COMPASS Placement Test

All students entering Dawson Community College must complete the COMPASS test to assist with placement into general education courses.

The COMPASS test is a basic skills assessment that covers areas of reading comprehension, English composition, and math computation, and allows the College to help each student design an educational program more specific to personal needs.

Testing

• is administered by DCC Student Support Services staff in the Academic Support Center
  • by appointment, 406-377-5928
  • during summer Advance Registration
  • at fall and spring semester Orientation sessions.
• Students who have an admission application on file receive information regarding test dates and are administered the COMPASS placement test FREE of charge .

Any person needing to take the COMPASS placement test for admission into a college other than DCC can do so through the DCC Academic Support Center for a fee of $15.

Test results

• could require preparatory coursework to program requirements and result in lengthening a student's program of study
• are not used to determine a student's admission status to DCC

Transfer students are exempt if they

• provide scores, 3 years or newer, from their previously attended college.
• have already taken the classes for which the COMPASS test is used to assess (Math, English, Reading).