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Placement Testing and Exemptions

Due to COVID 19, The NC Community College system has issued an option for colleges to apply a temporary exception to the standard placement policy, at this point an applicant’s unweighted US high school GPA can be used to determine course placement without placement testing.  To reiterate, if you graduated from a U.S. high school, you are currently exempt from taking the RISE Placement Test, no matter how long ago you graduated.

Wake Tech's placement policy, called RISE, uses an applicant's unweighted high school GPA to determine placement, instead of testing. If you graduated from a U.S. high school within the last 10 years, you are exempt from taking the RISE Placement Test. You will be placed into courses based on your high school GPA. 

If you graduated from high school more than 10 years ago, you still may be exempt from taking the RISE Placement Test if you meet any of the criteria for exemption listed below:  

Test Exemption Based on High School Equivalency

Due to COVID 19, and the inability to offer placement testing at this time, applicants presenting an Adult High School Diploma or HSE and HISET scores not meeting the below criteria, may be admitted and placed at the transition level.

Placement may be based on High School Equivalency (HSE) for applicants who have HSE scores taken January 2014 or later with scores as shown below:

TEST SCORE
GED 170 or higher on all subject areas
HiSET 15 or higher on all subject areas with a 4 on Essay

Test Exemption Based on SAT *Score

TEST SAT
Before Dec 2011		 SAT
Jan 2012 - Mar 2016		 SAT
After Mar 2016
Reading 510 or higher    
Critical-Reading
-OR- 
Writing		 510 or higher   500 or higher  
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing     480 or higher
Math 510 or higher 500 or higher 530 or higher

*Scores must be less than ten (10) years old at the time you apply to Wake Tech. Coursework and GPA must be verified upon receipt of an official high school transcript.

Test Exemption Based on ACT *Score

TEST ACT
Before Dec 2011		 ACT
Jan 2012 - Feb 2014		 ACT
After Mar 2014
Math 22 or higher 22 or higher 20 or higher
Reading
- OR - 
English		 22 or higher

18 or higher		 21 or higher

18 or higher		 20 or higher

16 or higher

*Scores must be less than ten (10) years old at the time you apply to Wake Tech. Coursework and GPA must be verified upon receipt of an official high school transcript.

Test Exemption Based on College Degree Completion or College Level Course Grade

Placement may be based on college completion of an Associate’s Degree or higher for applicants who submit a transcript showing graduation to Wake Tech Admissions.

Placement may be based on college-level coursework for applicants who have received a grade of "C" or better in a college-level English or Math course from a U.S. regionally- or nationally-accredited institution. 

Test Exemption Based on AP Exam Score

Applicants who have taken an AP English or math exam may submit exam scores for review and determination of testing exemption. Check the AP credit policy at  collegeboard.org.

Test Exemption Based on Prior Standard Placement Tests

Applicants may submit COMPASS, ACCUPLACER, ASSET, NCDAP ACCUPLACER, and RISE Placement scores for consideration of placement, if scores were received within the last 10 years. 

Applicants who have taken a TOFEL Internet Based test with a score of 88 may waive English placement testing.

Wake Technical Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates.  Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Wake Technical Community College.