Which Course Do I Take?

Learn how to determine which English and math course(s) you will take when you start at Central Piedmont.

Depending on your experience, you might start by taking either:

  • college-level course(s)
  • college-level course(s), plus a supplemental (co-requisite) course at the same time
  • transition course(s) that will help you prepare to take college-level courses

Once you have determined which level course you can start with, contact an advisor for more details and finish enrolling.

If English is not your first language, explore how you can learn English at Central Piedmont.

Determine Your Placement

You only need to meet one criteria (GPA, test, etc.) for a course level to place into that level (college-level, transition, etc.). If you meet multiple criteria, use the criteria which places you in the higher level.

  • Degree(s) You Have Earned

    If you have earned an associate degree or higher, you can take college-level English and math.

  • Your High School GPA

    U.S. or International

    Unweighted (4.0 scale) High School GPA Course(s) You Will Start With
    At least 2.6 College-level English and math
    At least 2.2 College-level English and math + co-requisite
    Under 2.2 Transition

  • Your College GPA

    U.S. or International

    Cumulative College GPA with Six (6) or More Transferrable Credits Earned Course(s) You Will Start With
    At least 2.6 College-level English and math
    At least 2.2 College-level English and math + co-requisite
    Under 2.2 Transition

  • Courses You Have Completed (At Central Piedmont or Elsewhere)

    If you have completed the following, you will start with college-level courses:

    Course(s) Completed Minimum Grade
    College-level English C-
    College-level math C-
    ENG 002 (or an equivalent North Carolina Community College developmental English course with a passing grade) P2
    MAT 003 (or an equivalent North Carolina Community College developmental math course with a passing grade) P3
    Career and College Ready Graduate High School Development English A
    Career and College Ready Graduate High School Development math A
    Developmental Reading and English (DRE) 098 (or a North Carolina Community College equivalent) Passing grade
    Required Developmental Math (DMA) modules (or North Carolina Community College equivalents) Passing grade

    If you have completed the following, you will start with college-level and co-requisite courses:

    Course(s) Completed Minimum Grade
    ENG 002 at Central Piedmont (or an equivalent course with a passing grade) P1
    MAT 003 at Central Piedmont (or a North Carolina Community College equivalent. Note that students can take MAT-110 with no corequisite needed) P1
    MAT 003 at Central Piedmont (or a North Carolina Community College equivalent. Note that students can take math courses up through MAT 152 with no corequisite needed)  P2
    Career and College Ready Graduate High School Development English B
    Career and College Ready Graduate High School Development math B
    Developmental Reading and English (DRE) 097 (or North Carolina Community College equivalent) Passing grade
    Developmental Math (DMA) 010-030 (or North Carolina Community College equivalent) Passing grade
    Developmental Math (DMA) 010-050 (or North Carolina Community College equivalent) Passing grade

    Contact an academic advisor to confirm which course you place into or if you have not completed any of these courses.

    To learn more about any Central Piedmont course, visit the college catalog.

  • Tests You Have Taken

    If you have earned the following minimum scores, you will start with college-level courses:

    Test Minimum Score
    ACT® English 18
    ACT® Reading 22
    ACT® Math 22
    SAT® Reading/Writing 480
    SAT® Math 530
    SAT® English or Reading (taken before March 2016) 500
    SAT® Math (taken before March 2016) 500
    GED® (taken since 2014) 165
    HiSET® 15; 4 on essay
    Placement Test English Tiers 1 and 2 70
    Placement Test Math Tiers 1-3 70

    If you have earned the following minimum scores, you will start with college-level courses and co-requisite courses:

    Test Minimum Score
    ACT® English 16 or 17
    ACT® Reading 20 or 21
    ACT® Math 20 or 21
    GED® (taken since 2014) 145-164
    Placement Test English Tier 1 70
    Placement Test Math Tiers 1 or 2 70

    Learn more about the placement test. 

Course Information

To learn more about any Central Piedmont course, visit the college catalog at catalog.cpcc.edu.

  • College-Level Courses

    College-level courses include ENG 111 for English and MAT 110, MAT 121, MAT 143, MAT 152, and MAT 171 for math.

    To determine which specific course you will take, contact an academic advisor or email placementadvising@cpcc.edu. Orientation is a required part of the enrollment process for all degree-seeking and transfer students. Students who go through orientation will have the opportunity to meet with an advisor.

  • Co-Requisite Courses

    A co-requisite course is a course that you take at the same time as your college-level course in order to reinforce the material in and support you throughout the college-level course. When you register for your classes for the term, you must register for both the college-level course and its corresponding co-requisite course.

    Co-requisite courses include ENG 011, for English and MAT 010, MAT 021, MAT 043, MAT 052, and MAT 071 for math.

    To determine which specific course you will take, contact an academic advisor or email placementadvising@cpcc.edu. Orientation is a required part of the enrollment process for all degree-seeking and transfer students. Students who go through orientation will have the opportunity to meet with an advisor.

  • Transition Courses

    If you do not meet the requirements to start with a college-level course or to start with taking a college-level course with a co-requisite course, you can start with taking a transition course. A transition course is a 16-week (semester-long) course that will help you strengthen your foundational skills before you move on to take the college-level course. There are no pre-requisites (requirements) to register for the transition courses — you can enroll in the transition course(s) right away.

    The transition courses are ENG 002 and MAT 003.

    For more information on your course placement, contact an academic advisor or email placementadvising@cpcc.edu. Orientation is a required part of the enrollment process for all degree-seeking and transfer students. Students who go through orientation will have the opportunity to meet with an advisor.

Contact an academic advisor
Finish enrolling

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