Ability to Benefit
Students who have not earned a GED, high school diploma or high school equivalence, must pass an Ability to Benefit (ATB) test to be eligible for federal financial aid funds. Accuplacer and Combined English Language Skills (CELSA) have been approved by the Department of Education as Ability to Benefit test.
Accuplacer- ATB students whose native language is English must take the full Accuplacer test (math, English, and Sentence Skills) at the same time. Eligibility for federal aid funds requires that students meet the following test scores:
Reading Comprehension: Minimum score of 55
Sentence Skills: Minimum score of 60
Arithmetic: Minimum score of 34
CELSA. ATB students whose native language is not English and plan to take ESL courses towards obtaining a degree may take the CELSA exam in order to qualify for federal aid funds. CELSA passing score for form II is 34. CELSA passing score for form I is 37.
CELSA-English as a Second Language (ESL)
Non-native speakers with limited English language skills may need to take the CELSA exam to be placed in the appropriate ESL course. The CELSA exam can be taken any time at all AWC sites.
For more information regarding our ESL program visit the Modern Language Department.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) - By appointment only. Contact AWC Testing Services.
CLEP allows students the opportunity to receive credit by examination. CLEP credit policies vary among colleges and universities, so the credit given by AWC may be increased or decreased upon transfer.
The fee for each CLEP exam is $77.00, payable by check, money order or visa credit card to CLEP, and a $15 institutional testing fee payable to Arizona Western College. Appointments are necessary so please contact our office.
For additional information regarding AWC CLEP credit policy, review pages 15-17 of the AWC catalog.
AWC Equivalency for CLEP Exams
For more information regarding the CLEP exam, visit: www.collegeboard.com/clep
DSST Exams - By appointment only. Contact AWC Testing Services.
About DSST:
It's Your Life,Take Credit for It. The DSST credit by exam program gives students the opportunity to receive college credit for life experience as a form of prior learning assessment. Recommended for credit by the American Council on Education, the 38 exams are offered in diverse subject areas such as health,ethics,finance and technology. The DSST program is owned by Prometric, the global leader in testing and assessment, and has been placing students on the fast track to college degrees since 1974. For more information go to www.GetCollegeCredit.com.
For more information on the subject tests and course credits look the current AWC catalog.
GED
People who have not had the opportunity to complete high school education may earn an Arizona High School Equivalency Diploma by successfully completing the General Education Development testing series. Contact AWC'S Testing Services to schedule an appointment. GED 2012 flier
NOTICE: Beginning January 2, 2012 the cost to take the GED test for first time testers will increase from $95.00 to $105.00.
Heating, Ventilations, Air Conditioning (HVAC)
By appointment only. Contact AWC's Testing Services to schedule an appointment.
Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)
Prior registration is required. To register for a test date or find more information about this test, visit LSAT's official website: www.LSAC.org.
Pearson VUE
Prior registration is required. To register for a test date or find more information about the various tests offered through Pearson VUE testing visit their website: http://www.pearsonvue.com.
AWC Online, distance learning courses and make-up exams
Testing Services administers examinations for on-line courses and make-up tests. Instructors must complete the correct form and send it to the AWC site where the student is expected to test. The instructor should notify the student that the test is available at the Testing Center.
