Re: CPT cutoff scores

Jack Rotman (rotman@ALPHA.LANSING.CC.MI.US)
Fri, 22 Nov 1996 13:24:08 -0500

Al Roy said (Nov 22, 1996):
> If your college uses the College Board Computerized Placement Test, I
>would like to know the cutoff score on the Elementary Algebra Test and
>the College Level Math Test that your college uses to determine whether a
>student can be placed in a course that requires high school Algebra I or
>high school Algebra II.

We have been using the CPTs since April 1, so we don't have any data to
validate our cutoffs. Also, we don't use the College Level Math test;
at that level, we use the tests from MAA (for placement into college alg
and calculus).

Here are the cutoffs currently in use:
CPT Arithmetic
score course placed into
20 to 24 Arithmetic with Whole Numbers
25 to 40 Arithmetic without Whole Numbers
41 to 120 Pre-algebra
(100 to 120: student is automatically given the Algebra test.)

CPT Algebra
score course placed into
20 to 39 (none; student is automatically given Arithmetic test)
40 to 76 Introductory Algebra
77 to 120 Intermediate Algebra
(100 to 120: student is offered the 'college algebra' test.)

Students seem to like taking their tests on the computer -- partly because it's
faster, and partly because it fits our cultural definition of "fun" (pushing
buttons and seeing a screen is more fun that pushing a pencil and making marks).

Good luck!
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Jack Rotman phone (517)483-1079
Math Professor
Lansing Community College Lansing, MI
internet: ROTMAN@ALPHA.LANSING.CC.MI.US
"Like all art & science, mathematics surrounds us."
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