English Assessment Testing

Before you request English assessment, you must be admitted to Bellevue College and have received your Student Identification Number (SID). If you have not been admitted, we cannot give you an assesement test or enter your placement on the computer.

Assessment at a Distance

Students who wish to register for English courses must have taken an English assessment test before course registration. The English department prefers that students take the COMPASS test, either on the Bellevue College campus or at another college or university that offers the test. However, we do offer options for those students who cannot comply with this preference. Information regarding these options can be obtained directly from the Distance Education Office at (425) 564-2438, toll free via 1-877-641-2712, or via e-mail at liz.anderson@bellevuecollege.edu.

The only exceptions to taking the assessment test are:

1. A score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) test, Language and Composition or Composition and Literature, given by the College Board to high school students enrolled in AP courses. If you have taken this exam, you will need to contact liz.anderson@bellevuecollege.edu via e-mail for further information.

2. You have completed a 5-credit quarter course or 3 credit semester course at an accredited American college or university which is equivalent to our English 101 course. You will need to contact Liz Anderson in the Distance Education Office at 425-564-2438 (1-877-641-2712) or via e-mail at liz.anderson@bellevuecollege.edu to determine your course's equivalency.

Please be advised that not all courses transfer as equivalent to our courses. Transcripts and supporting materials may be required to determine whether the course will transfer; it is the student's responsibility to provide these documents as needed.

If you wish to enroll in English courses, please plan to fulfill whatever is required of you well in advance of the time you wish to register. The placement process may be time-consuming, and there are no guarantees of class availability for Distance Education students.

Steps for English Assessment

1. Complete online or mail admission application to Bellevue College and receive your Student Identification Number.

2. Contact the Distance Education Office at Bellevue College for more information regarding the assessment test as well as the testing procedures and requirements.

Note: If you are an international student and English is not your native (first) language, your placement in online English composition is determined by your scores on the TOEFL exam, including essay. Please contact the Distance Education Office via phone or e-mail to learn more.