A placement test is often requested by colleges and universities to determine if a prospective student is prepared for college-level coursework. At LSSC, there are a number of scores used to determine students’ academic level and degree of college readiness. However, not all students are required to complete placement testing.

Exempt Students:

Pursuant to State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.0315, the following students are exempt from placement testing:

• Students who entered 9th grade in a Florida public school in the 2003-2004 school year, or any year thereafter, and earned a Florida standard high school diploma
• Students who are serving as active duty members of any branch of the United States Armed Services

Also:

• Students who are transferring from another accredited college, have completed entry-level English and math courses and have submitted transcripts to LSSC
• Students who have taken the SAT, ACT, or PERT within the last two years and have qualifying scores on file in the Registrar's Office

Exception to Exemption:

• Dual Enrollment students must achieve college-ready scores and cannot be exempted from testing even if they meet other exemption criteria

Students Who are Exempt:

• Shall not be required to take the common placement test to determine college readiness

• Shall not be required to enroll in developmental education courses even if they have already started the developmental sequence or previously tested into developmental courses

• May enroll in any college credit course that does not require a college-level prerequisite

• May take the placement test voluntarily and then opt not to enroll in a developmental education course(s)

Non-Exempt Students

Students who do not meet the exemption criteria must follow the College's established placement testing and developmental education requirements.

Non-exempt students include:

• Graduates from a Florida high school prior to 2007
• Graduates from private Florida high schools in any year
• Graduates from all out-of-state high schools in any year
• Graduates from all homeschooling programs (Florida or out-of-state)
• GED holders (Florida or out-of-state)
• Students transferring from an out-of-state post-secondary institution and have not yet completed English and math courses at the college level

Determining College-Readiness

Pursuant to Florida Statute 1008.30 and as described in Florida Administrative Code 6A-10.0315, non-exempt students must achieve the standard test scores used to determine whether a student is ready for college-level coursework. 

Students may place directly into college-level credit courses, or they may need to begin their studies in developmental courses in one or more areas of English, Reading, and Mathematics.

Non-exempt students who are placed into one or more developmental courses and are pursuing a college credit certificate or degree must successfully complete their required developmental courses with a grade of S to enroll in some college-level courses. Developmental courses are designated with a course number beginning in 00 (ENC 0017, ENC 0027, MAT 0018, MAT 0028, MAT 0055). Grades earned in these courses are not figured into grade point average (GPA) calculations, and the credit hours for these courses do not count toward the total credits for a college credit certificate or degree.

Students are highly encouraged to complete their required developmental courses within the first twelve (12) credit hours. Students who are required to take developmental courses in more than one subject are also highly encouraged to complete SLS 1122 Student Success Strategies within the first semester to support their success in college.

Placement Testing Options:

Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT)

Students should visit the College’s Testing webpage for fee and appointment information.

Dual Enrollment

Prospective dual enrollment students, including home schooled and private school students, may take the PERT while in high school. LSSC will test private high school and homeschooled students at the testing centers on the Leesburg, South Lake, and Sumter campuses. Qualified private high school and home-schooled students should contact the LSSC Dual Enrollment staff for testing information. A test request form can be obtained from the LSSC Cashier’s office.

The Lake and Sumter counties public high schools are responsible for testing their prospective dual enrollment students. Qualified public high school students should contact their high school counselor for testing dates and locations.

Preparing for the PERT

LSSC Library and Learning Services and the Testing Services Center provide test preparation materials and support.    

Retaking the PERT

If students believe that their official PERT scores do not reflect their skill level, they may schedule a PERT retake (a maximum number of attempts may be limited). Contact Testing Services for fee and appointment information. Contact the Testing Services Center for more information about testing requirements and available test preparation support.  

The Lake and Sumter counties public high schools are responsible for testing their prospective dual enrollment students, including retakes. Qualified public high school students should contact their high school counselor for testing dates and locations.

Other College Placement Tests

Contact the LSSC Testing Services Center for more information about placement testing options other than PERT.

Higher Level Math Course Placements

Options are available for any student to place into a higher-level math course. Contact Testing Services for more information.