English and Math Placement
Recent graduates and prospective Running Start students of Washington State school districts may be eligible to use their High School Smarter Balanced Assessment scores for placement in math and English courses as well as any course for which they meet the math and/or English prerequisites.
To utilize your Smarter Balanced Assessment scores for placement, please submit score reports to the Career and Advising Center or Running Start through our Secure Document Upload tool. Check your student email for a confirmation that your request has been processed.
English Placement Eligibility
Students must enroll in the appropriate English course by the spring quarter of the academic year two years after their high school graduation.
| Test Score | Additional High School Coursework | Course Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 3 or 4 | No additional coursework required | ENGL& 101 |
| 1 or 2 | B or better in designated Bridge to College English as a senior | ENGL& 101 |
Math Placement Eligibility
Students must enroll in the appropriate math course by the spring quarter of the academic year two years after their high school graduation. The sooner a student takes math, the better success they are likely to have, as math skills tend to be forgotten over a period of time.
Note: a high school transcript showing math courses completed after the SBA math test must be included with SBA scores for placement determination.
| Test Score | Additional High School Coursework | Course Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 3 or 4 | B or better in pre-calculus or higher course | Math& 107, 141, 146, 171; Math 108 or 147; Phil& 120* |
| 3 or 4 | B or better in Algebra 2** plus a passing grade in any math course as a Junior or
Senior^ OR B or better in a designated Bridge to College Math course as a Senior |
Math& 107 or 146; Math 108, Phil& 120* |
| 1 or 2 | Use another placement method |
*Phil& 120 fulfills the Quantitative Skills/Symbolic Reasoning requirement for the Associate in Arts (AA-DTA) degree.
**For districts that offer Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, the final grade in Algebra 2 is used to determine placement. For districts that offer Algebra 1/2 and Algebra 3/4, the final grade in Algebra 3/4 or Algebra 4 is used to determine placement.
^Students enrolling in Running Start or College in the High School as Juniors can use a SBA score of 3 or 4 plus a B or better in Algebra 2 taken during Sophomore year.