University Assessment & Testing

Reading Placement & Remediation

Every first-time entering OSU student (new freshman or transfer student with fewer than 24 hours) is provided an Entry Level Placement Assessment (ELPA) report that contains recommendations for course placement.  These recommendations follow OSU guidelines that have been approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE).  OSRHE policy on student assessment and remediation also requires students with basic academic skills deficiencies or lacking curriculum requirements in four subject areas (English, mathematics, reading, and science) to remediate those deficiencies.  OSU also places enrollment restrictions on certain courses that must be satisfied by meeting placement requirements.  The following placement information pertains to courses that require substantial reading.

Enrollment Restrictions, Placement Requirements, and Required Remediation

There are no enrollment restrictions or placement requirements for courses that require substantial reading for a student who meets the following criteria:

• The student's ACT Reading subscore is 19 or greater, OR

• The student's PGI coefficient for reading is greater than 2.0.  The PGI (Predicted Grade Index) coefficient represents a student's predicted grade in selected entry-level courses.  Predictions are based on formulas using high school GPA, high school core curriculum grades, and highest ACT  composite scores. 

OSU requires the completion of a remedial/developmental reading course such as UNIV 0163 (or, prior to Fall 2022, UNIV 0153) at OSU or equivalent when:

• The student's ACT Reading subscore is below 19 AND the student's PGI coefficient for reading is below 2.0, OR

• Curricular deficiencies in reading are indicated.  Curricular deficiencies occur if the student did not complete the required number of high school units in the subject area.

OSRHE policy further requires that the student must satisfactorily complete the required remedial/developmental reading course within the first 24 hours of college-level coursework at OSU (excluding repeats, pass/fail and 0-level courses). A student who does not remediate the deficiency during this time period must attend another institution until the work is completed.

Alternate Methods for Reading Remediation

Students may also satisfy the reading remediation requirement by:

• Scoring a 263 or greater on the OSU Reading Placement Exam (ACCUPLACER Next-Generation Reading).  Note: students are permitted two attempts at the OSU Reading Placement Exam.  Additional attempts beyond two require approval from the Director of University Assessment and Testing.

• Scoring a 19 or greater on the Reading section of the National ACT Exam

• Scoring 2.0 or higher on the reading PGI coefficient (Note: PGI scores cannot be used to meet curricular deficiencies)

• Scoring a 19 or greater on the Reading section of the ACT On-Campus Exam

• Scoring 2.0 or higher on the reading PGI coefficient (Note: PGI scores cannot be used to meet curricular deficiencies)

• Scoring a 480 or greater on the SAT Exam's Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing Section (SAT R Evidenced-Based R&W, offered since March 2016)

• Successfully completing UNIV 0163 (or, prior to Fall 2022 UNIV 0153) or equivalent