Riverside Community College District | Services | Assessment

Almost all testing is done on an appointment only basis. Check "Dates and Hours" for availability and details for the Assessment Center for your Home College

How do I make an appointment?

For 1st-time general assessment testing, check the appointments page for the link to the appointments Web page for your home college (Moreno Valley, Norco or Riverside.)
For any kind of re-testing or for one of the special Math of Reading Competency tests (only for some students almost ready to graduate), please use the "contact us" form. Make sure you read all directions regarding requesting appointments.
Appointments for the Chemistry Diagnostic test are made in person at the Assessment Center for your Home College.

What do I need to bring with me to the test?

Photo identification. We cannot administer the test without your I.D. A driver's license, state identification, resident card, passport, Riverside Community College District student ID, or high school ID are all examples of acceptable picture ID's.

What should I NOT bring with me to the test?

Cell phones and pagers. If you bring a cell phone or pager, please turn it off or set it to silent mode. Also do not bring: radios or MP3 players (such as a Walkman, iPod, etc.), calculators, dictionaries, food or drink. Please do not bring children; they cannot sit with you while you take the test and we have no "drop-in" child care available. If a friend or family member gave you a ride, they must wait for you someplace other than the Assessment Center.

How should I prepare for the test?

Make sure you are rested, feel healthy and are not hungry. The test is not timed, so work at your own pace and answer each question carefully. For more preparedness tips and links to sample questions and sample tests, check out our "Preparing for the Test" page.

I don't want to take the test.

Almost all 1st-time college students, some students coming to the RCCD from another college and some continuing and returning students are required to take the test. You may check the "Who Needs To Be Assessed" page to see if you fit into any of the categories listed. If you are still unsure, please consult a counselor.

Can I use a calculator or dictionary on the test?

No study/computation aids are permitted. The only exception is the Chemistry Diagnostic test: Calculators are allowed on that test.

How long is the test?

The full general assessment (Accuplacer) test is not timed;it generally takes from 1—2 hours to complete. These are important tests with important results and they should not be taken lightly and rushed through. We encourage you to work at your own pace and take as long as necessary to do your best work. HOWEVER, if you are not finished by the time the Assessment Center closes, we will stop your test and give you a pass to return within ten days to resume where you left off.

Our paper/pencil tests each have their own time limits. Check the links on the right side of the page to see details.

When do I get my placements?

Except in cases of technical difficulty, you get a printed copy of your placements within a few minutes after completing the test.

What happens if I fail the Assessment test?

This Assessment test is to establish your starting points in English, Reading and/or Math. It is not a pass/no pass test.

The Chemistry Diagnostic, Math Competency, Reading Competency and ATB financial Aid tests are pass/no pass tests. You will be given verbal and written advisement if you do not pass one of those.

I'm taking the test and...
I'm running out of time! (because of an upcoming class, an appointment, etc.)
I'm feeling nervous, stressed, or otherwise unwell.
There's an emergency and I need to leave!

You may leave the test at any time, but make sure you check out with the test administrators. You may return the any other day the Assessment Center is open for up to ten calendar days. When do, you'll be able to pick up right where you left off.

Make sure you come back before your test's expiration date. Before you leave the room the Assessment Center Staff will tell you when your expiration date is. If you do not return before your expiration date, it is likely you will be given a placement based on whatever test work you have completed.

If I don't like my placement on the Assessment Test, can I take it again?

In accordance with Matriculation regulations [Title V, Section 55521(a)(2)], the assessment test is only to be used for initial placement into courses. This means the test is meant to be taken once, after which the student progresses through the curriculum.

The Riverside Community College District has the following re-test policy: If it has been more than one year since you tested you are permitted to appeal to re-test once each in one or more subject areas, as long as you haven't taken classes in those subject areas (such as English or Math). The appeal can be done by speaking with the Assessment Center staff.

For most other instances, students must either show proof of an academic intervention or compelling evidence that the initial placement is not an accurate reflection of the student's ability. These appeals require paperwork that must be completed at the Counseling desk. Submission of an appeal does not guarantee the appeal will be approved. Although the staff makes every effort to respond to student appeals, it may take up to five RCCD working days to process.

I just finished the Assessment Test. I have the placement print-out in my hand. Now what do I do?

What you need to do next depends mostly on your admissions status. At the completion of your test you will receive a flyer listing what your next step is.

I took the test at Riverside City College. Are my results good for classes at the Moreno Valley and Norco colleges?

Yes. Any test taken on any Riverside Community College District campus is good for all colleges in our district.

What are the Assessment Center locations?

There is an Assessment Center on each campus.

The Moreno Valley Assessment Center is located upstairs in the Student Services Building, Room SSV 301. (Map - PDF)

The Norco Assessment Center is located in room G115 in the Learning Resource Center on the 1st floor of the Wilfred J. Airey Library - building "G" on the campus map. (Map) - PDF

The Riverside Assessment Center is in its own building between the Martin Luther King building and the Physical Sciences building. (Map - PDF)

How can I contact you?

Before calling or sending an e-mail, it's a good idea to see if your question is answered in the Frequently Asked Questions.

The phone numbers for the Assessment centers are:

Riverside (951) 222-8451
Moreno Valley (951) 571-6492
Norco (951) 372-7156

Please keep in mind that due to the state budget situation, most RCCD departments are understaffed. As most of our time is spent assisting the near constant flow of students in and out of the building, we unfortunately do not have much time to answer the phones or make call backs when students leave messages. We apologize for this inconvenience, but we are doing what we can with what we have.

I have test results from another college. Can I use these at RCC?

If you took the "Accuplacer Online" assessment test at another college, you can submit it for evaluation with the following conditions:

1) The test must be the same we use, called "Accuplacer Online."

2) The test must have been taken on or after 07/02/2001.

3) We must have the test results sheet from the Accuplacer program, not a print out from a student records program.

4) The print out must have your test raw scores, not scores changed by multiple measures.

Bring photo identification and the results sheet to any RCCD Assessment Center. You will complete a form called the "Matriculation Appeal for Outside Placement Evaluation." The form must be completed in person by you at the same time you submit the test results. We're sorry, but we cannot accept documents simply faxed or mailed to the Assessment Center. We will use your test scores, along with multiple measures data you provide on the form, to generate placements based on scoring criteria decided by RCCD faculty.

Within 1-5 business days you will receive an e-mail (to your RCCD e-mail address) telling you the scores have processed, that they are on your student record, and that you can view them in Web advisor. You will also receive instructions on what next steps you may need to do to become an RCCD student.

Please note, placements will not always be the same as you earned at the other college. This is because scoring criteria is different from one college to the next.

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