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  I
have to take transitional WHAT?
Transitional writing, reading, and/or
math. Many students take at least one of these.
But why?
Because your placement test scores indicate
that in courses that require these skills you would probably
not be successful.
Is there any thing else I can do?
Well, you do have some options.
If you REALLY think something kept you from doing your best
on the test, (for example, if you're uncomfortable with
computers, if you were not feeling well, or if you were
particularly upset by something the day you took it) you
can retest. And sometimes students just don't take the exam
seriously. If that was the case with you, again, you might
want to retest. But you should know that you have to pay
$7 per section to retest. And you should also know that
only a few students really improve their scores without
doing some sort of remediation.
And that brings up another option. You could use our Adult
Education services to refresh your skills. This might be
especially helpful if you graduated from high school several
years ago and haven't done any writing or math since. Adult
Education is located in Anderson 106. The people in there
will test you again to find out what you need to work on,
so be prepared for that. Then they will give you some assignments
on PLATO that you can do on-line in the Center, in the library,
or at home, anywhere you have access to the Internet. When
you finish working with them, however - and that means taking
their test again - you still have to retake the COMPASS.
But even with all the testing, this option may save you
a lot of time.
What if I don't want
to retest?
There may be some other program for which
your scores will qualify you. But if you don't want to change
programs, the only other thing you can do is take the courses
and pass them.
OK, so what do I have
to take?
A counselor will help you interpret your
score report. But at the bottom of each section you will
see your placement recommendations. KCTCS has mandatory
placement which means that these recommendations are actually
requirements. Again, you have three choices: 1) change programs;
2) retest; or 3) take the course and pass it.
 Somebody
said these courses don't count. What about that?
They do not count toward the hours needed
to complete your program because they are college prep courses.
Won't I just be wasting
my time and money, then?
Anything you do to prepare yourself to
succeed is not a waste. Taking classes for which you are
not prepared would probably be more of a waste.
So how long will this
take?
It will probably take you two semesters.
However, students who are willing to come to school every
day can take two levels of reading and writing, or writing
and math, or reading and math in one semester. Ask your
counselor about that possibility.
What are these classes
like?
 That, of course, depends on
the instructor. The focus of the classes is on the skills
you need in order to succeed in your program. There is some
computer work in most of them, lecture work in most of them,
and small group work in most of them.
What if I run into trouble
with the material?
There is free help available in the
Tutoring Center
in MLRC 8. You might also qualify for Student
Support Services.
What if I think of more
questions?
And you probably will. When that happens, call Ms. Maria
Flynn, Chair of the Division of Transitional Education,
(270) 534-3140.
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