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Students who graduated from high school or completed the GED or equivalent homeschool six or more years before enrolling at the college shall be placed into college level English and math courses. After consultation with a student services advisor, students may request to enroll in co-requisite or pre-requisite developmental courses.
Students who graduated from high school or the equivalent less than six years before enrolling at the college shall be placed into English and math courses based on multiple measures such as high school GPA, SAT, ACT, or GED test scores.
Students are encouraged to complete an enrollment form to assist with determining course placement.
Note: Current high school and home school seniors should complete the enrollment form during the last semester of high school/home school coursework.
The Enrollment Form is designed to assist with determining course placement. Students must submit their application for admission to New River before completing the form as their VCCS username and password is required. Students are encouraged to save or print their form results and share these with a student services advisor who can assist them with course enrollment.
Course placement is determined using one or a combination of the multiple measures outlined in the following tables. The measures shown represent the minimum GPA and/or test scores needed for placement. Test scores are valid for five years.
| Course | High School/Home School GPA* | Test Scores |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 111 | 3.0 or above | SAT (EWR): 480 or above ACT (English & Reading): 18 or above GED: 165 or above |
| ENG 111 + EDE 11** | 2.0-2.99 | SAT (EWR): 400-470 ACT (English & Reading): 15-17 |
| ENG 115 | 2.0 or above | SAT (EWR): 400 or above ACT (English & Reading): 15 or above GED: 165 or above |
| ENG 108 | 2.0 or above | SAT (EWR): 400 or above ACT (English & Reading): 15 or above GED: 165 or above |
| EDE 10** | Less than 2.0 | SAT: below 400 ACT: 14 or below GED: below 165 |
| Course | High School/Home School GPA* & Math Course(s) | Test Scores |
|---|---|---|
| MTH 131 MTH 161 MTH 167 |
3.0 or above + Algebra 2 | SAT: 500 or above ACT: 18 or above |
| MTH 154 MTH 155 |
3.0 or above + Algebra 1 | SAT: 470 or above ACT: 17 or above GED: 165 or above |
| MTH 131 + MCR 3** | 3.2 or above + Algebra 1 -OR- 2.0-2.99 + Algebra 2 |
SAT: 470-490 ACT: 17 |
| MTH 161 + MDE 61** | 2.0-2.99 + Algebra 2 | SAT: 470-490 ACT: 17 GED: 165 or above |
| MTH 154 + MDE 54** MTH 155 + MDE 55** MDE 60** |
2.0-2.99 | GED: 155-164 |
| MTH 111 MTH 130 MTH 132 |
2.0 or above | SAT: 470 or above ACT: 17 or above GED: 155 or above |
| MDE 10** | Less than 2.0 | GED: below 155 |
* High school/home school GPA may only be used for students who received a standard or advanced studies diploma and current high school/home school seniors in their last semester of coursework and who will receive a standard or advanced studies diploma.
** These are developmental education courses and enrollment is not allowed for high school or home school students.
Students who have completed a GED within the past five years may submit copies of their GED test scores to determine course placement.
Students who are currently attending another college or university may contact the Advising Center (advising@nr.edu or 540-674-3609) for assistance with course placement.
Current high school and home school students at the junior or senior levels who wish to enroll in online or in-person courses with NRCC must contact the Admissions and Records Office for enrollment eligibility and course placement determination (admissions@nr.edu or 540-674-3603).
Students may provide unofficial copies of test scores for course placement when meeting with a student services advisor or by email to advising@nr.edu.
Begining fall 2022 semester, BIO 141: Human Anatomy and Physiology I has a pre-requisite requirement of NAS 2: Foundations of Life Sciences (2 credits).
NAS 2 presents elementary biological and chemical principles for allied health students whose high school preparation is deficient in the biological sciences.
Students may be exempt from NAS 2 by meeting one of the following criteria:
If you need assistance determining whether you are exempt or with registration, please contact the Office of Admissions and Records at 540-674-3603, Monday-Friday 8:00 am -5:00 pm.
Students wanting to take the NAS 2 Challenge Exam:
Students will be allowed two hours to take the test, which will include no more than 60 questions. Students will have two attempts at the NAS 2 Challenge Exam within a calendar year (12-month period).
The following online textbooks might serve as resources as students review:
The following video series might also be helpful:
Student services advisors are available to discuss course placement, assist with enrollment, answer questions, and connect students to additional college resources or offices, as needed.
Students who do not meet the placement guidelines may take the Virginia Placement Test (VPT). Additionally, the VPT is available for any students who wish to attempt to improve their course placement. Students must submit their application for admission to New River before taking the VPT. Students can retake the VPT one time within 12 months of their initial attempt. Placement test scores are valid for five years.
The VPT is a computerized test composed of two separate assessments: English and math. Each test may take between 2 and 3 hours to complete. Students needing to complete both tests should consider taking them on separate days to avoid fatigue. Individual testing times depend on how long it takes students to answer the questions and how consistently they answer the questions.
The VPT is not graded per se; the tests are simply used to place students into appropriate courses. However, students should put their best effort into these tests to demonstrate a readiness to take college level courses and to avoid being placed into courses that may not be needed.
- The English test has two parts: a written essay component and a multiple-choice component.
- The written essay is more heavily weighted in the total English score. Students will be asked to write a well-developed essay response to one of two prompts provided on the test. Students should take their time and write a complete essay to the best of their ability using more than 300 words and multiple paragraphs.
- Computerized help tools such as spell check and auto correct will not be available.
- Once students start the essay portion, they will need to complete it without leaving, except in a case of extreme need.
- The multiple-choice component includes 40 questions on reading and writing fundamentals.
- The math test may include a variety of question types such as multiple choice, free response, true/false, etc.
- Students can use the electronic calculator that is provided as a pop-up window that is part of the math test. The calculator is a basic four function model with a square root button. It appears on all questions except for the section on basic arithmetic.
- We strongly recommend that all students, including those who wish to test into Calculus, practice with a four-function calculator instead of a graphing calculator.
- Personal calculators of any kind cannot be used.
When students prepare to take the placement tests, the importance of reviewing material that has previously been studied cannot be over emphasized. The placement test is not an admissions test or an aptitude test. The test measures how well students demonstrate skills and proficiencies which will indicate the
courses they are prepared to take. Not reviewing before taking the placement test could place students
into courses that are below their actual skill level. This can delay a student's progress by one or more semesters, causing disruption in course sequencing and costing extra time and money.Students are highly encouraged to start the review process early to provide enough time to practice and to build confidence in taking the placement test. This will ensure the most accurate course placement for each student.
Students looking for further assistance in preparing to take the VPT can sign up for individual tutoring support through the college’s Academic Success Center.
NRCC’s VPT English MOOC (massive open online course) will help students prepare for the English portion of the placement test. The MOOC provides modules with drills on writing, analyzing, reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and using sources. More Information about the FREE VPT English MOOC can be found here: http://www.nr.edu/students/vpteng.php.
NRCC offers a free online prep course for the VPT Math to help students prepare to do as well as they can on this test. The better students perform on the test, the less math they will have to take!
Additional math preparation materials:
The VPT MathSite provides sample math problems and links to online resources that correspond to Units 0-3 of the VPT-Math. Details about the individual units can be found on the NRCC math department webpage.
The VPT is administered on the main campus in Dublin and the Christiansburg site. Placement tests are not timed but generally will take between 2 and 3 hours. Students will need a picture ID and their student identification number (a student ID number will be generated after completing the NRCC online admissions application). There is no fee for placement testing.
NOTE: Placement tests must be started at least 3 hours prior to the college closing.
MONDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY:
You may begin testing as early as 8:00am, but will need to start your test by 2:00pm as the site closes at 5:00pm
TUESDAY and WEDENESDAY:
You may begin testing as early as 8:00am, but will need to start your test by 6:00pm as the site closes at 9:00pm
MONDAY and THURSDAY:
You may begin testing as early as 9:00am, but will need to start your test by 6:00pm as the site closes at 9:00pm
TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY:
You may begin testing as early as 9:00am, but will need to start your test by 3:00pm as the site closes at 6:00pm
FRIDAY:
You may begin testing as early as 9:00am, but will need to start your test by 2:00pm as the site closes at 5:00pm
SUNDAY:
You may begin testing as early as 1:00pm, but will need to start your test by 2:00pm as the site closes at 5:00pm
You may not have any personal belongings with you while you are testing. No outside resources, paper, books, or electronic devices will be allowed in the testing rooms. A "Lock Down" browser that will not allow you to access anything other than the test will be used. Children are not permitted on campus while students are testing.
After completing the VPT, students will be given a copy of their score reports to review with a student services advisor for further discussion and course placement. Once a student has enrolled in a developmental course in English or math, retaking the VPT in that subject is not permitted. The result of the developmental course will determine the student's future course sequence.
