College Testing Policies and Exemptions

Testing Policy

  • Valid (current) identification is required for all examinees before taking any test for Pensacola State College Testing Centers.  Any examinee without valid identification will not be allowed to test.
  • No electronic devices, cell phones, food and drink, or other personal items are allowed in the testing rooms.  Violators will have their tests invalidated.
  • Pensacola State College is not responsible for theft, loss or damage to any prohibited electronic device, cell phone or other personal property brought to the testing rooms.
  • Children are not allowed in the test rooms.  Individuals who bring children to the campus are responsible for their supervision at all times.  Pensacola State College Public Safety will be contacted if any child is left unattended.

Placement Testing & Developmental Education Exemptions

Public high school graduates (Florida) Any student who entered Grade 9 in the Florida public school system in the 2003-2004 academic year (or later) and earned the FL Standard High School Diploma shall not be required to take the common placement test and shall not be required to enroll in developmental education instruction in a Florida College System institution. Active duty military Any active duty service member shall not be required to take the common placement test and shall not be required to enroll in developmental education.

If you believe you meet the exemption, you may take advantage of the exemption through review and verification of your final official FL high school transcript or verification of active duty military status. Upon verification of your exemption status, you may register for a college-level Gateway Course* without testing or without completion of developmental courses.

*A Gateway Course is defined as the first course in the reading, writing, and mathematics sequence that provides transferable college credit. The Gateway Courses are MAT1033C INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA and ENC1101C ENGLISH COMPOSITION I.

Eligibility for enrollment in any mathematics course beyond the mathematics Gateway Course, MAT1033C, will be determined by a grade of “C” or better in MAT1033C or placement test scores showing eligibility for MAC1105 COLLEGE ALGEBRA, STA2023 ELEMENTARY STATISTICS, or the higher level mathematics course for which enrollment is requested.

If you believe you meet either exemption indicated above, you may choose to enroll in developmental courses determined by placement test scores. Enrolling in the developmental courses will assist you in improving your skills prior to enrolling in college-level courses. Federal financial aid will cover developmental courses up to 30 credits.

New rulings from the Veterans Administration do not allow benefits to be provided for developmental education enrollment if the veteran meets the exemption criteria. Veterans who qualify for the exemption and wish to take advantage of remediation offered through developmental education courses are encouraged to discuss this with the Office of Veteran Services before registering for any developmental education course.

If you have any questions about this legislative change as it relates to your particular status, please meet with an advisor on a campus or center convenient to you.