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 StaffDirector of Assessment Monty Francis

Testing Coordinator Donna Hill

Testing Assistant Ronnie Johnson

Department Assistants 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 lawMust meet Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Standards Accuplacer is state-approved alternative test for

THEA

The Accuplacer

• Assesses 3 skills:ReadingWritingMath

• 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 testedConduct sign-in & sign-out proceduresProctor examsProvide 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 TestingClassroom 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

TOEFLTest 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

TeXesTeacher 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

TABETest 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

CLEPSubject 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 non-

refundable

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 1300Credit 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 & ICEThe 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

WorkKeysby 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