Academic Skills Placement

Students enrolling at PCCUA are required to provide placement scores before enrolling. PCCUA accepts ACT, NG ACCUPLACER, and COMPASS scores for English, Reading, and Mathematics placement.  Students scoring less than 19 in any of those subtests of the ACT are required to take the NG ACCUPLACER test before they can register for courses. PCCUA administers the NG ACCUPLACER test at no charge to the student. Students not scoring 19 or above on the ACT (or other test score equivalent) must enroll in the appropriate sequential developmental math, reading, and English courses during their first semester in college and each subsequent semester until the requirements are successfully completed. The Placement Score chart provides the scores needed for placement in academic skills courses and college gateway coursework. 

Placement Scores in English, Reading, and Mathematics 

Placement NG ACCUPLACER ACT
EH 1013/ENGL 10383 (Basic Writing I) and EH 1011/ENGL 10181 (Basic Writing I Lab)   225 or below on Writing  13 or below on English
EH 1023/ENGL 10483 (Basic Writing II) and EH 1021/ENGL 10281 (Basic Writing II Lab)  226-250 on Writing  14-18 on English 
EH 113/ENGL 10103 (Composition I)  251 or above on Writing  19 on English 
MS 1002/MATH 10072 (Remediation for MS 1023/MATH 10373)  227 or below  14 or below 
MS 1023/MATH 10373 (Elementary Algebra)  228-236 on QAS 15-16 on Math 
MS 1121/MATH 11271 (Remediation for MS 123/MATH 11003)  237-238  17-18 on Math 
MS 123/MATH 11003 (College Algebra)  249 or above on QAS  19 ACT 
MS 143/MATH 10133 (Technical Math)  237 or above on QAS  16 or above on Math 
DS 103/READ 00343 (Introduction to College Reading Skills) and  DS 1031/READ 00441 (Reading Lab I)  231 or below on Reading   13 or below on Reading
DS 123/READ 02343  (College Reading Strategies) and DS 1231/READ 02441 (Reading Lab II)  232-250 on Reading  14-18 on Reading 
Exemption from Reading  251 or above on Reading  19 on Reading 
EH 1023/ENGL 10483 &  EH 113/ENGL 10103 COMBO Helena Only  226-250 on Writing AND Completion of DS 123 or exempt from Reading  14-18 on English AND completion of DS 123 or exempt from Reading

English Placement (Helena only)

All students needing English remediation for Basic Writing I take EH 1013/ENGL 10383 with EH 1011/ENGL 10181. If a student places into what was
EH 1023/ENGL 10483 with EH 1021/ENGL 10281, that student now takes EH 1131/ENGL 11301, a lab, with EH 113/ENGL 10103, Comp I.

  1. Students with an ACT 14-18 who score between 226-250 on the NG ACCUPLACER must enroll in the following corequisite course when they enroll in EH 1131/ENGL 11301 which is linked to EH 113/ENGL 10103. The student should be enrolled in the lab first. EH 113/ENGL 10103 and lab EH 1131/ENGL 11301 and the corequisite SS II, SS 111/UNIV 11261.
  2. Students with ACT 13 or below; or a 225 or lower on the NG ACCUPLACER must enroll in the following courses: EH 1013/ENGL 10383 and EH 1011/ENGL 10181 and Student Success I, SS 101/UNIV 10141.

Math Placement

All students needing math remediation take MS 1023/MATH 10373:

  1. Students with ACT 14 or below, or 227 or below on the NG ACCUPLACER must enroll in the following corequisite course: MS 1023/MATH 10373 and lab MS 1002/MATH 10072
  2. Students with ACT 15-16, or a 228-236 on the NG ACCUPLACER must enroll in the following course: MS 1023/MATH 10373 NO LAB
  3. Students with 17-18 or above, 237-248 on the NG ACCUPLACER QAS or complete MS 1023/MATH 10373 may enroll in either of the following courses:
    • Tech Math, MS 143/MATH 10133
    • College Algebra MS 123/MATH 11003 and MS 1121/MATH 11271
    • Quantitative Reasoning/Literacy, MS 193/MATH 11103 and the Lab-MS 1191/MATH 11971
  4. Students with ACT 19 or above, or a 249 or above on the NG ACCUPLACER QAS may enroll in either of the following courses:
  • Tech Math, MS 143/MATH 10133
  • College Algebra MS 123/MATH 11003
  • Quantitative Reasoning/Literacy, MS 193/MATH 11103