Assessment is an essential tool for evaluating the educational skill levels of students and assisting students in their selection of courses that lead to achieving their educational goals.

Assessment is used to generate placement recommendations only, and not to advance students to higher-level courses. Once students officially enroll in an English, ESL, or math course, they are not permitted to undergo assessment again as a means for advancing to higher-level courses. Students who believe they already possess the educational background and skills needed to succeed in higher-level courses must meet with a counselor to discuss exemption from prerequisites and how to file a Prerequisite/Corequisite Challenge Petition in the Transfer/Counseling Center, which processes the petition and then forwards it to the appropriate department (English, ESL, or math). See the College Policies section in the catalog (included online in the Part 4 .pdf available at the main catalog webpage) for details on challenging prerequisites and corequisites.

Ability to Benefit (ATB)

In December 1990 the US Department of Education issued a policy requiring the testing of students who did not possess a high school diploma or a GED (General Educational Development) credential but who wished both to: 1) enroll in post secondary education, and 2) apply for federal financial aid. Passing an appropriate test at the specified level would indicate that the candidate has sufficient "ability to benefit" (ATB) from post secondary education and consequently that the application process for federal financial aid could begin.

To be eligible for federal financial aid, a student must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen

• Have a valid Social Security number

• Be in compliance with Selective Service registration (male students only)

• Have "financial need" as determined by Federal methodology need analysis

• Have one of the following as part of his/her educational preparation:

  • high school diploma; OR

  • General Educational Development (GED) certificate; OR

  • take the Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) test offered by SMC and obtain a passing score - call the Financial Aid Office for further information

  SMC administers an ATB version of the Accuplacer Test. The components of the Accuplacer test are Reading , Sentence Skills and Arithmetic. The student will need to take all three components during the same testing session and pass all three components. The minimum scores mandated by the United States Department of Education to qualify for the Accuplacer Ability-to-Benefit test are as follows:

  • Reading 55

  • Sentence Skills 60

  • Arithmetic 34

  Accuplacer ATB Student Guide with Descriptions and Questions

  http://www.smc.edu/assessment/Student%20Guide%20With%20descriptions%20and%20questions_ATB.pdf

  Accuplacer ABILITY TO BENEFIT (ATB)
  for Financial Aid Qualification sample test:

  http://www.cabrillo.edu/services/assessment/documents/ATBSampleTest_001.pdf

  (used with permission from Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA)

  Accuplacer ABILITY TO BENEFIT (ATB)
  for Financial Aid Qualification sample test materials:

  http://www.osu-okmulgee.edu/academics/forms/pretest_reading.pdf

  http://www.osu-okmulgee.edu/academics/forms/pretest_sentence_skills.pdf

  http://www.osu-okmulgee.edu/academics/forms/pretest_arithmetic.pdf

  (used with permission from Oklahoma State University, Okmulgee, OK)

  Additional Sample Materials, Tests and Quizzes are available by going to our Math Links page:

  http://www.smc.edu/assessment/math_links.html