Placement Assistance: Understanding your Milestones
Placement assist is a process that is designed to assist students in determining which English or English Language Acquisition (ELAC) and math courses they should start with, specifically identifying milestones in these areas.
Placement Assist also helps students in meeting course prerequisites. Students may also meet course prerequisites based on other factors such as English or ELAC and math course completion or other standardized tests.
With a Placement Assist, you will receive a Milestone/Skill level ranging from 30 to 50 in one or more of the following areas:
- Reading (R)
- Writing (W)
- ELAC (English Language Acquisition, formerly known as ESOL) (L)
- Math (M)
For up to date information regarding placement please visit the SDCCD Placement Guidelines. For any questions in regards to milestone placements, please contact us at SdMesaAdmissions@sdccd.edu
Placement Via Application for Admission
Students enrolling into the San Diego Community College School District will complete an application for admission. Via your Application for admission (CCCApply) to San Diego Mesa College you will be asked questions to help assess your skill level in mathematics and English.
The application for admission will ask you for:
- Highest level of English and the grade they received in that course.
- Highest level of Math and the grade they received in that course.
- And if you graduated from high school, completed a GED or California High School Proficiency exam (HiSET) within 10 years.
Under some circumstances, some students will be asked to take a Placement Assistant (external from the application for admission to complete your assessment process at San Diego Mesa College).
- If a student is currently enrolled in high school, students will not be asked their HS performance or be directed to Placement Assistant
- If a student has graduated high school 10+ years ago, the student will be directed to take the Placement Assistant.
- If a student is in the Continuing Education or an adult learner and they have not graduated from high school, or graduated from high school 10+ years, they will be directed to the Placement Assistant.
In some circumstances, students responding to specific questions in the application for admission will be prompted to take the ELAC Go Assessment
- You will be asked "Are you conformable reading and Writing English?"
- Student indicating in the Program & Services that they are interested in ESL English as a Second Language
Placement Via Placement Assistant
Under some circumstances, some students will be asked take a Placement Assistant (external from the application for admission to complete your assessment process at the San Diego Community College District, City, Mesa or Miramar.
- If student is currently enrolled in high school, students will not be asked their HS performance or be directed to Placement Assistant
- If a student has graduated high school 10+ years ago, the student will be directed to take the Placement Assistant.
- If a student is in the Continuing Education or an adult learner and they have not graduated from high school, or graduated from high school 10+ years, they will be directed to the Placement Assistant.
If you took college courses while in high school, or applied for San Diego City, Mesa or Miramar College, you should request to take the Placement Assistant to update placement milestones from your original placement when you originally applied.
- California College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP)
- Dual Enrollment (taking college classes while you are still enrolled in high school)
- Joint diploma students
- If a student has graduated high school 10+ years ago, the student will be directed to take the Placement Assistant.
- If a student is in the Continuing Education or an adult learner and they have not graduated from high school, or graduated from high school 10+ years, they will be directed to the Placement Assistant.
The Placement Assistant Program will allow only one submission per student.
Placement via ELAC Go!
Our ESL program is English Language Acquisition (ELAC), which supports you in your development of academic English. ELAC classes are not basic skills or remedial. They are for students who are multilingual and studying English as a foreign language at intermediate to advanced levels.
The classes you take here will focus on all English communication skills necessary to be successful in college level work as well as how to navigate your way through college in the United States. You can earn transferable credit to CSUs and UCs in our highest level class, ELAC 145.
Learn more about the English Placement Test for Non-Native English Speakers
Learn more about ELAC Program at Mesa
If you think the recommended ELAC classes are too difficult (placement is too high), you can register for any classes below your level. If you think the recommended classes are too easy (placement is too low), you will need to contact the ELAC Department Chair.
Placement by Exemption due to Past Educational Achievements in Mathematics or English
Students are exempt from the English and math placement tests if ...
- Earned an Associate degree or higher
- Have completed English and math courses
- Or have received a qualifying score on an SAT, ACT, or EAP test taken within the past two years
- Please note: The San Diego Community College District is no longer accepting EPT or ELM test scores.
