College of The Albemarle (COA) offers the North Carolina Diagnostic Assessment and Placement (NCDAP) assessment for placement testing, measuring your skills in reading, writing and math. All full- and part-time students entering COA will need to take a placement test or qualify to have it waived. Depending on your placement test scores, you may need to complete developmental classes in English and reading (DRE), and math (DMA).
Students who place out of all DMA courses can self-elect to take additional placement tests to place out of MAT 171 Precalculus Algebra and/or MAT 172 Precalculus Trigonometry.
We offer COA Connect sessions to help you schedule your placement test, answer your questions and guide you through each enrollment step.
COA Connect will help you:
- Confirm the information on your application.
- Verify your program of study.
- Create your COA login.
- Prepare and sign up for your placement test.
- Understand the enrollment steps.
High School Students
If you need to take the placement test, contact the campus nearest you:
- Elizabeth City Campus: 252-335-0821 ext. 2290.
- Edenton – Chowan Campus: 252-482-7900 ext. 6011.
- Dare County Campus: 252-473-2264 ext. 7010.
Proctoring
Do you need to take the placement test but plan to attend another college? You can request a proctor exam by emailing coa_proctors@albemarle.edu for instructions.
Special Arrangements for Students with Disabilities
If you have a learning or physical disability that would prevent you from taking the test under standard conditions, separate testing and other special accommodations are available at no additional fee. For details, please contact the director of Disabilities Services at 252-335-0821 ext. 2277.
Placement Test Waiver Policy
The placement test may be waived using test exemptions or the placement test waiver policy. Test results are used in conjunction with other information to place you in the appropriate classes for your program of study at COA.
Associate in Engineering and Associate in Science students place directly into MAT 271 Calculus I if you’ve met at least one of the following criteria within the past five years:
- A score of “2” or higher on the AP Calculus AB Exam.
- A grade of “C” or higher in an AP Calculus course and an unweighted high school grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
- A score of “90” or higher on the ACCUPLACER College-Level Math (CLM) test.
- A score of “46” or higher on the trigonometry section of the ACT COMPASS Math Placement Test.
- A score of “580” or higher on the old (prior to March 2016) SAT Math and a grade of “C” or higher in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study Precalculus course or an equivalent course from another state.
- A score of “600” or higher on the new (March 2016 and beyond) SAT Math and a grade of “C” or higher in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study Precalculus course or an equivalent course from another state.
- A score of “27” or higher on the ACT Math and a grade of “C” or higher in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study Precalculus course or an equivalent course from another state.
- A score of “560” or higher on the SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 2.
Retest Policy and Fee
You may take one retest per subject area for a $10 fee. You may not retest once enrolled in that subject’s developmental class. However, you may retest after a class to test out of subsequent developmental classes in that subject.
- Every registered/enrolled student has the option of taking one retest per subject under the following conditions:
- The student must take the retest between semesters, during the drop/add period, or before initially registering for classes; see “Note” below. If the student is not currently enrolled in a developmental class(es) they have no restrictions on their testing times.
- A $10.00 fee per session will be charged for retest(s), students must see the testing administrator to obtain a Placement Retest Form and pay the cashier prior to retesting. The student will then be given a receipt attached to the Placement Retest Form that must be submitted to the testing administrator at the time of retesting.
If the student does not place out of the course in which he/she was originally placed, the student must complete the developmental courses prescribed by the initial placement.
or
- After a student has successfully completed a developmental course, the student has earned the privilege to retake the placement test in that subject area. If the student does not achieve the appropriate score for that subject area, the student must complete the developmental sequence initially prescribed.
or - The Developmental Instructor, with the approval of the Developmental Chair, may decide the student has not been placed correctly in a level and is ready for the next level in a subject area. The instructor would send a letter or e-mail to the Director of Testing either to allow the student to retest or to change the student’s level in a subject area. This letter will be placed in the student’s academic file and a copy will be forwarded to the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.
Note: Students may not retest while enrolled in a developmental course or after an unsuccessful completion, unless they can document a special exception and submit it to the Director of Admissions, Testing, and International Students or the Vice President of Student Success and Enrollment Management and the Department Chair of Developmental Studies for approval.
Exceptions:
- Students may retest if they have a “W” or an “R” in a course taken more than five years prior to the first day of classes.
- Basic Law Enforcement Training and continuing education students are allowed additional retests without documentation.
Placement Testing Help
For upper level math, Precalculus Trigonometry, Brief Calculus or Calculus test preparation, login to collegeboard.org, click on “Change Test Version” and select “Classic Practice Tests.”