Academic and placement assessments

Applicants may need to write an academic or placement assessment to:

  • determine placement in academic upgrading or other foundational programs and in Digital Information Careers program.
  • determine whether they have the needed academic skills for program entrance.

Note: The following programs do not accept academic assessment testing in place of academic requirements: 

  • Addictions Recovery Practitioner
  • Arts and Sciences
  • Autism Studies
  • Behaviour and Regulation Studies
  • Business Analyst
  • Engineering University Transfer
  • Food & Beverage
  • Health Care Leadership
  • Mental Health Recovery Practitioner
  • Practical Nurse for Internationally Educated Nurses
  • Social Work
  • Supply Chain
  • Teaching English as a Second Language

You have two options to write your assessment.

  1. Write online through NorQuest’s Eproctoring online testing service. This service lets you write at any time day or night, on any day of the week. You can write the exam without leaving your home!
  2. Write in person at the Edmonton or Wetaskiwin campus Test Centre.

Whether you write online or in person, make sure to book your exam well in advance of any relevant deadlines, such as funding deadlines.

Note: If you need any exam accommodations because of a disability, please register with Accessibility Services prior to booking your testing appointment.

Academic Upgrading/English language training placement

When you apply for Academic Upgrading or English language, you may need to complete a placement assessment. The placement assessment may include a standardized reading test, essay, and/or mathematics test.

Once you have completed your assessment, your advisor will contact you to discuss your results and your program plan.

Academic assessment for post-secondary programs

An academic assessment is an alternative way to meet admission requirements. It is also an excellent way to verify your current knowledge of the specific subject area to support your success in your program. You can test a maximum of twice per subject. If you are unsuccessful, you will need to upgrade until you get the levels needed for your specific program.

Once your official high school and/or post-secondary transcripts have been evaluated by the Admissions team, and you have not met the admission requirements, you will be able to book an academic assessment appointment with Testing Services. After you have completed your assessment, your results will be provided to the Admissions team who will email you about your application.

If your scores meet admission standards, these may be accepted in place of the published admission requirements.

Note: the Admissions team will update your application and notify you of the update depending on their current processing time and your application will not be automatically updated when you receive your results from your advisor.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out the results of my assessment? A student advisor will contact you to discuss your results. The Testing and Assessment Centre cannot provide your results to you.
I have a disability and need exam writing accommodations. What do I do? If you need any exam accommodations because of a disability, please register with Accessibility Services.
What are the technical requirements for writing my assessment online?

Visit ACCUPLACER. You can check if your computer or laptop has the basic requirements by clicking the “Verify System” button at the bottom of the page.

* We do not recommend a computer at a public library or other public place. Typically, these computers have security settings that will prevent you from opening your assessment. Your assessment also needs a private place with no one else visible around you.

You will need:

Browser:

  • Google Chrome v74 or later
  • Disable your pop-up blocker

Operating system:

  • Windows 10 or later, Mac OS 10.8 or later

Equipment:

  • desktop or laptop computer (tablets and Chromebooks are not supported)
  • built-in or external webcam, microphone, and speakers
  • 2GB or more of RAM

Internet connection:

  • An upload and download speed of 2 Mbps
What happens if I do not have access to a computer with a webcam and microphone to write an online assessment? You can write in person at the Test Centre at the Edmonton or Wetaskiwin campus.

Questions specific to ACCUPLACER assessments

How much time do I have to complete the assessment? The ACCUPLACER assessment is not time-sensitive, meaning you can take as much time as you need to complete it. We advise that you complete each individual subject test in one sitting. Most students complete both English and Math sections (if both are needed for you) in the same sitting.
How do I prepare for the assessment?

We advise you to review the material before testing. You may also want to become more comfortable with the ACCUPLACER testing process. Visit collegeboard.org for information about ACCUPLACER, including practice tests, and consider signing up for the ACCUPLACER practice app.

Am I allowed to use a calculator? Where can I find review material for Math?

A small calculator picture/icon will appear on the top right corner of the screen for certain questions.

You can use that calculator for that question only. No external calculators are allowed. You will need to solve the question by hand if there is no calculator icon.

The following knowledge and skill categories are assessed:

Arithmetic

  • whole numbers, fractions, decimal operations
  • percentages
  • number comparisons and equivalents

Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics

  • Rational numbers
  • Ratio and proportional relationships
  • Exponents
  • Algebraic expressions
  • Linear equations
  • Linear applications and graphs
  • Probability and sets
  • Descriptive statistics
  • Geometry concepts for Pre-Algebra
  • Geometry concepts for Algebra 1

Advanced Algebra and Functions

  • linear equations, linear applications and graphs
  • factoring
  • quadratics
  • functions
  • radical and rational equations
  • polynomial equations
  • exponential and logarithmic equations
  • geometry concepts for Algebra 1 and Algebra 2
  • trigonometry

Practice Resources:

  • Solaro (Math 10 Combined, 20-1, 30-1, 30-2). Anyone with an Edmonton Public Library card can create a free account https://epl.ca/resource/solaro/
  • THE KEY Study Guide for Math 10 Combined, 20-1, Math 30-1 and Math 30-2 by Castle Rock Research (book). This guide is available at most bookstores/libraries.
  • IXL https://ca.ixl.com/
Where can I find review material for Biology 30?

Knowledge of the following topics is assessed:

  • Nervous and endocrine systems
  • Reproduction and development
  • Cell division, genetics and molecular biology
  • Population and community dynamics

To help you prepare, consider reviewing the following resources:

Where can I find review material for English?

The following knowledge and skill categories are assessed:

  1. Reading 
  • information and ideas (reading closely, determining central ideas and themes, summarizing, understanding relationships).
  • rhetoric (analyzing - word choice rhetorically, text structure, point of view, purpose, arguments).
  • synthesis (synthesize information and ideas from multiple texts).
  • vocabulary (determining the meaning of words and phrases).

Practice for Reading

 

  • Solaro (English 10-1, 20-1, 30-1, 30-2). Anyone with an Edmonton Public Library card can create a free account https://epl.ca/resource/solaro/
  • THE KEY Study Guide for English 10-1, English 20-1, English 30-1 or English 30-2 by Castle Rock Research (book). This guide is available at most bookstores/libraries.
  1. Writing

Expression of ideas

  • Development – proposition, support, focus
  • Organization – logical sequence, introductions, conclusions, and transitions
  • Effective language use – precision, concision, style and tone, syntax

Standard English conventions

  • Sentence structure – sentence boundaries, Subordination and coordination, parallel structure, modifier placement, inappropriate shifts in verb tense, verb voice & mood and pronoun person & number
  • Conventions of Usage – possessive determiners, noun agreement, pronoun clarity, pronoun-antecedent agreement, subject-verb agreement, frequently confused words, logical comparison, conventional expression
  • Conventions of punctuation – end-of-sentence and within-sentence punctuation, possessive nouns and pronouns, items in a series, nonrestrictive and parenthetical elements, hyphenation conventions, unnecessary punctuation

Practice for Writing

  1. WritePlacer (Essay)
  • Focus: the clarity with which you maintain your main idea or point of view.
  • Organization: the clarity with which you structure your response and present a logical sequence of ideas.
  • Development and support: the extent to which you elaborate on your ideas and the extent to which you present supporting details.
  • Sentence structure: the effectiveness of your sentence structure.
  • Mechanical conventions: the extent to which your writing is free of errors in usage and mechanics.

Practice for WritePlacer (Essay)

 

Testing and Assessment Centre

Room 2-070, Singhmar Centre for Learning, Edmonton campus
testing@norquest.ca 780.644.6055
Monday – Friday 8:15 am – 4:00 pm.
(July-August: Mon - Fri 8:30 am – 4:00 pm)
Closed: Weekends and statutory holidays.