Most junior colleges require that students take the Basic Skills Placement Test in order to determine if a transitional course is more appropriate than a college course. Skills that are tested include reading, writing and math, for which a certain level of knowledge is necessary in order to take college courses in English, history or math. In addition to the basic skills testing, English language skills are assessed for applicants whose native language isn't English. Skills tested are oral communication, reading and grammar. Exemptions from the test include satisfactory tests scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT) and completion of college-level courses in English and math. Grade requirements differ by college.
Applicants that are interested in applying to college and for a specific program are often required to take a specific test related to the courses of the program. For instance, it is important to have certain math skills prior to taking courses in pharmacology and administering medications. The National League of Nursing (NLN) exam is required by some colleges in order to take courses in nursing, dental hygiene, cardiac technology, sonography, ultrasound and radiology programs. Other course-specific tests include The Watson Critical Thinking exam, which is required of incoming paralegal students.
The most familiar college exams are the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT), which are taken by high school students. Both exams test math, reading and writing skills. Each subject features subsections such as algebra and geometry. The SAT scores for each section range from 200 to 800. The highest possible score is 2,400, but the average score is 1,500. The ACT exam tests math, English, writing and science, and the scoring runs from 1 to 36. The average composite score is 21.
The General Educational Development (GED) test gives a person the opportunity to get a high school equivalency diploma. An overall passing test score of 2,250 is required as well as a minimum score of 410 for each of the five tests. Subjects covered in the test are: writing, social studies, science, literature and the arts and math. The GED is equal to a high school equivalency diploma and is acceptable for college entrance.