Placement Testing

Placement Testing Process

Placement Testing is designed to determine your academic readiness. This process assists in determining the best courses for your success at Heartland Community College.  

  1. Submit an HCC application.  
  2. Determine if you can waive your placement test 
  3. Click on Make an Appointment to choose the location where you will complete the placement test. 
  4. After your testing appointment, a Heartland staff member will review your results with you based on Heartland's placement ranges (PDF).  
  5. After testing is complete, all new students must contact Advisement and meet with an academic advisor as part of the enrollment process. This step does not apply to College NOW students taking Heartland courses through their high school.

Spring 2026 Placement Deadline

To enroll in 16-week, first 12-week, first 8-week, or CNOW Spring 2026 courses, the last day to complete Placement Testing, including the proctored Writing Sample essay, is Friday, January 9, 2026. Please refer to the class schedule for more information about courses.

Placement Testing deadlines for Summer semesters vary depending on your Academic Plan. Please refer to Admissions & Advisement for the most up-to-date information.

  

Releasing and Protecting Your Educational Records 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects your educational records.  It requires your written consent before protected information can be disseminated.  Also, it allows you to prevent the College from sharing Directory Information without your consent.  Click here for additional information and forms for FERPA.  

To release your official ACCUPLACER or ALEKS score report to another institution, fill out the Score Release Form. 

To view your ACCUPLACER score report, enter your information on the ACCUPLACER Student Portal.

Placement Testing Appointments 

Prior to scheduling your Placement Testing appointment, you will need to set up your MyHeartland account. Visit Manage My Password to get started. If you do not know your login name or you receive an invalid username error message, contact the IT Support Student Hotline. 

Once your account is ready, schedule your Placement Testing appointment! 

Schedule a Placement Testing Appointment

Schedule your Placement Testing appointment through Navigate 360, via website or APP. Be sure to take note of the location. We offer Placement Testing in Pontiac, Lincoln and Normal, and your scheduled exam is site-specific.

  1. Go to the Appointments tab in Navigate360 and click Schedule an Appointment at the top right 
  1. Follow the prompts: 
    1. What can we help you with? Select Testing Center 
    2. What would you like to do? Select the exam you wish to take. Placement Exams are listed 
    3. Pick a Date: Choose your preferred testing date 
  2. Click Find Available Time to select from available options. You are required to arrive for your appointment at the start time; late arrivals may not be seated.

Arrival

Please arrive by the start time of your scheduled exam. Placement exams are booked for the estimated length of time that it will take you to complete your exam. For example, if you choose the time slot June 2nd for 9:00-10:30AM, you are expected to arrive no later than 9:00AM. Late arrivals may not be permitted to test. 

Please arrive prepared for your appointment with the following: 

  • HCC ID Number 
  • Physical Photo ID 
  • Confirmation Email 

Cancellations and Rescheduling 

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please do so online [via Navigate 360 website or Navigate 360 APP]. Duplicate appointments will be cancelled. If you require further assistance or can't find what you need online, please call the campus where you wish to schedule your appointment. We're happy to assist! 

Waive the Literacy and Math Placement Exams 

Who takes the test? 

  • All first-time college students take the Literacy Placement Test unless they are eligible for a waiver or submitted previous college-level credit for placement. 
  • Students may submit a valid waiver for math placement, take the ALEKS placement exam, or accept default placement at the MATH 87/95/97 level. Math 87/95/97 courses are not college-level math. Credit in these courses will not transfer, and these courses prepare students for higher level math. 
  • Transfer students test as needed, based on successfully completed credit on a college transcript. 

You may not need to test if previous HCC placement scores are still active. If you have special testing needs and considerations, contact us prior to testing.

Information Regarding Potential Waivers

ACT Scores

ACT subscores in English and math may be used for placement if you took the ACT within the past three years. Listed below are the scores you need for placement at the college level. If your score is lower, you may need to take the placement test.

Unofficial score reports will not be accepted. You are required to submit an official score report through your myACT account or have your official ACT score report sent by your High School Guidance Counselor via official HCC ShareFile or via email to testing@heartland.edu. 

Heartland Community College does not accept the preACT for Literacy or Math placement waiver.

HCC Site Code, for sending official ACT score reports: 1046

 English

ACT English Subscore HCC Placement
19+ English 101

 Math

ACT Math Subscore HCC Placement
0-16 Math 095 or Math 097
17+

Math 089
19+ Math 099, Math 106, Math 131, Math 141
22+ Math 109, Math 135, or TMAT 105
28+ Math 129, 111, or 151

Accuplacer or ALEKS Scores from other Institutions

Have you already taken a proctored ACCUPLACER or proctored ALEKS at another test site?

Heartland Community College may accept qualifying placement scores from another institution if the following requirements are met:

Score Submission Requirements

  • Placement test scores must be emailed directly from the test site to testing@heartland.edu or shared directly from Accuplacer via Student Shared Individual Score Report (ISR).
    • Score reports submitted directly by students are considered unofficial and will not be accepted for Placement Waiver. 
  • Scores must be less than 3 years old. 

Accuplacer Scores

Transferred Accuplacer scores, including Next-Generation Reading [NELA], will be evaluated according to HCC's placement ranges and must also meet Heartland's proctoring requirements:

  • The exam was administered and proctored under live supervision by testing center staff or through an approved online proctoring service. 
  • Exam was delivered and completed in English. 
  • No unauthorized resources, materials, or assistance were permitted during testing.  

Aleks Scores

Transferred Aleks Math Placement scores will be evaluated according to HCC's placement ranges and must also meet Heartland's proctoring requirements:

  • The exam was administered and proctored under live supervision by testing center staff [not administered at home through an online proctoring platform].
  • The exam was administered using the Aleks Lockdown Browser. 
  • Physical handheld calculators were not permitted during testing. 
  • No unauthorized resources, materials, or assistance were permitted during testing.  

Please note: Unproctored Aleks placement tests do NOT qualify for placement at Heartland Community College [this includes Illinois State University's unproctored ALEKS]. 

Next-Generation Arithmetic [NARIT] and Advanced Algebra & Functions [NAAF]

Although HCC no longer administers the NARIT or NAAF tests, qualifying scores may still be accepted for placement waiver consideration if:

  • Scores are submitted directly by the testing center or through the Accuplacer ISR system. 
  • Scores are less than 3 years old. 
  • The exam was administered and proctored under live supervision by testing center staff [not administered at home through an online proctoring platform].
  • Physical handheld calculators were not permitted during testing. 
  • No unauthorized resources, materials, or assistance were permitted during testing.  

Remote Testing

Heartland Community College does not arrange, coordinate, or cover the cost of Aleks Math Placement testing at other institutions for out-of-state, internation, or remote students. 

GED (2014)

GED transcripts (2014 exam series) that are less than 3 years old can be submitted for consideration of a waiver according to the cut scores listed below. Only Reasoning through Language Arts and Mathematical Reasoning may be used for placement into college level courses and waiver of the ACCUPLACER test. If your score is lower, you will need to take the placement test.

Unofficial GED transcripts will not be accepted. You must request official GED transcripts from your Regional Office of Education. 

  • Literacy placement (English 101): Reasoning through Language Arts score of 165 or higher
  • Math placement: Mathematical Reasoning score of 165 or higher for placement at Math 109, Math 131, Math 135 or Math 141

High School GPA

  • High school transcripts should be submitted for evaluation for potential waivers if graduation was within the past three years. If your GPA is lower than what has been indicated below, the placement test may need to be completed.

  • Literacy placement at ENGL 101:

    • 3.0+ on a 4.0 unweighted scale
    • 3.75+ on a 5.0 unweighted scale
    • 83+ on a 100.00 unweighted scale

    Math placement at Math 131 or 141 or Math 099/109: Attainment of the GPA literacy requirement and a successful completion of a 4th year semester(s) of math.

    High school transcripts should be sent to the HCC Records Office at least 1 month before enrolling into courses to allow adequate processing time during high-volume seasons (Summer prior to Fall enrollment). 

PSAT Scores

PSAT scores in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math section may be used for placement if you took the PSAT within the past three years. If your score is lower than indicated below, you may need to take the placement test.

You are required to have your guidance counselor submit your PSAT scores on your behalf via official HCC ShareFile or via email to testing@heartland.edu.

  • Literacy placement (at English 101): Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 480+ 
  • Math section score of 500+ for placement at Math 099, Math 106, Math 131 or Math 141
  • Math section score of 530+ for placement at Math 109 or Math 135

SAT Scores

SAT scores in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math may be used for placement if you took the SAT within the past three years. Listed below are the scores you need for placement at college level. If your score is lower than indicated below, you may need to take the placement test.

Unofficial score reports will not be accepted. You are required to submit an official score report through CollegeBoard or have your official SAT score report sent by your High School Guidance Counselor via official HCC ShareFile or via email to testing@heartland.edu. 

HCC Site Code, for sending official SAT score reports: 1361

English

SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section Score HCC Placement
480+ English 101

Math

SAT Math Section Score  HCC Placement
0-460  Math 095 or Math 097
470-490

Math 089
500-520 Math 099, Math 106, Math 131, Math 141
530-610 Math 109, Math 135, or TMAT 105
620-800 Math 129, 111, or 151

*If you did not include your mailing address in the background section during your SAT exam, your scores may not have been sent electronically to us. To confirm the status of your SAT scores with Heartland, please contact the Testing office at 309-268-8077 or testing@heartland.edu. 

College Transcripts
  • English placement: If you completed a college-level Composition I course with a "C" or better, you are exempt from the literacy test. 
  • Math placement: If you completed a college-level math course you're exempt from the math test unless you are attempting to place above a prerequisite course. 

If you are looking to use your College Transcript for placement or transfer credit purposes, submit an official transcript to the HCC Records Office. 

Important dates 

Students are encouraged to turn in their placement waivers before August 1st for the fall semester and December 17th for the spring semester. Students who intend to use high school transcripts as placement waivers should send official transcripts at least 1 month before enrolling into courses. 

ALEKS Math Placement

What is ALEKS? 

Heartland Community College offers a proctored ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning (ALEKS PPL) to determine readiness for mathematics courses beyond the developmental level. If you do not have any active Math waivers and would like to attempt to place higher than Developmental Math [Math 087, 095, or 097], the ALEKS Math Placement is recommended. 

ALEKS PPL is a web-based, adaptive program that uses artificial intelligence to map a student's strengths and weaknesses. The placement exam contains up to 25 questions and covers a wide range of topics (PDF). After the Placement, an individualized Prep and Learning Module is available for you to refresh your knowledge on forgotten topics. You will have the opportunity to review and master additional topics to reassess and improve your placement. 

How long are my scores valid? 

ALEKS Math Placement scores are valid for 3 years. HCC honors the highest placement out of your 5 proctored attempts. However, you are not required to take all 5 proctored attempts. 

You are no longer eligible to take the ALEKS Math Placement Exam once actively enrolled in an HCC Math Course. Once enrolled, regardless of the result of the course, you are only eligible to test again if you have an attempt left out of the 5 allotted and have gone at least 1 semester since being enrolled in an HCC Math Course. 

If you have any questions, please contact HCC Testing. 

Default Developmental Math Placement 

HCC students are now awarded a default placement at Developmental Math [Math 087, 095, and 097] without first needing to take the ALEKS Math exam. For more detailed information, please watch the video below. (embedded video) 

Specific programs may require the ALEKS placement test or a particular score on the ALEKS for acceptance. Please contact your advisor if you are uncertain of your program's requirements. 

 

ALEKS Informational Video 

For more information regarding the ALEKS Math Placement Exam, please watch the video below. (embedded video) 

How to prepare for ALEKS 

Once you have completed your first proctored attempt, a personalized learning path will be created. While time spent in the Prep and Learning module does not change your placement, it will help you become familiar with the topics that you may see if you choose to retake the placement exam.

Contact Us

Testing Center

WDC 2600
Heartland Community College
1508 Vermillion Way
Normal, IL 61761
Phone: 309-268-8077

HCC Lincoln

Email: Lincoln.Center@Heartland.edu 
Phone: 217-735-1731

HCC Pontiac

Email: Pontiac.Center@heartland.edu 
Phone: 309-268-8960