Placement Assessment & Educational Planning
New students are invited to schedule their placement assessment and educational planning session as soon as:
- The Application for Admission is complete.
- Westmoreland receives and evaluates the following documents as applicable: High school transcript, GED scores, SAT or ACT scores and college transcripts.
- The ALEKS PPL Placement test has been completed at least ONE time.
Placement assessment includes review of the following:
- Evaluation of high school transcripts, GED score reports, college transcripts and SAT/ACT scores.
- Westmoreland has adopted the ALEKS program to support students in the assessment of their skill level in mathematics. The Admissions team will outline your next steps.
The educational planning session includes:
- Discussion of the student's life goals, an overview of academic programs and placement into courses based on the above academic criteria
- Registration for classes in the upcoming semester
- New students will also be provided important information about the college website, student portal, payment options, college store and campus resources.
Exceptions
- Students who have an associate or bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university may be exempt from the math placement process upon receipt of college transcripts.
- Transfer students may also be exempt from the math placement process upon receipt of college transcripts that validate satisfactory completion of prerequisites in mathematics.
- Students not seeking a degree are required to engage in the math placement process after the completion of 12 credits in order to continue their enrollment.
Preparing for your session
- Be sure that your high school transcript, GED score, SAT/ACT score report and, if applicable, college transcript is sent to Westmoreland before scheduling your Placement Assessment and Educational Planning Session.
- Be sure that you have completed the ALEKS assessment at least once before requesting an appointment.
- Review the most current pogram information for your career path by viewing the College Catalog.
- Go to westmoreland.edu then click on MyWestmoreland (the student portal).
- Log into MyWestmoreland with your school Gmail address and password. These were provided to you in an email after you applied to the college.
- Click on I’m a Westmoreland student.
- On the right-hand side under Classroom Services, click on Placement Testing.
- From there, follow the steps to get started on the math placement.
- You will need to use a computer that has a webcam and microphone; it can also be taken at the Youngwood campus, no appointment needed, or at one of our education centers by appointment.
- When asked for a password, type in math123.
- Follow the steps to download and install Respondus Lockdown Browser with Monitor and follow all directions for this proctored exam to be used for placement. This includes showing a form of ID.
- You will have 2.5 hours to complete the math placement and up to 3 additional attempts if needed. This first attempt measures your baseline math skills. You will be required to complete 5 hours of learning modules between each attempt. You’ve got this!
- Please call 724-925-6893 or email placementtestingFREEWESTMORELAND after you have completed the first attempt of the math placement to schedule an appointment with a Pathways Advisor.
Review the most current program information for your career path by viewing the College Catalog.
ALEKS PPL Score Ranges for Westmoreland County Community College are below.
| 0 -13 | MTH 050 - Basic Mathematics |
| 14 - 29 | MTH 052 - Foundations of Algebra |
|
MTH 061+161 – Modern College Mathematics + Integrated Review
|
|
| MTH 104 - Introduction of Applied Mathematics | |
| BUS 120 - Mathematics of Business | |
| 30 - 45 | MTH 100 - Intermediate Algebra |
| MTH 108 - Mathematics for the Technologies I* | |
| MTH 160 - Introduction to Statistics | |
| MTH 161 - Modern College Mathematics | |
| MTH 180 - Elements of Mathematics I** | |
| 46 - 60 | MTH 157 - College Algebra |
| MTH 170 - Precalculus | |
| 61 - 75 | MTH 167 - College Trigonometry |
| 76 - 100 | MTH 172 - Analytical Geometry and Calculus I*** |
*Students must take MTH 108 before MTH 109 and cannot place into MTH 109.
**Students must take MTH 180 before MTH 185 and cannot place into MTH 185.
***Students are not able to test out of MTH 172 with ALEKS PPL.
Click here to view the Math Pathways Placement Chart.
Appointments
You can walk onto our Youngwood campus to take the ALEKS assessment with no appointment. Please check in at the Enrollment Center in our Student Achievement Center on our Youngwood campus. We accept walk ins for the assessment, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. If you would like to take the ALEKS assessment at one of our other locations, please contact the Education Center directly for an appointment (see below):
- Youngwood: 724-925-6893 or email registerFREEWESTMORELAND
- Murrysville: 724-327-8090
- Indiana County: 724-357-1404
- Latrobe: 724-925-8473
- New Kensington: 724-335-8110
- If you have questions or concerns, please email%20the staff.
Accommodations
Students who require accommodations due to a disability should call 724-925-4000, ext. 3053, to discuss specific needs.
Important Parent/Guardian information
Parents/guardians are not permitted in the room with pathways advisors during the educational planning/advising session.
In order to help your student better prepare for the educational
planning/advising session, we recommend that you review the following information with your student prior to
their visit with a pathways advisor to ensure all questions/concerns are addressed
at that time:
- Read about the student's chosen academic program in the current College Catalog.
- Discuss class preferences prior to their visit—days/times, location, course delivery method (traditional classroom setting, online, blended, hybrid, etc.), types of courses (dependent on placement and program requirements), etc.
- Make certain the student brings their username and password for the portal as well as all questions/concerns that need to be addressed.
- The student should be prepared to take detailed notes about the information covered with the Pathways Advisor.