Its goal is to reduce the percentage of incoming freshmen that place into remedial math at the fifteen UNC campuses and the fifty-eight NC community colleges. The test results are sent in the form of an individualized letter to each participating student. Teachers receive revealing summary results by class period. Results offer a straightforward and timely “reality check” of readiness for college-level mathematics.
Teachers have the flexibility to choose testing dates, and personalized results are returned within one to three days of receipt of completed opscans. Test questions are facsimiles of the actual questions found on NC community college and UNC universities math placement tests used across the state. A new test version is created each year upon the advice and approval of the NC EMPT Advisory Board. The board members represent each UNC institution, the NC Community College System, the UNC General Administration, and the NC Department of Public Instruction.
As a result of teacher requests, two options of the NC EMPT test are offered each school year. Option 1 is administered early in a new term to quickly motivate students and diagnose mathematical strengths and weaknesses. Option 1 uses the test version from the previous school year. Option 2 is the newly created and more popular option and is administered later in the course. Eligible students for both options include those enrolled in Algebra II, NC Math III, Essentials for College Math, Advanced Functions and Modeling, Pre-Calculus, Discrete Math, Statistics, Calculus, and other upper-level mathematics courses. Teachers are free to use one or both options. Using Option 1 early and Option 2 late in the course provides tangible evidence of growth in mathematics skills – a powerful tool for teachers, students, and parents.
It is helpful for one person to be the contact for an entire high school mathematics department. The contact person places the order for testing materials, distributes them, returns opscans for grading, and distributes results. The contact person may be a mathematics teacher, testing coordinator, or administrator. When ready to order, the contact simply clicks on the registration tab in the menu.