Welcome to the CBC Assessment & Testing Center
The Columbia Basin College Assessment Center is committed to providing a professional and experienced testing environment for residents of this region. The Assessment Center is devoted to the recruitment and retention of qualified staff dedicated to provide exemplary customer service while assisting a diverse population of students and faculty. In addition to upholding the college’s culture of excellence and focus on student success, the Assessment Center maintains membership with and adheres to the National College Testing Association (NCTA) Professional Standards and Guidelines for Post-Secondary Testing Centers.
Located in the Student Services area of the HUB, the Assessment Center assists students and the community in meet their educational, employment, and personal goals using a variety of assessment tools.
HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday, 7:30am - 6:00pm
Tuesday, 7:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday, 7:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday, 9:00am - 4:30pm
Friday, 7:30am - 12:00pm
ADMISSION POLICY
To support the open access mission at the College and to simplify the onboarding process, students applying to CBC will no longer be charged an admission/testing fee prior to enrollment. The cost will, however, be absorbed through an increase to the Comprehensive and Instructional Support Fees.
Candidates testing for other institutions or not joining the College will be required to pay a testing fee of $40.
IMPORTANT NEWS!!
NEW ACCUPLACER AND WRITEPLACER ASSESSMENTS
On January 24th, the Assessment Center will begin administering the ACCUPLACER Next-Generation Reading and WritePlacer assessments, which will be used for placement in CBC English and reading courses. Please refer to the updated Placement Interpretation Guide-2019 for course placement based on scores from these new assessments.
The ACCUPLACER Next-Generation Reading assessment is untimed. The WritePlacer is a timed, two-hour, 300- to 600-word, computer-delivered essay assessment. Students are allowed one retake of the Next-Generation Reading and WritePlacer assessments within a year of the initial test date.
If you took ACCUPLACER assessments at CBC prior to January 24, your scores can still be used for placement in English and reading classes within two years of the test date. Please visit your student dashboard to see your placement based on those scores.
If you have questions about your placement based on these assessments, please contact the English Department at 509-542-5531.
MATH PATHWAY CHANGES
Later this year, the Math Department will be offering several new courses to allow students to move through their math pathways more efficiently. These changes to the math pathways will take effect for the Summer and Fall 2019 quarters, and they may affect the number and name of the course you are placed into.
Please refer to the updated Placement Interpretation Guide-2019 to see how your scores on the ALEKS assessment will be used for placement in the updated math pathways.
The updated guidelines will also allow other measures for placement, including qualifying ACT, SAT, AP, and Smarter Balanced Assessment scores.
If you have questions about the new courses and the updated math course pathways, please contact the Math Department at 509-542-4783.
WALK-IN WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS
Enjoy the flexibility of Walk-in Wednesdays & Thursdays. No appointment necessary. Arrive between 9am – 1pm with a valid picture ID and student identification number, test and receive your scores. For additional sessions, visit the testing calendar for more information. Exams are untimed with an average completion time of 3.5 hours for all three subject areas.
RUNNING START
Candidates applying to the Running Start program with access to their SSN are encouraged to have it available when calling for an appointment or bring it when joining any Wednesday or Thursday walk-in session from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm (no appointment necessary). Please contact the Assessment Center for further assistance if you do not have access to your SSN. Candidates testing for CBC will not be charged a testing fee. If you have Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) scores, bring them to your appointment for processing. Smarter Balanced Assessment FAQ. Contact the Assessment Center to schedule an after school Running Start special session appointment. Limited space, first-come, first-served basis.
REMOTE TESTING
Students who live more than 50 miles away from Columbia Basin College and would like to take their placement exam closer to their residence, are encouraged to contact the Assessment Center at 509-547-0511 (option 2, option 5) or email testingcenter@columbiabasin.edu.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Columbia Basin College provides support services for qualified students with disabilities to ensure that our programs and facilities are accessible. Please contact the CBC Resource Center at 509-542-4412 or rcdesk@columbiabasin.edu before scheduling a test. The Resource Center is located in Building T – Room T403.
FORMS
Placement Interpretation Guide (See 2019 guide for English/Reading placement - Math placement effective through Spring 2019)
Placement Interpretation Guide - 2019
Reciprocity
Request for Score Release
PERSONAL BELONGINGS
The Assessment Center discourages testers from bringing valuables such as jewelry, phones, watches, money, credit cards, etc. with you to the test center. Personal belongings brought during testing will be stored in a locker and you may claim them at the end of your testing session. CBC cannot assume responsibility for the loss or damage of any personal belongings brought into the testing center. We strongly recommend you secure your valuables and bring only those items necessary during your appointment.
SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE TESTING CENTER
Placement testing and assessment of multiple measures
GED Testing
TEAS Testing
ALTA Testing
HESI Testing
Parapro Testing
Microsoft Office Specialist Certification Testing
Community Proctoring Services
IDENTIFY YOUR PLACEMENT PATH
We want you to be successful at Columbia Basin College. Placement tests are one tool designed to determine your readiness to enter college coursework and may be used to qualify for the Running Start program. Placement measures are required for full-time degree or certificate programs, or any English and Math courses.
What type of student are you?