English Composition Placement
Students who wish to complete an AA or AS degree at Snow College must meet a variety of General Education requirements. These requirements include English 1010 and English 2010. For details about these requirements, see English Composition Program.
To ensure all students are successful in these courses, we follow these guidelines. See below for further details and options.
| ACT English Score | Course |
|---|---|
| ACT 10 or below | ENGL 980 required |
| ACT 11-17 | ENGL 1005 recommended |
| ACT 18 or higher ACT 18 or higher on English and Reading for CE |
ENGL 1010 |
| ACT 29 or higher | Possibly ENGL 2010 Ready* |
* ENGL 1010 strongly recommended, but students can take written placement exam to see if ready for ENGL 2010.
Note: SAT and other standardized tests can be readily converted to ACT scores. See an academic advisor for details.
For Students with ACT Scores
ENGL 980: Students who have an ACT score of 10 or below on the English portion must take ENGL 980. This course provides an important foundation of writing that is essential for success in ENGL 1010.
ENGL 1005: Students who have an ACT score of 11-17 on the English portion should take English 1005, which receives 1010 credit. This course has extra support for students.
ENGL 1010: Students should have at least an ACT score of 18 on the English portion to take ENGL 1010. For high school students wishing to take ENGL 1010 as concurrent enrollment, the requirements are an 18 on the Reading and English portions of the ACT exam.
ENGL 2010: All students should take ENGL 1010. However, students with an ACT score of 29 on the English portion may choose to take a written placement exam to determine whether they are ready for ENGL 2010 without taking ENGL 1010. Please see the Written Placement Exam below for further details.
Students with ACT scores below the guidelines for a course they wish to register for may complete a written placement exam to see if they are ready for the course. Please see the Written Placement Exam below for further details.
For Students without ACT Scores
Students without ACT scores should complete the placement survey OR the written placement exam.
Placement Survey
The placement survey, created by Snow College, is designed to help students self-select the best composition course for them based on their confidence in completing certain writing-related tasks. The survey does not test current knowledge or ability (it is not like the ACT test), and it does not include things like writing an essay. It is a multiple choice survey. At the end of the survey, students will receive immediate results to know which class they should register for. Students should take this survey in consultation with an academic advisor, academic coach, or other Snow College official.
Written Placement Exam
The written placement exam must be done at the Snow College Testing Center (either in Ephraim or Richfield) or proctored by a trained Snow College academic advisor or coach. The placement exam is a handwritten exam, where students will write an essay according to their current knowledge of writing. This essay is then submitted to the English Placement Coordinator and evaluated by professors who teach composition courses. Once the evaluation is complete, students, their advisor, and the registration office are notified of the placement results. It may take 1-2 weeks for results to be decided.
Non-native English speakers who need placement are strongly encouraged to take the written placement exam.