Placement and prerequisite waivers for English, ESL, math, and chemistry may be granted under the specific circumstances noted below. Please read the appropriate section to determine if your request will qualify. Be sure to follow the procedure outlined; failure to do so will likely result in denial of the waiver. Note you will not be notified if you provide incomplete information. 

Requested Waiver Based On:
Prior Course Work  |  Test Results from Other Colleges  |  AP Test Results

Waivers based on completed course work:

Placement recommendations and permits to enroll in English, ESL, math, or chemistry may be issued to you if you have completed a relevant college-level course with a grade of “C” or better. Please bring a copy of your college transcript AND the relevant course description for the course to the Transfer/Counseling Center or Welcome Center. A counselor will evaluate the course in question and issue you a waiver if appropriate.

Alternatively, please complete this form:  REQUEST FOR PLACEMENT PREREQUISITE WAIVERS BASED ON COMPLETED COURSEWORK OR AP TEST. Be sure to follow all instructions noted on the back of the form. Once done and you have secured the supportive documentation (transcript and relevant course descriptions) requested, fax it to the Assessment Center (fax: 310-434-8019). Be sure to indicate the SMC course for which you are seeking the waiver and include your full contact information on a cover sheet. This must include your full name, social security number and/or SMC ID number, phone number, and email address. Failure to provide this information will result in denial of the waiver. Once your transcript has been evaluated and your request processed, the waiver will be entered into our enrollment system and will be notified by email or phone of our decision.  Given the high volume for these requests, we may require up to three (3) business days to review yours.  

Waivers based on California Community Colleges placement test results:

Santa Monica College no longer accepts assessment results from other institutions. Exceptions may be made under very limited circumstances, on a case-by-case basis according to the following:

• To Out-of-State Students Applying to SMC: If you are planning to move to California after you are eligible to enroll in course work at SMC for a future term, you will be allowed to complete a placement test at another institution provided that they administer the same assessment instruments in use at SMC (see below for test names). However, we will apply our own cut scores in determining your placement eligibility.
  

• To Other Students: Only "reverse transfer" students who have completed coursework at another institution may use placement results from that college provided they administer the same assessment instruments in use at SMC (see below for test names). However, we will apply our own cut scores in determining your placement eligibility. The test must have been completed within the last calendar year. Please do not send a request for assessment waivers If you DID NOT complete ANY courses at another California Community College. Such requests will be disregarded.

Placement Tests You Must Complete

Important: Test results from other colleges will only be accepted and deemed “official” if those colleges directly fax your tests results to the Assessment Center (fax: 310-434-8019). Please print and complete this form:  REQUEST FOR PLACEMENT PREREQUISITE WAIVERS BASED ON ASSESSMENT RESULT; completely fill it out and provide it to the college where you took the test. Ask them to fax your results as soon as possible. Please note that not every college will want to honor your request for faxing. SMC is not responsible should this occur. Also note that hand-carried results or those faxed/mailed by you, the student, will not be accepted by the Assessment Center or by the Counseling Department under any circumstances. Test results will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis and input into our enrollment system only when they can be matched to a student record. Please instruct the college where you completed the test to include your social security number or Santa Monica College identification number on your test results. Faxed results must include the contact information for that college testing center—just in case we have any questions. Once results are processed, you may go to the Assessment Center in person and find out your placement recommendation. Given the high volume for these requests, counselors may not be able to contact you personally to let you know for which course you qualified.

Waivers based on Advanced Placement Exam Results

College Board Advanced Placement test results may be used to determine your eligibility for English, math, and chemistry courses. You must bring your original AP test results to the Assessment Center or to the Counseling Department. Alternatively, you may fax your request for a waiver based on AP scores by completing this form:   REQUEST FOR PLACEMENT PREREQUISITE WAIVERS BASED ON ASSESSMENT RESULT.  Placement/prerequisite waivers will be issued according to the following:

•   A score of 3, 4, or 5 on the AP English Language & Composition or Composition & Literature exam will qualify you for English 2 and give 3 units of credit for English 1;

•   A score of 3 on the AP Calculus AB exam will qualify you for Math 7 and give 5 units credit for Math 2;

•   A score of 3 on the AP Calculus BC exam will qualify you for Math 8 and give 5 units credit for Math 7;

•   A score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam will qualify you for Math 8 and give 5 units credit for Math 7;

•   A score of 4 or 5 on the AP Calculus BC exam will qualify you for Math 11 and give 5 units credit for Math 8.

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