While UCA does not require international students to have already taken either the ACT or the SAT before being admitted, students cannot be registered until UCA has received their test scores, or until students have taken an equivalent test upon arrival (the Accuplacer Test). These test results are needed to determine if students are prepared for university level courses. This policy applies to domestic students as well as international students at UCA. These tests are not the same as English language proficiency exams such as the TOEFL & IELTS.
The ACT and SAT exams test students in Math, English Writing, and Reading Comprehension. UCA’s academic advisors use these exam results to determine if students are ready for college level classes in these areas. Students who do not meet the minimum score requirements will need to take transitional classes upon arrival, as wells as the three-credit hour student success course, Journeys to Success, ACAD 1300. While these transitional classes will not count towards a student’s degree, they will count towards a student’s full-time enrollment. Students taking transitional classes will also be required to take
Students who have not taken the ACT or SAT, or whose scores do not meet the minimum requirements, will be required to take the Accuplacer test during their new student orientation. This two hour test will be made up on three sections of 20 multiple choice questions on the subjects of Sentence Skills, Reading Comprehension, and Elementary Algebra.
Each section of the Accuplacer will cost $5. Students will need to have cash ready to pay for these tests. Depending on their previous ACT or SAT test scores, students may not need to take all three sections of the Accuplacer. Students will also have the opportunity to take the Accuplacer test a second time before they are advised; students wishing to retake the test will need to pay $5 a section again. Students who know they will need to take the Accuplacer test can read more here
What Do I Do If I Have Already Taken The ACT or SAT?
Students who have already taken eith the ACT or SAT will need to have the appropriate testing agency send the official scores to UCA. We will only accept official scores sent to us from the testing agency. We cannot accept a printout brought by students to Global Welcome. We need to have it sent directly to us from the testing agency. The UCA code for the ACT is 0118; the UCA code for the SAT is 6012. It can take 3-4 weeks before UCA receives these scores, so please send your results to us as soon as possible.
What Are The Score Requirements?
The minimum scores required for the ACT, SAT, and Accuplacer are listed below. Students who have scores below these will be required to take the Accuplacer when they arrive. Students who have scores below the Accuplacer minimums after two attempts will be placed into transitional classes by their academic advisor. Students can learn more about Student Transitions, transitional classes, and ACAD 1300 here.
| Test | Math | Reading | English/ Writing |
| ACT | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Old SAT (taken before March 2016) | 460 | 470 | 470 |
| Redesigned SAT (March 2016 & later) | 500 | 26 | 26 |
| Classic Accuplacer (Before February 2019) | 77 | 78 | 83 |
| Accuplacer Next-Generation (February 2019 or later) | 265 | 275 | 260 |
All first-time undergraduate freshmen students will need to either provide ACT or SAT scores, or take the Accuplacer upon arrival. When students check-in during Global Welcome, they will be told which Accuplacer sections, if any, they will need to take.
Transfer students from another university to UCA may be exempt, depending on their transcripts. Upon acceptance at UCA, these students’ transcripts will be evaluated, and they will be informed if they need to take the Accuplacer test. Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate students will not need to take the Accuplacer.
Students in the Intensive English Program will not need to take the Accuplacer test until they have completed IEP classes and wish to enroll in UCA classes.