Course Placement

ACT scores

If you have taken the ACT in the past 36 months, your scores can be used to determine your course placement at Waubonsee. ACT scores needed to place into college-level English or math courses are as follows:

• ACT English score of 19 or higher 
• ACT Reading score of 19 or higher 
• ACT Math score 22 or higher

New SAT® scores

If you have taken the SAT® within 36 months, your scores can be used to determine your course placement at Waubonsee. SAT® scores needed to place into college-level English or math courses are as follows:

• SAT® Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of 480 or higher (English placement)
• SAT® Math score of 530 or higher 

Submitting Your Scores to Us

Visit the ACT website or SAT® website for information on requesting test scores. Note that some high school transcripts include ACT or SAT® scores. If your transcript does, you may simply request that your high school send us an official version.

While you wait for official test scores to arrive at Waubonsee but prior to registering, you may bring a copy of your ACT or SAT® score report to Admissions and be issued a temporary permit to enroll in the eligible English, reading or math course for which you are eligible.

Official documentation of your ACT or SAT® scores must be received by Learning Assessment and Testing Services before the first day of class or you will be administratively withdrawn from the course.

For documents to be considered official, they must arrive in a sealed envelope from the high school or testing company.

If you've already submitted your scores to Waubonsee, please let us know by sending an email to assessment@waubonsee.edu. 

Test scores must be valid at the time of registration.

English 

If you earn a cumulative 3.0 GPA on an unweighted 4.0 scale, you can place into college-level English. 

Math  

If you earn a cumulative 3.0 GPA on an unweighted 4.0 scale AND successfully complete (earn a "C" or better) a qualifying fourth year of math*, you can place into college-level math.

For MTH 101, MTH 102 and MTH 107, no geometry is required. For MTH 109, MTH 129, MTH 130 and MTH 201, a student must meet the geometry requirement.

* A typical qualifying math sequence includes Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and a rigorous math course in the final year (ex. Pre-Calculus).   

Details and Directions

In order to use your GPA for placement:  

• you must have graduated from high school no more than three years ago, OR,
• if you will graduate in the future — 
  • you can use your 7th semester transcript if you submit it and Waubonsee's New Student Application by June 1 of your graduation year; after that, you must submit your final 8th semester transcript.

Work with your high school to request that your official transcript be sent to:

Waubonsee Community College 
Attn: Registration and Records 
Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive
Sugar Grove, IL 60554 

GED scores

If you have taken the GED in the past 36 months, your scores can be used to determine your course placement at Waubonsee. GED scores needed to place into college-level English or math courses are as follows:

• GED Reasoning Through Language Arts score 165 or higher
• GED Mathematical Reasoning score 165 or higher

HiSet scores

If you have taken the HiSet in the past 36 months, your scores can be used to determine your course placement at Waubonsee. HiSet scores needed to place into college-level English or math courses are as follows:

• HiSet Language Arts – Reading score of 15 or higher AND HiSet Language Arts – Writing (with Essay) score of 15 or higher with a score of 4 on the Essay
• HiSet Mathematics score of 15 or higher

Submitting Your Scores to Us

To learn more about requesting your official transcripts or copies of your High School Equivalency (HSE) certificate, visit the Kane County Regional Office of Education website and then learn more at our Registration and Records Department.

Completion of the Accuplacer placement tests in Reading, Writing or Math at another institution may permit for eligibility of courses at Waubonsee Community College. Please submit test scores through the Accuplacer Student Portal. Scores are valid for a 3 year period from the date of testing. 

If you have successfully completed college-level coursework in the areas of math and/or English, schedule an appointment with Academic and Career Advising for transcript evaluation. Official transcripts must be received by Registration and Records before the first day of class or you will be administratively withdrawn from the course.

For Waubonsee-approved transitional high school math and English courses, an official high school transcript showing a "C" or better OR an appropriate portability code is required; those grades expire 18 months from high school graduation.