Test Centers
Harford Community College's main Test Center is located in Maryland Hall.
It is used primarily by prospective and current credit students for placement testing, prior learning assessment, academic testing, and testing with accommodations. It is also used by students from other colleges who need proctoring services. The Test Center accepts drop-ins for academic testing. If you have been approved for a reader, scribe, use of Kurzweil, or use of private testing room, email the Test Center to schedule a testing space. Appointment is recommended for placement testing but not required.
>>Scheduling a GED® or an industry credential exam? These exams are offered at the Pearson Vue Test Center, located in Edgewood Hall. The Pearson Vue Test Center is operated independently from the College and is not available for scheduling placement or credit-bearing exams, or for those needing testing accommodations or proctoring services.
New Student Placement Assessments
Placement Overview
Harford's placement assessments map your current academic skills in order to place
you in courses where you have the best chance for success. They are not pass-or-fail
tests–they are used only for placement purposes.
Preparing for and completing assessments early means you not only achieve your best results, but you can also meet with an advisor sooner, get registered for classes, and begin your college journey with confidence.
All testing must be scheduled through the Test Center.
Harford Community College uses the ACCUPLACER® platform for English placement. It is administered on campus in the Test Center and includes the WritePlacer, a 60-minute timed essay writing assessment, and the Reading assessment which is multiple choice. Both are estimated to take between 60-90 minutes. Your English placement is determined based the combination of scores in both sections. We recommend reviewing the Accuplacer Student Portal before completing the ACCUPLACER tests.
Get Started
- Visit the Placement Testing Preparation Portal to access study guides and resources.
- Review tips for writing.
- Sign-up for a testing time and date.
- Review Test Center Guidelines
- Complete your assessment at the Test Center, located on campus in Maryland Hall.
Note: If you have circumstances that pose challenges for you to take the English assessment onsite, email testcent@harford.edu to express intention, reason, test section to take (WritePlacer and Reading). A virtual English assessment option may be available for an additional fee.
As of November 2, 2026, Harford Community College is implementing the ALEKS® math placement assessment platform. This platform uses adaptive learning to strengthen math placement to promote student achievement and timely degree completion.
The Math assessment format consists of three parts:
- Initial Assessment (a 25-question open response test that covers a broad range of topics, untimed, and is completed online and off-campus)
- The Prep and Learning Module (an individualized, self-paced online review) These are provided to you to help you brush up on skills you need. Once you complete the modules, Sign-up for a testing time and date.
- Final Assessment (a 25-question open response test that covers a broad range of topics, timed for 2 hours, and must be taken on campus at the Test Center)
GET STARTED
-
Use the ALEKS PPL Sign-in Link and your Harford credentials to access the testing platform. Need Testing Accommodations? DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK! Email testcent@harford.edu instead.
- Complete the initial assessment.
- Based on your initial assessment, personalized Prep and Learning Modules are provided to you to help you brush up on skills you need.
- Once you complete the modules, Sign-up for a testing time and date.
- Test scores are available immediately upon completion of the final assessment at the Test Center.
*NOTE: For students taking the Accuplacer Math assessment prior to OCT 30, Accuplacer Math retakes will not be available after that date. Contact the Test Center with questions.
Resources:
ALEKS PPL Video
ALEKS Webpage
If you require testing accommodations, please visit Student Accommodations and follow the steps to obtain them.
If you are taking the Math placement assessment, please DO NOT CLICK the ALEKS SSO Link on the website. You should email testcent@harford.edu for your next steps and access to the Math placement assessment.
Students entering Harford with a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher can register for college-level English and mathematics courses. Applicants are required to submit official high school transcripts. The 3.0 GPA should be: unweighted, on a 4.0 scale, and within the preceding 5 years; junior high school GPA is acceptable.
Students with qualifying scores in SAT, ACT, MCAP, Writeplacer, Accuplacer Reading, ALEKS, AP or IB tests give students a College and Career Readiness designation. Official copy of qualifying scores in all tests should be sent to Admissions for review and consideration.
Students who have not completed College Level English or Math, do not have a high school GPA of 3.0, nor earned qualifying SAT, ACT or other assessment scores, may be referred to the Test Center to complete the Placement Assessment. Exemptions for taking the English and Math Placement Assessment are listed below:
English
- SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 480 or higher
- ACT English and Reading score of 21 or higher
- GED Reasoning through Language Arts score of 165 or higher
- MCAP English score of 750 or higher
- AP English Language & Composition OR English Literature & Composition score of 3 or higher
- IB Lang. A: Literature SL or HL OR Lang. A: Language & Literature SL or HL score of 4 or higher
- Accuplacer WritePlacer score of 6 or higher and Next-Generation Accuplacer Reading score of 263 or higher.
Math
- SAT Math Score of 530 or higher (570 will place students in Math 109)
- ACT Math Score of 21 or higher
- GED Math scores of 165 or higher are eligible for Math 216 or Math 102. Students needing college algebra or pre-calculus or above for program of study must take the Accuplacer test or a calculus readiness test.
- MCAP Math score of 750 or higher
- AP Calculus AB/BC OR Statistics OR Computer Science score of 3 or higher
- IB Math Studies or Math SL/HL OR Further Math score of 4 or higher
- ALEKS score of 61 or higher
Assessment scores, SAT scores and ACT scores are valid for a period of two years. Students who do not begin the appropriate course sequence within the two-year time period must repeat the assessment. Assessment results may restrict students from registering for college-level classes.
Retests
Students may retest 24 hours after the initial test for WritePlacer and Accuplacer Reading. After two attempts within a two year period, a $25 proctoring fee will be assigned for all subsequent attempts. Students retaking ALEKS placement should refer to their ALEKS portal regarding next attempts. Questions? Contact Test Center at testcent@harford.edu or 443-412-2352.
Harford English and Math Placement Scores
| English Course Placement | WritePlacer | Next Gen Reading (NGR) |
| ENG 101 | 6 to 8 | Any NGR score |
| ENG 101 + ENG 020 | 5 | 240 or higher |
| ENG 018 | 5 | 239 or lower |
| 4 | 235 - or higher | |
| ENG 017 | 4 | 234 or lower |
| 1 to 3 | Any NGR score |
| Math Course Placement | ALEKS PPL Score |
| Math 020 | 0 – 12 |
| Math 021 | 13 – 25 |
| Math 024 | 26 – 37 |
| Math 030 or (Math 003 + Math 102) or (Math 016 + Math 216) | 38 – 45 |
| Math 101 or Math 102 or Math 103 or Math 131 or Math 211 or Math 216 | 46 or Higher |
| Math 109 or Math 212 | 61 – 75 |
| Math 203 | 76 or Higher |
Other Assessments Offered at the Test Center
This test is for students who need placement for MATH 109, MATH 203, and MATH 212. Students must contact either Chris Jones, Coordinator of Mathematics, at cjones@harford.edu or Professor Lynne Petzold at lpetzold@harford.edu to determine if they are eligible to take this test.
Eligible students must take the Advanced Math Readiness Exam (AMRE) at the Test Center, located in Maryland Hall. Email testcent@harford.edu to schedule an appointment.
This test is for students who wish to test out of BIO 119. Those who score 70% on this exam (after a maximum of two attempts) are eligible to register for BIO 203: Anatomy and Physiology. It is a 100-question multiple choice, CLOSED note exam. You may use a periodic table, conversion chart, and a calculator. Textbooks or any resources other than those listed are NOT ALLOWED.
TO PREPARE FOR THE TEST:
- You may use any basic chemistry or biology text.
- Refer to the biochemistry practice exam to approximate how much biochemistry you need.
The test is administered at the Test Center in-person. Email testcent@harford.edu to schedule an appointment for testing and for more information.
The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) is a multiple-choice assessment of basic skills in the academic content areas of reading, mathematics, science and English and language usage. Successful completion of the test is a requirement for admission to the Harford Community College Nursing Program.
Prior Learning Assessment is a means of obtaining college credits for knowledge gained on the job or through individual study. Harford students can earn up to 45 credits by examination and are encouraged meet with an academic advisor and review the Credit Examination Table to determine how prior learning assessments may fit into their program of study.
TO TAKE A CLEP EXAM:
1. Create an account.
2. Register for an exam and receive a registration ticket.
3. Submit a CLEP appointment request to the Test Center.
Once your request is verified, bring the following items with you to the test:
- Valid government issued photo ID
- CLEP registration ticket
If you are taking a CLEP exam for College Composition, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, American Literature, or English Literature, determine if your college requires the optional essay. If so, you are required to pay an additional $10 fee after completing and passing the objective portion of the test. The essay portion is then be ordered and you may complete it at a later date.
Review the Test Center Guidelines prior to coming to campus.
Harford Community College faculty may create division examinations for specific courses. Similar to CLEP, these exams allow you to earn credit without taking a course. The exams are available for a fee and most require prior approval. To obtain the Application for Division Exam form and schedule a testing appointment, email the Test Center .
DSST exams allow students to test out of, or into higher level courses.
Email the Test Center to schedule an appointment to sit for an exam.