Admissions
Placement Tests and Scores
More Admissions Information
All Technical Colleges must utilize ACCUPLACER, the TCSG-approved assessment instruments, when evaluating students for program readiness. However, in the place of ACCUPLACER, PHILLY-TECH may accept a student’s official entrance score on a validated assessment instrument such as SAT, ACT, COMPASS, or ASSET if the scores meet the college program’s required minimums.
If a student’s SAT or ACT scores do not meet the college’s program minimums for regular admission, a student must be assessed using one of the TCSG-approved instruments. Assessment results will be valid for placement purposes for some period and are transferable to any TCSG college.
Official transcripts from a regionally or nationally accredited postsecondary institution recognized by the United States Department of Education documenting equivalent program-level English and math coursework.
Successfully completed (C or better) may be used in lieu of completing the corresponding portion of the PHILLY-TECH approved assessment instrument. Students that have completed learning support classes, must take, and successfully pass, the ACCUPLACER exit examination.
Students who are unable to successfully pass the ACCUPLACER exit examination will be required to re-enroll in the appropriate level of learning support courses. Students who are required to re-enroll in learning support courses and subsequently pass these courses with a final grade of C or higher will, then, be exempt from the requirement to pass the ACCUPLACER exit examination.
Due to concerns regarding the availability of Accuplacer, SAT and ACT testing during the COVID-19 virus pandemic, high school GPA has been added as an option to satisfy the placement testing admissions requirement.
Applicants who meet the minimum high GPA requirements for their program of study will not be required to test in order to gain admittance, the high school grade point averages (GPA) will be used for placement instead.
The minimum high school GPA requirements are:
- If a student has a high school GPA of 2.00 or higher, Accuplacer is not needed
- If a student has a high school GPA lower than 2.0, Accuplacer is not needed, but a learning support class will be needed for Diploma-seeking students.
- Waiver processes are available for high school drop-up and senior citizens
- Students may submit unofficial high school and GED transcripts or a copy of their high school diplomas until the college resumes normal business operations.
Once the college resumes normal operations, the student must submit official transcripts later and it is the responsibility of the student to obtain the official copies.