On average, over 25,000 people per year apply to become full-time students at Algonquin College. Candidates come to us with a wide variety of educational, academic and work experiences, so the College needs a fair, measurable, objective and standard way of assessing their potential for success. Tests also provide the candidate with objective and impartial information about his or her level of academic skills and aptitudes. This knowledge allows them to make more meaningful academic decisions and often means the difference between success and failure in their chosen program.

The Test Centre limits itself to testing only those people who are actual candidates to a College program. The Test Centre will ask for proof of this at the time of testing by asking you to provide a valid student number at the time you make an appointment for testing.

Admissions testing is a complex issue, but can be divided into two main areas:
"College Eligibility" and "Program Eligibility".

If you are confused about the tests you are being asked to write, please address questions to the admissions officer in charge of your program (613-727-0002) and/or to the Test Centre (613-727-4723 ext 7079).

College Eligibility/Mature Student

The following comments refer to information found under the heading "College Eligibility" in the College calendar and/or the College information pamphlets available from the Registrar's office.

"College Eligibility" refers to the minimum, general,  requirements needed for all of our programs. Typically these requirements are that the candidate have a grade 12 diploma, or its equivalent, and that certain school subjects be present in the diploma. We also recognize a category of candidates called the "Mature Student". These are people who are 19 years of age or over, who do not have a grade 12 diploma and who have been out of school for a year or more. Many of our programs require only that you meet these "College Eligibility" criteria.

If you are missing your high school diploma or specific subjects, or if you are applying as a "Mature Student", you may be asked to write "College Eligibility" tests.

These tests look at a broad range of academic skills and allow the Registrar's Office to determine if you meet the minimum requirements for admission to any college program. 

The Registrar's Office will send you a letter detailing the tests that you are being asked to write. Each of these letters refer to a particular test and/or combination of tests. To make things as clear as possible, each letter makes reference to a specific test code. Please have this code handy when you call to make your appointment for testing. The following table explains the meaning of each of these codes as well as the tests that they indicate that you will be writing. 

Table 1: Summary of "College Eligibility" Tests

Note (1) : Program Standard Mathematics Test

The nature of the "Program Standard Mathematics Test" is determined by the level of Mathematics required by your program. Depending on the program, you may be writing one or more of the following: Mathematics Computation, Mathematics Concepts and Applications, Elementary Algebra or Intermediate Algebra. Please refer to the program monographs for a more complete description of the level of Mathematics needed for each program.

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The following comments refer to information found under the heading "Program Eligibility", in the College calendar and/or the College information pamphlets available from the Registrar's office. "Program Eligibility" refers to selection criteria which are put in place when a program has more candidates than there are seats. Most of our very popular programs such as those in the Health Sciences, Family Studies, Media Studies, Computer Studies and Computer Programming all have admission requirements beyond simple "College Eligibility".

Programs may require specific tests, questionnaires, interviews, portfolios, etc.

The specific testing requirements for these programs are discussed in Table 2 titled "Program Eligibility Testing: Detail by Program".

At this level of selection, tests may be only one of the criteria which you may be asked to satisfy. You may be asked, for example, to have taken certain subjects in high school, to present a portfolio, to answer specific questionnaires, to attend information sessions, etc. All of the factors specific to your program are looked at when the program selection committees evaluate your application . Please note that each program sets its own selection criteria.

Although there may be some similarity in the tests used by various programs, each program may use the scores in a different fashion. They may assign different weights to various test scores, they may look for different combinations of scores, they may require higher pass marks etc. It is therefore possible for a candidate to write the same tests for two programs and be accepted in one but not the other .

Program Eligibility Testing: Detail by Program Table 2 summarizes the programs which are currently requiring testing .

Please see Section 4 titled "What the Tests Are and What They Measure" for details about the nature and scope of these additional tests. This list is current as of the time of writing, however, some requirements are currently under review. The Registrar's Office and/or the Test Centre will inform you of any changes and/or modifications in place at the time you make your appointment for testing.

Table 2: "Program Eligibility" Testing, Detail by Program

Note (1) : Standard English tests

The "Standard English" tests must be written by all candidates, without exception, to the programs listed in the above table.

Candidates who have written an English Second Language Test (ESL) test to determine their "College Eligibility", will be required to write the "Standard English" tests to determine their "Program Eligibility" for the programs in this table.

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