Placement tests help you decide where to start
St. Petersburg College is an open access institution; test scores are not required for admission. However, you are strongly encouraged to submit SAT, ACT, or Classic Learning Test (CLT) scores to determine your placement in college courses. If you do not have SAT, ACT, or CLT scores, a College Placement Test helps determine what reading, writing, and math courses you're ready for at SPC. These are not pass/fail tests. Test scores are used to help you decide what classes you should start with to help you be more successful.
Placement tests include the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT), Accuplacer, ACT, SAT, and CLT. Scores used for college placement must be less than two years old. SPC uses the highest scores from these tests to determine your placement in college courses.
Are you ready for college-level courses?
How do you know if you're at college level in reading, English and math? By looking at:
- Scores on your ACT, SAT, or Classic Learning Test (CLT)
- Scores on your College Placement Test or (PERT)
- Transcripts with college-level classes from another institution
PSAT
SAT
ACT
PERT
Digital PSAT/SAT Beginning June 2023
Digital PSAT
Digital SAT
Classic Learning Test, Beginning August 2023
NOTE: If you are transferring classes from another institution, please contact an advisor to review your transcripts and test scores to see if you need to take any sections of the College Placement Test.
How do I know if I need to take a placement test?
At SPC, we encourage all incoming students to take a placement test. That's one of the best ways to predict your readiness for college work. And it's free.
You should take the Placement Test (PERT) if you don’t have recent (within two years) passing ACT or SAT scores, and you meet one of the following conditions:
- You graduated from a private high school
- You received a high-school diploma as a home-schooled student
- You graduated from a Florida public high school in 2007 or earlier or started 9th grade before the 2003-04 school year
- You completed a GED
- You graduated from an out-of-state high school
Note: If you meet one of the requirements above and do not have recent passing ACT or SAT scores . If you are transferring classes from another institution, please speak with your career and academic advisor to review your transcripts and test scores to see if you need to take any sections of the College Placement Test.
How does SPC help me?
The College Placement Test helps you figure out which classes you should take and pinpoints areas where you may need help with your skills. If you need help, we've got you covered. We have flexible courses and tools to prepare you. These will save you time, money and effort.
We want you to succeed. And being prepared is the best way to do that. We offer these options to get you ready for college-level work:
- Short 1- to 2-credit courses that quickly help you in specific areas
- Free online, work-at-your-own-pace classes to get you ready for college-level math, reading and writing. You can also take these to prepare for the placement test.
- Courses you take alongside your regular college-level class like a writing improvement class taught by your Composition I teacher.
Any student can take the PERT (Postsecondary Education Readiness Test). However, not all students are required to take the PERT.
You should take the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test, commonly referred to as the PERT if you don’t have ACT or SAT scores within the last two years, and you meet one of the following conditions:
- You graduated from a private high school.
- You received a high-school diploma as a home-schooled student.
- You graduated from a Florida public high school in 2007 or earlier or started in 9th grade before the 2003-04 school year.
- You completed a GED.
- You graduated from an out-of-state high school.
See our locations, hours, and contact information to take the PERT at one of our testing centers.
If you want to take the PERT please fill out this request.
Still not sure? Send an email to our testing staff with any additional questions.
Test scores expire for placement purposes after two years.
Current High School Students
If you are a current high school student and need to take the PERT, please visit our Dual Enrollment webpage or contact your Guidance Counselor for more information.
Test fees
Your first PERT attempt is free.
Retake fee: $15
How do I prepare for my placement test?
You can use the following guides to help prepare for you a placement test.
NOTE: If you are transferring classes from another institution, please contact an advisor to review your transcripts and test scores to see if you need to take any sections of the College Placement Test.
If you are a current high school student applying for our Dual Enrollment, Early College or Early Admission programs or you wish to enroll in SPC’s Collegiate High School, you must provide qualifying test scores to demonstrate you are ‘college-ready’
PSAT
SAT
ACT
PERT
Digital PSAT/SAT Beginning June 2023
Digital PSAT
Digital SAT
Classic Learning Test, Beginning August 2023
Academic integrity statement:
Students taking the PERT for admission to any one of the college's high school programs should be aware of college testing policies. Test scores will be invalidated for any student who fails to follow established rules, has irregularities during the exam or is observed cheating. After the first instance, the student will be required to test in-person at a designated campus testing center.
If the student achieves qualifying scores a subsequent attempt at on the PERT, or on the SAT, ACT or CLT, the student's application will be flagged for potential wait listing and/or 1st semester probationary status. Students who have test scores invalidated for more than one attempt will not be considered for admission to any high school program.
Take the PERT if you have not taken the SAT or ACT, or you do not have qualifying scores. Regardless of your intended program, you must complete all sections of the exam. Please visit our high school programs webpage for information on individual program requirements
TAKING THE PERT
- You may take the PERT two times per Pinellas County semester, once over the summer. There is a $15 fee for second attempts. Additional attempts may disqualify you from consideration.
- You should plan to test early to meet the program deadlines and to determine whether you’ll need retest.
REMOTE TESTING
We are no longer offering online testing to our high school program students.
REGISTERING FOR THE PERT
- You must have your SPC Student ID Number to register for the PERT
- If you do not have an SPC Student ID number, submit your High School Programs application
- After applying, create your password. It will take approximately 30 minutes for your account to activate
- Register for the PERT at stpe.co/PERT