What is a “College Level” course?
Students who demonstrate readiness for college level courses have the English
and math skills necessary to succeed academically without the need for remedialcoursework. A college level course is a class in which a student earns credit
towards a baccalaureate degree. Remedial courses are non-credit classes that
do not count towards a baccalaureate degree. Students who are identified as
needing additional preparation will be directed to courses or summer sessions,such as the Early Start Program, which are designed to help students attainthe skills needed to succeed in courses that count toward baccalaureate
degree requirements.

Next Steps• Use your assessment results to help you prepare for academic success.
• Your Early Assessment Program (EAP) results are included on the back of
the CAASPP Individual Student Score Report provided by your high school.

In Spring of your junior year
you participated in the California
Assessment of Student Performanceand Progress (CAASPP) in
English Language Arts/Literacyand mathematics.
The California State University (CSU) will, and the California Community Colleges(CCC) may use CAASPP results to determine your readiness to take college levelcourses before you enroll in college.
CAASPP Early Assessment Program (EAP) results are for placement purposes
ONLY. The CSU or CCC does not use EAP results for admission purposes.
Students who meet the admission requirements may apply to the CSU or CCC
regardless of their EAP status.

- If you authorized the release of your EAP results by marking therelease button when you took the CAASPP, the CSU and CCC
will automatically receive your results.

- If you did not mark the release button when you took theCAASPP, you will be required to submit your results to the CSU
or CCC to which you apply, upon request.

• ACT or SAT test results can also be used as indicators of your readinessto take college level courses. The test(s) must be taken in the fall of yoursenior year if you did not take them in your junior year.
• The CSU campuses to which you apply will notify you of the next steps
necessary to satisfy English and/or math requirements based on yourassessment results.

YOUR TEST RESULTS: WHAT THEY MEAN
EAP results provide an early indicator of your readiness to take college levelcourses. Knowing and understanding your EAP status and overall CAASPP scores
will give you the opportunity to improve your skills by enrolling in classes thatwill help you prepare for college level courses. Use this EAP guide to help you
determine the steps you need for a smooth transition to a CSU. Refer to the EAPstatus section in the guide that applies to you based on your CAASPP EAP and/orSAT/ACT results.

“READY”
FOR ENGLISH AND MATHA CAASPP EAP status of “STANDARD EXCEEDED” means you
are READY to enroll directly in college level English and/or mathcourses upon enrolling at the CSU. You are not required to takethe CSU’s English Placement Test (EPT) and/or the Entry Level
Math (ELM) exam and are exempt from the Early Start Program.
You can also earn a “READY” status if you receive one of thesequalifying test scores:

English:ACT: 22 and above
SAT: 500 and above
AP Language/Literature Composition: 3 and above
Math:
ACT: 23 and above
SAT: 550 and above
AP Calculus or AP Statistics Exam: 3 and above

EXEMPTfrom EPT and/or ELM and the CSU Early Start Program.
You are ready to enroll directly in college level courses
upon admission to a CSU.

Congratulations! Meeting this requirement is the first step toacademic success. Keep your skills sharp in your senior year byfollowing these recommendations:• Take a fourth year of rigorous English and math courses. Consult
with your high school counselor to help you select the rightcourse(s) for you.
• Consider taking Advanced Placement (AP) English or math courses,
if offered at your school. You may be able to earn college credit bypassing the AP exam.

Course Options to Satisfy the CSU“Conditionally Ready” Requirements“CONDITIONALLY READY”
FOR ENGLISH AND MATHA CAASPP EAP status of “STANDARD MET” means you are“CONDITIONALLY READY” and must complete one of the approved
senior year-long English and/or math courses prior to enrolling at aCSU. Completing an approved senior year course with a grade of “C”
or better will exempt you from the CSU Early Start Program.
You are not required to take the CSU’s English Placement Test (EPT)
and/or the Entry Level Math (ELM) exam.
You can also earn a CSU “CONDITIONALLY READY” status if you
receive one of these qualifying test scores:“Conditionally Ready” students must participate in the CSU Early Start Program
unless they complete an approved senior year-long English and/or math coursewith a grade of “C” or better or meet other Early Start Program exemptions.
The campus to which you decide to enroll will verify this requirement wascompleted. Students who meet this requirement through the senior year-longcourse or other accepted pathway may enroll directly in college level English andmath courses.

English Courses*• Expository Reading &Writing Course (ERWC)• AP Literature/Composition• Weighted Honors English

English:ACT: 19-21 or SAT: 460-490• IB English

Math:
ACT: 20-22 or SAT: 490-540

Math Courses*

All courses with a prerequisite of Algebra IIor Integrated Math III, including:• Trigonometry• Math Analysis• Pre-Calculus or Calculus• AP Calculus AB or BC• AP Physics• AP Statistics*Courses must be adopted through the UC A-G Course Management Portal and appear on
the “A-G” Course Guide.

COMPLETE
an approved senior year-long English and/ormath course with a grade of “C” or better:

YES

EXEMPTIf You Do Not Satisfy the Requirements

NONOT EXEMPTfrom EPT and/or ELM andCSU Early Start Program

Required to participate
in the CSU Early Start
Program

May enroll directly incollege level courses uponadmission to a CSU(Unless you meet other EarlyStart Program exemptions)
Go to: http://www.csusuccess.
org/earlystart/early-start-faq

The CSU recommends taking the EPT/ELM. These tests provide anotheropportunity to demonstrate your readiness to take English and math college levelcourses.
•You must receive a qualifying score on the EPT (147 or above) and ELM(50 or above) to enroll directly in college level English and math courses.

•If you do not take the EPT/ ELM or receive a qualifying score on the test(s)you will be required to participate in the CSU Early Start Program unless you
meet other Early Start exemptions. For more information visit:
http://www.csusuccess.org/earlystart/early-start-faq.

IMPORTANT: You will not be allowed to register for orientation or classes if
you do not take appropriate action or participate in the Early Start Program (ifrequired) in the summer before your first term at a CSU campus.

“NOTYET READY”“NOT READY”
STANDARD
NEARLYORMET/NOTMETFOR ENGLISH AND MATH
“NOT DEMONSTRATINGREADINESSFOR ENGLISH AND/OR MATHEMATICSCOLLEGE LEVEL COURSEWORK”

A CAASPP EAP status of “STANDARD NEARLY MET” or “NOTMET” means you are NOT READY at this time to take English and/or math college level courses upon admission to the CSU. Therefore,
you must take the CSU English and/or math placement tests (EPT/ELM) prior to enrollment. Not being ready for college level courses
doesofnot
mean you arenot eligible
toNot
applyMet”
and beadmitted
the takeA status“StandardNearlyMet ormeans
you tomustCSU.
Ifyouhavemetalleligibility
requirements,
weencourageyouthe English and/or math placement tests (EPT/ELM) and may be required
toapply.
Yourreadiness
results
areusedtodetermine
ifyouwillto participate in the CSU’s Early Start Program (ESP). If you do not meetneedand/or
remedial
uponrequirements,enrollment. you must take the test(s)the EPT
ELMcourses
exemption

before you can register for classes. These exams are your last opportunity toA CSU “NOTYET READY”
or “NOTEnglishREADY”
statusalso
ifdemonstratereadinessfor college-level
and/ormath
toapplies
avoid having
you received
ACT/SATscores within the ranges listed below:
to enrollin remedialcourses.

English:− Take a year-long English and/or math course in the senior year to
ACT: 18 or below, SAT: 450 or below
strengthen your English and/or math skills. Consult with your highschool counselor to help youMath:select the appropriate course.

ACT: 19 or below, SAT: 480 or below− Prepare for the EPT and/or ELM exam by accessing
the online test prep tool available atwww.csumathsuccess.org/exam_prep
MUST TAKE
CSU EPT and/or ELM

EPT −
score
of 147earlyor above
below 147
Registerfor the EPT and/or ELM examsEPT
oncescore
you receivean
ELM scoreor abovefrom a CSU campus. See theELMtestingscore schedule
below 50at
offerofof50
admissionwww.ets.org/csu/test_administration/dates

EXEMPT

from CSU Early Start Program− Pass the EPT (147+)
and/or directly
ELM (50+)
exams to be able to enroll
May enroll
in college
directly in college
level
Englishupon
and/ormath courses.
levelcourses
admission
to a CSU− If you do not pass the EPT and/or ELM or meet other EPT/ELM orother ESP exemptions, you must participate in the ESP.

NOT EXEMPT

Required to participate in the CSU Early Start Program(Unlessyoumeet otherProgram
Warning:
You arerequired
to signEarly
up forStartorientationor exemptions)register for classes ifyou haveGo
notto:
takenthe EPT and/or ELM exams or participated in ESP in the
http://www.csusuccess.org/earlystart/early-start-faq
summer before your first term at a CSU campus.
Note: Students meeting the admission requirements may apply to theCSU regardless of their EAP status. The CSU does not use the EAP
results for admission purposes.

What You Can Do to become college readyTake a year-long English and math course in your senior year to improveyour skills. Consult with your high school counselor to help you select theappropriate course.
•Prepare for the CSU EPT/ELM exam by using the online test prep
tool available at www.csumathsuccess.org/exam_prep.

•Register early for the EPT/ELM exams once you haveapplied to a CSU. View the testing schedule at
http://www.ets.org/csu.

•

Receive a qualifying score on the EPT (147+) and ELM (50+) to enroll
directly in CSU college level English and math courses.

•

Receive a qualifying score on the ACT/SAT/AP to enroll directly in
CSU college level English and math courses.

•

If you do not receive a qualifying score on the EPT/ELM, you must
participate in the CSU Early Start Program unless you meet other
Early Start exemptions.

IMPORTANT: You will not be allowed to register for orientation or classes
if you do not take the EPT/ ELM tests or participate in Early Start Programin the summer before your first term at a CSU campus. Check with thecampuses to which you are applying to for EPT/ELM deadlines.

THE EARLY START PROGRAM
The CSU Early Start Program (ESP) requires incoming first-time freshmen
who do not demonstrate readiness for college level English and/or mathcourses to begin taking remedial courses before their first term. The goal of
the ESP is to better prepare students in English and math, thereby improving
their chances of completing a baccalaureate degree. Below is additional
information on the CSU ESP.

EAP at theCalifornia Community Colleges
Visit http://extranet.cccco.edu/Divisions/StudentServices/EAP.aspx
for more information on use of CAASPP EAP results for exemptions andplacements into appropriate courses at the community college you planto attend.

• If you are required to participate in the ESP, you will begin in thesummer before the start of your freshman year.
• The CSU campus(es) to which you are admitted will provide you
information on whether or not you need to participate in the ESP.
• Upon determining which campus you will attend, please follow thedirections provided by the campus on how, when and where to sign
up for the ESP.
• Early Start English and math courses are available at all CSU
campuses. You can complete your ESP course(s) at a campus
near you.
• California residents or AB 540 students who apply for financial aid
and have an Estimated Family Contribution of $5,000 or less will be
eligible for a waiver of the per unit fee.
• For more information about the ESP, including course listings, visit:www.csusuccess.org/earlystart.

Frequently used acronyms
ACT: American College Testing
AP: Advanced Placement
CAASPP: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress
EAP: Early Assessment Program
ELM: Entry Level Mathematics Exam
EPT: English Placement Test
ERWC: Expository Reading and Writing Course
ESP: Early Start Program
IB: International Baccalaureate
SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test

IMPORTANT: You will not be allowed to register for orientation or classes
if you do not take the EPT/ELM tests or participate in ESP in the summer
before your first term at a CSU campus.

Additional resources
Learn about English and math interactive tools:
www.csusuccess.org
CSU EAP Coordinators list:calstate.edu/eap/documents/EAPRoster.pdf
Individual EAP results:
www.csumathsuccess.org/eap_results
Sign up for SAT: www.sat.collegeboard.org
ACT: www.actstudent.org
Learn more about the Early Start Program:www.csusuccess.org/earlystart
For more information about CAASPP go to:www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/

Academic Outreach and Early Accessment
401 Golden Shore, 6th floor, Long Beach, California 90802-4210
eap@calstate.edu
August, 2015