Youngstown State University - Placement Exams

Placement Tests

To determine student readiness for college level coursework, a Composition Placement Test (CPT), a COMPASS® Reading Test (CRT), and a COMPASS® Math Test (CMT) are required of all students unless there is an automatic placement or exemption due to ACT/SAT scores.  Students receiving AP credit or who have transfer coursework may not need placement testing.  Students will be informed of what testing is needed once accepted to the University.  

Composition Placement Test and COMPASS Reading Test

A student who has not been placed through ACT/SAT scores, or is not required to take the ACT/SAT test, must take the Composition Placement Test (CPT) and the COMPASS Reading Test (CRT).  No student is permitted to register for a second semester of classes without having taken the tests, except those students placed into English classes for non-native speakers and those with approved transfer credit.  Students placing into RSS 1510 or English 1539 or English 1540 must complete the specified coursework within their first 36 semester hours.  Otherwise, the student will be limited to enrolling for those classes alone until they are successfully completed. 

Conditionally admitted students placing into RSS 1510B must take that course in their first semester.  Conditionally admitted students placing into RSS 1510A, English 1539, or English 1540 must take these courses within their first 20 semester hours.

Please Note:  If you are directed to enroll in English 1539 or English 1540 and/or RSS 1510A or 1510B, you must do so.  You may not withdraw from these courses unless you are making a complete withdrawal from the University.

 None of the above-named mandatory courses may be taken more than twice without the approval of your dean.  Should you not successfully complete any of these courses within two attempts or you withdraw from them twice, you will be disenrolled from the University.

Please note credit hours from ENGL 1539, ENGL 1540, RSS 1510A and RSS 1510B will not count toward a degree.

 COMPASS Math Test

 A student who has not been placed through ACT/SAT scores or is not required to take the ACT/SAT test must take the COMPASS Math Test (CMT) unless they have approved AP Math credit or sufficient transfer coursework.  Students will be placed into appropriate mathematics courses based on their ACT/SAT scores or the COMPASS Math Test (CMT).  For more information regarding math coursework, visit the Department of Mathematics and Statistics’ website at http://web.ysu.edu/stem/math.  For a sample math placement test, visit http://www.act.org/compass/sample/math.html. 

Please note credit hours from MATH 1500, 1501, 1502, 1503 and 1504 will not count toward a degree.