What you need to know about placement assessments

The following information has been compiled by the Board of SASS with input from Academic Advising.

Key links:

• Overview of placement assessments on Gateway (includes a list of all available placement assessments, their durations, and what content they test)

• Contact your Academic Advisor with any placement assessment questions

Overview: A placement assessment is an online exam (taken on Canvas via Proctorio) which assesses which course would be best for you for the coming year. Your Academic Advisor will register you for any necessary placement assessments once you submit your course requests. The assessment will then appear as a course in Canvas.

Taking a placement assessment is a way of demonstrating that you’ve covered the prerequisite material for a given course, even if you didn’t take the prerequisite course at OHS. They are also frequently required for students taking their first OHS course in a given subject.

These are not the sort of exams that you’re expected to “pass.” Instead, it’s about finding the right course fit for you.

Your Academic Advisor is the person who manages placement assessments. You can always reach out to them with any questions!

When are placement assessments? There are three placement assessment windows every year. For placement assessments taken in 2025, the windows are:

• Window A: 3/24/2025-4/9/2025 (preferred)

• Window B: 5/26/2025-6/3/2025

• Window C: 7/1/2025-7/24/2025 (for students taking summer courses)

Most placement assessments happen in window A so that placement results are factored into the schedule build process. If you wish to change to another window, you can speak with your Academic Advisor.

Per the Family Handbook, all placement assessments must be taken before July 31 or you risk being unenrolled from your courses.

What happens if I “fail” a placement assessment? There really is no “fail” with placement assessments; if you’re not placed into the course you expected, that’s okay! It is neither a reflection of you as a person nor of your ability as a student. All it reflects is how OHS’s curriculum aligns with the curriculum of the courses you’ve taken previously.

Most of the time, placement assessment results are spot-on. However, if, for some reason, you have concerns about your placement, please contact your Academic Advisor.

If I have a documented disability, can I receive accommodations during my placement assessment? If you have a documented disability but don’t yet have official accommodations at OHS, you must submit an accommodation request form in PowerSchool. Learn more about requesting accommodations on Gateway (student-created advice available here).

Once you have official accommodations at OHS, the answer is yes, you can use your accommodations for placement assessments! Reach out to the accommodations team (contact information available at the bottom of this page) to discuss how. Note that you must communicate in advance if you would like your accommodations to be applied to your placement assessment.

If I haven’t finished my current course, will I automatically fail the placement assessment? Don’t worry, you won’t! Placement assessments are typically taken during window A, which is during the school year. Whoever reviews your placement assessment will consider how far into the year you are and what you’re likely not to have covered yet at this point in the year in your current class.

If you have any specific concerns about how the syllabus of the course you’re taking may affect your placement assessment, speak with your Academic Advisor.

How do placement assessments for spring semester courses work? All placement assessments must be completed before July 31, even if the course you are trying to place into is a single-semester course which you will take in the spring.