Placement Information
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Assessment Center
L-Building | L-223
Assessment_Center@sac.edu
714-564-6148
| Day | Hours of Operation |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8:30AM - 5:00PM *Closed 1:00 PM - 2:00PM |
| Tuesday | 8:30AM - 5:00PM |
| Wednesday | 8:30AM - 5:00PM |
| Thursday | 8:30AM - 7:00PM |
| Friday | 8:00AM - 12:00PM |
*Hours subject to change. Click here for our most up to date hours.
Understanding Course Placement Recommendations
Your course placement recommendations were based on your high school performance information.
You can find your course placement scores for English, reading, and math/quantitative
reasoning on Self-Service. Once logged in, click on the "Academics" icon, and then click on "Test Summary". From there, you will be able to view your placement scores and a link to this "Understanding Your
Course Placement Recommendations" page. Below are the tables that will guide you through selecting the courses that
best fit your needs.
Guided Self-Placement
Santa Ana College’s Guided Self-Placement was designed for students that want to complete an associate degree and/or transfer to a university but do not have access to their U.S. high school transcript or have attended school or college outside the United States. This tool provides course placement recommendations in English/ESL and math/quantitative reasoning courses offered at Santa Ana College. Only students who have an active SAC Student login and password are able to access the Guided Self-Placement.
The Guided Self-Placement has two parts: Math and English/EMLS. Depending on your goals, you may complete one or both.
In the Math Guided Self-Placement, you will watch a short video on a math topic and review the skills needed to succeed in a specific math course. Your placement will recommend one of two math tracks: Statistics or Liberal Arts Math (SLAM), or Business, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (BSTEM). Choosing the right math course depends on your major, so you should meet with a counselor for help.
In the English and English for Multilingual Students (EMLS) Guided Self-Placement, you will answer questions to help determine whether English or EMLS is the best fit for you. You will review the skills needed for transfer-level Freshman Composition. Reading courses may be recommended based on your English placement.
Math Placement
When choosing a math course, consider your major, degree, and transfer goals. You received two math placement options that lead to different paths.
- SLAM (Statistics & Liberal Arts Math): For majors such as Social Sciences, Nursing, Teaching, Art, Psychology, and Sociology.
- B-STEM: For majors in Business, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
Before enrolling, meet with a counselor to choose the best math sequence for your
goals. Counselors are available on a first-come, first-served basis in S-112, or visit
the Counseling website. New or returning students should sign up for a Registration & Academic Advising
Workshop to meet with a counselor.
Questions? Email assessment_center@sac.edu
| Score | Statistics, Liberal Arts - Math (SLAM) Course |
Business, Science, Technology, Engineering - Math (B-STEM) Course
|
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Take the Guided Self-Placement | Take the Guided Self-Placement |
| 3 | Math 105, 204, PSYC 210, STAT C1000 or STAT C1000E BUS 130* |
Math 140, 140S, or Math 180+087, Business: Math150 |
| 4 | Math 105, 204, PSYC 210, STAT C1000 or STAT C1000E BUS 130* |
Math 162 or 172, or Math 180+087, Business: Math150 |
| 5 | Math 105, 204, PSYC 210, STAT C1000 or STAT C1000E BUS 130* |
Math 140, 140S, or Math 180+087, Business: Math150 |
| 8 | Math 105, 204, PSYC 210, STAT C1000 or STAT C1000E BUS 130* |
Math 162 or 172, or Math 180+087, Business: Math150 |
| 12 | Math 105, 204, PSYC 210, STAT C1000 or STAT C1000E BUS 130* |
Math 180/180H |
| 13 | Math 105, 204, PSYC 210, STAT C1000 or STAT C1000E BUS 130* |
Math 180/180H |
| * Business 130 (not accepted if completed prior to Fall 2019; does not meet associate degree AA/AS Math proficiency; does meet AA-T/AS-T Math proficiency) | ||
| TSUM Placement Score | Math & QR Courses |
|---|---|
| 47 | Math 105, 204, STAT C1000E, 140S, PSYC 210, BUS 130* |
| 48 | Math 105, 204, STAT C1000, 140, 150, PSYC 210, BUS 130* |
| 49 | Math 105, 204, STAT C1000, 140S, PSYC 210, BUS 130* |
| 51 | Math 105, 204, STAT C1000, 140S, PSYC 210, BUS 130* |
| 52 | Math 105, 204, STAT C1000, 140S, PSYC 210, BUS 130* |
| 53 | Math 105, 204, STAT C1000E, 140S, PSYC 210, BUS 130* |
| * Business 130 (not accepted if completed before Fall 2019; does not meet associate degree AA/AS Math proficiency; does meet AA-T/AS-T Math proficiency) | |
English Placement
English composition is a requirement to earn an Associate Degree and/or transfer to a university. To meet this requirement, you need to enroll in the recommended course. Students taking English 066 must enroll in the concurrent section of English C1000 (English 066 will not transfer, English C1000 will transfer). Click this English course description link to learn about each course.
| Score | English Courses |
|---|---|
| 0 | Provide Counselor US HS Transcript or Take the Guided Self-Placement |
| 1 or 2 | ENGL-C1000 + 066 |
| 3 | ENGL-C1000 |
EMLS Placement
If English is your second language and you have not intensively studied English in school for the past seven years, or if you do not use English frequently, you will benefit from enrolling in EMLS courses. In order to be placed into any EMLS course, students will need to complete the Guided Self-Placement. Visit our Guided Self-Placement page for more informat ion.
-
FREE English as a Second Language (ESL) courses are also available at the School of Continuing Education
| TSUM Placement Score | EMLS Courses |
|---|---|
| 80 | EMLS-104 |
| 81 | EMLS-106 |
| 82 | EMLS-110 (After this course, students can go to English-C1000) |
| 83 | EMLS 112 (Currently not being offered. Speak with a counselor) |
| 84 | ENGL-C1000 + 066 |
| 85 | ENGL-C1000 |
Additional Information
Follow these steps if you would like to challenge your placement recommendations at least two weeks before instruction begins.
- Meet with a counselor to discuss your placement recommendations
- Complete the Prerequisite/Corequ isite Challenge Form and provide supporting documentation.
- Submit the completed form to the appropriate department chair.
What Happens Next?
- The challenge form and supporting evidence will be reviewed by a committee consisting of the dean, department chair, and one department or division representative.
- The student will receive a written notification of the decision and the challenge form will be processed by Admissions and Records.
California Assembly Bills AB 705 and AB 1705 are state laws designed to help students have access to college level English and Math sooner and complete their degrees faster.
- AB 705 (signed into law in 2017, effective January 1, 2018) changed how California Community Colleges place students into English and Math.
- AB 1705 (effective in 2023) strengthened AB 705 by ensuring colleges follow the law consistently and protect students’ rights to enroll directly in transfer-level English & Math courses.
Together, these laws are about equity, access, and student success.
Students are placed into English & Math using multiple measures, such as:
- High school GPA and course grades
- Guided self-placement (if you do not have U.S. high school records or attended school outside the U.S.)
- A conversation with a counselor about work experience, military service, or other education
Placement tests alone are no longer used.
To submit a TSUM score, please use this form to request a TSUM course placement recommendation based on U.S. HS GPA/grades for English and Math/Quantitative Reasoning courses.
The Assessment Center Faculty Coordinator will be monitoring this form regularly. The Assessment Center team will also help enter TSUM scores on Datatel. It may take 5 business days to process.
Contact Maria Aguilar Beltran or the AC Staff to follow up if needed at assessment_center@sac.edu or 714-564-6148.