Getting Ready for the COMPASS
There are three sections to the placement test.
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Geometry
Sample test questions can be found at http://www.act.org/compass/sample/
Windward CC uses the ACT COMPASS test to evaluate your current skill in English and math.
Taking the Test at Windward
The placement tests are computerized and administered by the Testing Center at La'akea 228. A picture ID and your UH Student ID number are required. A UH student ID number is assigned to you once you are accepted into a UH campus. To apply for admission into the college, please go to the Admissions and Records Office webpage.
No appointment is needed. The test takes approximately two hours, but there is no time limit. You may take breaks during the test, and, if you cannot finish the test in one day, you are allowed to come back another day to finish.
All COMPASS retests will be $25 for each retesting session, regardless of how many tests you retake during any one session.
Your placement test scores are good for two years.
If you have completed English or math at another college within the past two years, you may not need to take the placement test; see a counselor for an evaluation of your previous courses.
Accommodations are available for students with disabilities; please call Ann Lemke at 235-7448 to request assistance before taking the test.
Although you may not intend to register for an English or math class, you may still need to take the placement test to meet a prerequisite for other courses, such as some of our computer or science courses. Please see a counselor for more information.
More Information
If you have taken the ACT COMPASS Placement Test for Reading, Writing, and/or Math at another location outside of Hawaii, you may have that Testing Center fax us your results with a cover memo identifying the Center. Please include your UH ID number. Fax to 808-247-5362, Attn: Testing Center.
If you want Windward CC's Testing Center to administer a placement test (COMPASS, Accuplacer, etc.) for a mainland institution, have that institution fax the relevant information to 808-247-5362, email it to wccdet@hawaii.edu or mail it to the Testing Center, Windward Community College, 45-720 Kea‘ahala Rd., Kāne‘ohe, HI 96744.
Other Resources