuing Education: (214) 860-2147
CLEP
Subject Exams, Credit by Examination
• Students who can take:
– Already meet requirements of course by experience
or training
– Are not currently enrolled in the actual course
– Are currently enrolled at the college administering the
test
• Can earn as many credits as ability permits and needs
require
• Only permitted once in the DCCCD per course
• Unofficial scores available immediately; official scores
take 1 month
CLEP
• Step 1: Go to the Assessment Center
• Step 2: Sign a CLEP Application (also available in
Registration Bulletin)
• Step 3: Pay fees for each course:
– $25.00 to ECC
– $70.00 to the College Board
– Payments to be made prior to testing and nonrefundable
Credit by Examination
• Students who can take:
– Meet requirements of course by experience or
training
– Are not currently enrolled in the actual course
– Are currently enrolled at the college administering test
• Can earn as many credits as ability permits and needs
require
• Only permitted once in the DCCCD per course
• Include CLEP, Instructor Made Exams, DANTES, & AP
• See Registrar’s Office for details regarding courses for
which credit by examination is available
COSC 1300
Credit by Exam
• Prepared, executed and graded by ECC
• Will be charged a fee & required to purchase password
in bookstore
• Used to test out of the basic computer literacy course
• Must be enrolled at DCCCD
• Must not currently be enrolled in course
• “CR” is granted instead of letter grade
• May be taken once
COSC 1300
• Pass/fail (must make 70% to pass)
• Computerized on 2 designated workstations or
paper-pencil
• 2 parts:
– Skills assessment for lab component
– Objective assessment for lecture component
• Friday appointments only; via phone acceptable
• Application must be signed prior to test
administration
Correspondence, Distance
Learning & Cross-Campus
• $25.00 fee per test; must be paid first
• Allows center to proctor tests from other institutions
• All campuses in the DCCCD administer telecourse
exams.
• Telecourse:
– No tests sent via fax because of security
– Use interoffice mail & a Package Transmittal Form
– Use Cross-Campus Test Work Order as cover sheet
Correspondence, Distance
Learning & Cross-Campus
• Schools which have standing agreements:
– Creighton University Medical Center
• Doctor of Pharmacy
– Louisiana State University
• Distance Learning
– Midwestern State University
• Telecourse (local residents)
• Distance Learning
– University of Arkansas
• Nuclear Medicine
MCE & ICE
The Minimum & Intermediate Competency Exams
• Both in essay format
• Exit exam
• Administered 4 times per year, always on a Monday or
Tuesday:
– Mid-November
– 1st week of December
– Mid-April
– End of April/beginning of May
• Administered in ECC Gym
MCE/ICE
• Sign up at the Assessment Center
• Paper-pencil
• Must have Blue Book when scheduling appointment,
which will be returned on test day
• Must bring valid photo ID
• No electronic devices or leaving the room
• Stay time will be indicated via signing in and out.
Developmental Math (DMAT)
• May be required to enroll because of test scores
• Required in certain instances to meet TSI standards
• Developmental Math assessment is required both before
& after testing
• Most often administered in Assessment Center
• Basic guidelines:
– Adhere to testing requirements of instructors
– Adhere to regulations regarding calculator usage,
measuring devices, graphing paper & scratch paper
DMAT
•
•
•
•
Must pass exams to pass courses
Must score at least a C to advance to the next level
Retests may be required
DMAT students usually administered Accuplacer Math,
ASSET, and/or COMPASS
• THEA scores acceptable, but not administered at ECC
WorkKeys
by ACT
For MRI program prospective students
• 3 sections:
– Reading for Information
– Locating Information
– Applied Mathematics
• No cost
• Students must:
– Speak with Advisor in Continuing Education
– Obtain a TRF
– Schedule test date and time with Assessment Center
– Present scores to Advisors & MRI Program
Administrator
THEA
•
•
•
•
•
•
Formerly the TASP Exam
Not administered by ECC currently
ECC stocks registration bulletins
Some other DCCCD campuses still offer the exam
$29.00 fee
For more info, visit www.thea.nesinc.com or call (512)
927-5397
El Centro Assessment Center