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Test Schedule:

» View most recently posted schedule (PDF)


To Register for a COMPASS test:

You may register in person or by telephone by contacting the Testing Center (533-7074, Bldg. 15), the Admissions Office (533-8020, Bldg. 15), or the Registrar's Office (533-8860, Bldg. 50). The campus toll free number is 1-800-248-5644, through which any of these offices can be reached.

Picture identification and a receipt for the $20 testing fee will be required from all test-takers. The testing fee is paid at the Cashiers' window in the Max Snyder Building (Bldg. 50). The Cashiers' office opens at 8:00 a.m.

Important: If you have a condition that prevents you from testing in a group session, or that requires special accommodations, please contact Disability Support Services at 533-7169 at least 30 days in advance of your session.

For more information about the COMPASS and ALEKS tests and for sample questions, visit the publishers' websites at www.act.org/compass/sample/ and www.aleks.com.

Note: We will provide you with a calculator to use for the COMPASS test. We do not allow use of any calculator other than the one provided by our office.

COMPASS Testing

COMPASS testing is not required for:

  • Students who have been tested and advised within the last three years and/or have completed English 101 and Math 099 at SCC or SFCC with a 2.0 or better
  • Students taking fewer than 10 credits, not enrolling in composition or mathematics classes and not pursuing a degree or certificate
  • Students who have already received a grade of "C" [2.0] or better in freshman college composition and intermediate algebra from other colleges - College transcripts must be on file to support this exemption.

Assessment testing is a process that strives to ensure that you are placed into classes that are neither too difficult nor too easy, so that you may experience success during your first quarter at SCC.

The testing session is your final step before registering for classes. Before this, you have decided upon a career, applied for a program at this school, and, if necessary, sent away for your official high school, GED or college transcripts. Now you are to take a test to determine whether or not you meet the acceptance standards of the program for which you are applying; and to determine your math and English placement level. After taking the test, you should meet with a counselor in the Counseling Center to set up your classes and plan your curriculum.

COMPASS is computer based and is not timed. Some programs will require additional tests such as the ALEKS math placement, mechanical reasoning and space relations, or keyboarding. Tests are to help you understand where your skills are in relation to where the faculty would like your skills to be at the time you enter school. Tests will place you into classes that best match your skills and needs.

COMPASS tests are not intelligence or aptitude tests; they are placement tests. You may be counseled into classes other than those you may want to take if your scores are not high enough, but you will not be considered less intelligent than a student who scores higher than you. Remember, these are placement tests, not intelligence tests.

As important as testing is, it is only a part of the overall assessment as you enter college. Meet with one of our counselors in the Counseling Center (509-533-7026) to discuss your test results, program requirements, course selection, registration procedures, college services and activities, and strategies for success during your first quarter at SCC.

For further information, please contact the Testing Center by calling (509) 533-7074 or sending an email message to scctesting@scc.spokane.edu.

Persons with a disability requiring any auxiliary aids, services, or other accommodations should contact the college at least 30 days before the beginning of the instructional program. Call SCC's Office of Disability Support Services at (509) 533-7169 (voice) or (509) 533-7482 (TTY).