College Readiness
Email: college.readiness@wku.edu
Website: http://www.wku.edu/getready/
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), working with the universities, and the Kentucky Department of Education developed minimum qualifications for admission to state-supported postsecondary education. These standards, referenced as college readiness indicators, are identified below and posted on the CPE website (http://cpe.ky.gov/policies/collegereadiness.html). Students who fail to meet one or more of the standards are required to take supplemental courses.
The current College Readiness Standards established by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education are as follows:
- ACT scores (taken after 10/1989)
- English: 18 or higher on English
- Mathematics
- Quantitative Reasoning: 19 or higher on Mathematics
- College Algebra: 22 or higher on Mathematics
- Calculus: 27 or higher on Mathematics
- Reading: 20 or higher on Reading
- SAT scores – Prior to March 2016
- English: 430 or higher on Writing (CPE), OR 450 or higher on Critical Reading (WKU)
- Mathematics
- Quantitative Reasoning: 460 or higher on Mathematics
- College Algebra: 510 or higher on Mathematics
- Calculus: 610 or higher on Mathematics
- Reading: 470 or higher on Critical Reading
- SAT scores – Beginning March 2016
- English: 480 or higher on Evidence-Based Reading & Writing (CPE), OR 25 or higher on Writing and Language (WKU)
- Mathematics:
- Quantitative Reasoning: 500 or higher on Mathematics
- College Algebra: 560 or higher on Mathematics
- Calculus: 650 or higher on Mathematics
- Reading: 480 or higher on Evidence-Based Reading & Writing or 25 on the Reading Test
- GED College Readiness
- English: Reasoning through the Language Arts: 165 or higher
- Mathematics
- Quantitative Reasoning: 165 or higher
- College Algebra: 175 or higher
- Calculus: N/A
- Reading: 165 or higher
- KYOTE test scores
- English: 6 or higher on Writing
- Mathematics
- Quantitative Reasoning: 22 or higher on College Readiness Mathematics
- College Algebra: 14 or higher on College Algebra
- Calculus: 15 or higher on Calculus
- Reading: 20 or higher on Reading
- PARCC
- English: 4 or higher on English Language Arts/Literacy
- Mathematics
- Quantitative Reasoning: 4 or higher on Mathematics
- College Algebra: N/A
- Calculus: N/A
- Reading: 4 or higher on English Language Arts/Literacy
- Smarter Balanced
- English: Level 4 on English/Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Mathematics (Quantitative Reasoning): Mathematics 4 or higher
- College Algebra: N/A
- Calculus: N/A
- Reading: Level 4 on English/Language Arts
- ALEKS PPL
- Mathematics
- Quantitative Reasoning: 30 or higher
- College Algebra: 46 or higher
- Calculus: 76 or higher
- Mathematics
WKU emphasizes placing students in first-year courses according to their college readiness needs and declared major upon entry. Students placing into two or more supplemental courses (mathematics, reading, and writing) will be required to participate in an academic assistance program.
College Readiness Standards Placement
The College Readiness Standards are implemented through placement exams or unweighted high school GPA that provide academic advisors the additional information necessary to place students in supplemental or co-requisite courses as needed for academic success. Additional information is available on the placement exams website (https://www.wku.edu/getready/placement-exams.php).
The following placement exams are accepted at WKU (COMPASS, ACCUPLACER, KYOTE, WKU’s Math Placement Exam, GED College Readiness, PARCC, ALEXS PPL, and Smarter Balanced).
Student in need of an Accuplacer for English and Reading placement can register for an exam using the following instructions:
FOR WKU DELO Testing in Bowling Green: Call 270-745-3628 to schedule.
FOR OFF-SITE TESTING: Administration fees vary based on testing location. For scheduling at an approved Accuplacer Remote Network testing location, please call 270-745-3628 or email testing-center@wku.edu. For scheduling at one of the WKU Regional campuses: Glasgow: Call 270-861-6969 | Owensboro: Call 270-745-5095 | Ft. Knox: Call 270-745-2626
FOR OFF-SITE TESTING LOCATION AVAILABILITY: Call 270-745-3628 and speak with a DELO Testing Staff member to review your Accuplacer Network Testing options. Testing fees vary based on testing location.
FOR VIRTUAL REMOTE TESTING VIA EXAMITY: Submit one of the following forms - Accuplacer Next Generation Reading Exam for Reading Placement, Accuplacer Next Generation Writing Exam for English Placement, Accuplacer Next Generation Reading and Writing Exams
Retest Registration Instructions: Retests are at the testing candidate's expense. Testing at DELO Testing and WKU Regional Campuses retest fee will be $10; Off-site testing locations will be $10 plus the administration fee charged by the testing facility; Testing with Examity, retest fee will be $20. The testing candidate MUST wait two weeks before completing a retest. The students may only complete two retests. To pay the retest fee visit: https://www2.registerblast.com/wku/Exam/List.
Students in need of a Math Placement Exam must work with the Math Testing Center prior to or after TOP to schedule a Math Placement Exam. For Math placement, students are permitted one retake of the Math Placement Exam (MPE once) during a one-year period. MPE retakes are administered by WKU’s Mathematics Testing Center (270-745-2141)or by WKU’s DELO Testing Centers (http://www.wku.edu/testing/).
Effective Fall 2019, all test scores expire for placement purposes four (4) years after the original test date.
Students may contact the WKU Testing Center at 270-745-3159 for more information on scheduling placement exams.
Supplemental or Co-Requisite Courses
For students who do not meet the required College Readiness Standards, supplemental or co-requisite courses are required. Supplemental/co-requisite courses are credit-bearing courses that count toward graduation and are calculated in the GPA. These courses may require additional class meetings each week (enhanced) or be a separate class. For supplemental course information, refer to the course placement website (https://www.wku.edu/getready/course-placement.php).
The following supplemental courses are available at WKU:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| English | ||
| ENG 100E & ENG 105 | Introduction to College Writing and Supplemental Writing Lab | 5 |
| Mathematics (enhanced as noted in course scheduling system) | ||
| MA 109C | General Mathematics | 3 |
| MATH 112 | Problem Solving and Mathematical Skills for Teachers (Note: Certain sections of MATH 112 are restricted based on test scores) | 3 |
| MA 115C | Applied College Algebra | 3 |
| MA 116C | College Algebra | 3 |
| MA 115C & MATH 105 | Applied College Algebra and Corequisite Support for Algebra | 4 |
| MA 116C & MATH 105 | College Algebra and Corequisite Support for Algebra | 4 |
| MATH 123 & MATH 105 | Mathematical Applications for Business and Corequisite Support for Algebra | 4 |
| Reading | ||
| IDST 199 | University Learning | 3 |