Placement Assessments

What is a Placement Assessment? 

Placement Assessments in English and/or Math are taken after you have accepted an offer of admission to George Brown College. Placement assessments determine whether you are ready to take the college-level credit courses in English and/or math in the first semester, or if you need to take a foundation-level course first to further develop your skills. 

For more information, please visit our main Assessment Centre page.

If you have already taken an Admission Assessment as part of your college application process, your Admission Assessment results will be used as placement results. 
When and where do I take my assessment?

You will take the Placement Assessment after you have accepted your offer into your program. It is best that you complete the assessment before you register for your courses, since this assessment will determine the English and/or math courses you will be taking in first semester. 

You are strongly encouraged to book your assessment as soon as possible. Do not postpone your assessment as you risk having to wait for test seats and experiencing delays in getting your class schedule. 

Notes: If you have not completed your assessment by approximately 2 weeks before the start of the semester (see Academic Calendar), you will be automatically placed in the foundation-level courses required by your program. 

If you complete your assessment after an automatic registration in the foundation-level courses, you risk major changes to your course schedule as courses fill up very quickly. 

Please Note:

Placement and Admission testing will be taking place in-person on campus at 200 King Street East unless you have been notified otherwise.

If you are outside the Greater Toronto Area, please contact the Contact Centre at 416-415-2000 to book an appointment or email assessmentcentre@georgebrown.ca.

How do I book my assessment?

Booking Online: Students can book an appointment via their STU VIEW account. 

Booking by Phone: Call the Contact Centre at 416-415-2000. Have your 9-digit student ID number ready.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have not registered with George Brown College Accessible Learning Services and you think you might require test accommodations, please see our Testing Accommodations page. 

See the video below for instructions on how to book your placement assessment:

Is there a charge for the assessment? 

There are no fees for Placement Assessments. 

What do I need to bring to my assessment? 

A valid form of government issued photo ID to confirm your identity. 

  • A pen or a pencil.
  • Acceptable forms of photo ID include the following: 
    • Driver's License
    • Canadian Identity Card 
    • Canadian Citizenship Card 
    • Passport 
    • Permanent Resident Card 
    • Certificate of Indian Status Card 
    • George Brown College Student ID Card 

If you are an international student writing an Admission Assessment, please bring your test letter (paper or electronic copy) that was emailed to you by your Admissions Officer. We cannot test international students for admission purposes without seeing this letter. 

To learn more, view our General Preparation Checklist

What assessments will I take and how can I prepare?

Please see our Placement Assessments by Program page to see which assessments may be required for the program you are interested in. 

You can visit our Preparation and Resources section to see some suggestions of how you can prepare for your assessment. 

How will I know my results?

Before you leave the Assessment Centre, you will be informed if you have placed at the college or foundation level of your English and/or math courses. 

Can I be exempted from English and/or math courses? 

Please visit the course exemption section of the college’s transfer guide for more information. 

What happens if I don’t take my Placement Assessment? 

You will be automatically placed in a foundation-level course. This placement means that you will be taking an additional course and that you will likely be charged an additional course fee. 

If you do not complete the English and math courses required by your program, you will not be able to graduate. 

What is a foundation course?

Foundation-level courses are non-credit courses for students whose placement assessment results indicate that the students need further skill development before they are ready to take college-level credit English and/or math courses. 

The foundation courses give students the opportunity to strengthen their skills so that they can be successful in college-level English and/or math courses that are required for graduation. 

Foundation-level courses are pre-requisites for the first semester college-level English and/or math course(s) and are not optional once the student has been placed in the course(s). 

What happens if I am placed into a foundation-level course? 

If you have placed in foundation-level English or Math courses: 

  • You will meet with the Assessment Advisor. The Advisor will tell you about your placement, your next steps related to registration, and the English and math learning supports available to you. 
  • The course will be automatically included in your timetable (in block-based programs) OR will be available for registration through your STU VIEW account (in course-based programs). 
  • Upon successful completion of your foundation-level course(s), you will be able to take college-level English and /or mathematics course(s). 
  • Depending upon your individual circumstances, you may be charged a fee for the additional course(s) when you register for your college-level course, usually in semester two. 
  • Your placement into a foundation-level course does not affect your start in the program, and you will still take your core courses scheduled for the semester.
If I have already completed an Admission Assessment, do I need to take a Placement Assessment?

Your Admission Assessment results will be used to place you in an appropriate English and/or math course. 

If you wrote your Admission Assessment 6 months or more before the start of your program (e.g. before the end of February for the September program intake) and your results have placed you in foundation-level courses, you are eligible to complete a Placement Assessment for your program. 

To check if you have been placed in foundation level courses, please go to STU VIEW once the program registration is open.